Roger Crowley tells the story of how Portugal built its empire in the Indian ocean from 1498. The Portuguese were there to trade but also as zealots and crusaders. The story is one of discovery, courage, violence and often unspeakable cruelty. It is astonishing to learn how one of Europe's smallest and poorest countries could undertake such a project.

Roger's book Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire was hugely popular with critics and with lovers of deeply researched but highly readable narrative history.