When Vasco de Gama arrived in India seeking the riches of the East, his would-be business partners were incredulous at his supply of six hats, four strands of coral, and some sugar. Their reaction is telling of how the Muslim and Eastern world perceived Western Europe in the 15th century. So how did Western Europe transform into a conglomerate of world superpower in subsequent years? The printing press, changing warcraft, and financing all helped catalyze a new world order.
Guest: Patrick Wyman, author of "The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World"
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