OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF AUTHOR AND HISTORIAN
Matthew Restall
RESTALL’S LATEST BOOK, PUBLISHED BY W.W. NORTON
The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus
Why are we still talking about Christopher Columbus? In his latest book, Restall answers that question and many more, presenting a new, authoritative biography, while at the same time tracing Columbus’s many afterlives down into our own time. Taking us beyond polemic, Restall sifts through the evidence across nations, languages, and five centuries to explore and expose the myths of what he calls Columbiana. “I thought there were too many books on Columbus until I read Matthew Restall’s,” testifies Felipe Fernández-Armesto, “which has made me realize that formerly there were at least nine too few.” Restall “brings a fresh approach, an original touch, a lively eye, a delightful style, and a sense of humor to every subject he broaches.”
About Matthew Restall
Matthew Restall is an historian and author of over forty books, focusing on the Spanish Conquest era in the Americas; on Aztec and Maya history; on the history of colonial Mesoamerica, primarily Yucatan but including Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize; on the historical African diaspora in the Americas; on the history of Christopher Columbus and what he calls Columbiana; and on the history of popular music. He is Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of History and Anthropology, and Director of Latin American Studies, at Pennsylvania State University.
Access Matthew Restall’s complete CV via his department webpage.
“Restall has a well-earned reputation as a myth-buster in the history of the New World … [When Montezuma Met Cortés is] a lively, original, and readable book aimed at a wider audience”
Featured Books
The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus
Ghosts:
Journeys to Post-pop
The Friar & The Maya
News
Just Published: The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus
“I thought there were too many books on Columbus until I read Matthew Restall’s — which has made me realize that formerly there were at least nine too few. He brings a fresh approach, an original...
On Elton John: “An invigorating experience” and “a magnificent overview”
According to venerable music writer and television presenter David Hepworth: “The best thing any book about pop music can do is send us back to the records we thought we knew in order to hear the...
What is Post-Pop (and How to Get There)?
As one reader posted on Goodreads: “Thank you, Matthew Restall, for researching and writing this book about Post Pop. Three artists that I have enjoyed over the years and listened to while finding...