Prisoners of Prester John

During the 16th century, Portugal endeavoured to locate the mythical kingdom of Prester John - a Christian nation rumoured to be somewhere in the Orient. This study chronicles Portugal's final attempt, a six-year odyssey in Ethiopia. After summarizing the Prester John myth and the many efforts it spawned, the work focuses on the Ethiopian mission's chronicler, Father Francisco Alvares, who fell in love with the country, became a friend of its king, and set in motion events that saved Ethiopia from imminent destruction.