Acclaimed historian and UC Davis Professor Andrés Reséndez has researched and written a riveting account of the first expedition to sail from the Americas to Asia and back, launching an era of global trade and cultural exchange with the Far East.

In Conquering the Pacific: An Unknown Mariner and the Final Great Voyage of the Age of Discovery, he tells how it starts with a secret mission and includes mutiny, a shipwreck and an African-Portuguese navigator whose story was almost lost to history.

In this episode of The Backdrop, Reséndez recounts the remarkable tale, discusses how he uncovered and pieced together details of the story, and why the historic first was nearly forgotten.

The Backdrop podcast is a monthly interview program featuring conversations with UC Davis scholars and researchers working in the social sciences, humanities, arts and culture.  It is available free, on demand at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Stitcher, Spotify and YouTube. The Backdrop is hosted by public radio veteran Soterios Johnson.