The Age of Discovery began in the early part of the 15th century and carried on through most of the 17th century. It is sometimes also referred to as the Age of Exploration. This was a time when the people of Europe began to travel, discover, and explore more of the world than ever before, mapping and naming the places they found.

The Age of Exploration, which spanned roughly from 1400 to 1550, was the first time in history that European powers—eyeing new trade routes to the East or seeking to establish empires—began actively looking far past their own borders to gain a better understanding of the world and its many resources. The individuals who set out on behalf of the countries they represented came from a variety of backgrounds, and included master navigators such as Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan—the latter of whom was the first to circle the globe—as well as the often ruthless conquistadors of the New World such as Francisco Pizarro and Hernan Cortes. The exciting and sometimes tragic lives and journeys of these and many others as well as the battles for empire that arose are chronicled in this engaging volume.

'Fascinating. A compelling and intriguing volume.' Associated Press Scarcely over a hundred years ago, Africa was still the Dark Continent to Europeans-its geography and peoples largely unknown. The continent was Nature's last great fortress, made seemingly impregnable by disease, hostile tribes, dangerous animals, extremes of climate and an inhospitable terrain. However, the era of discovery eventually dawned: Africa was being opened up. Through the combination of individual endeavour and technological breakthrough, a handful of explorers began exploring and mapping Africa. Livingstone, Stanley, Burton, Speke, Baker, and others-these extraordinary characters risked their lives to uncover the mysteries of the Dark Continent. Frank McLynn proposes a thematic treatment of the subject; opening with an historical survey of the achievements and scope of the explorers, detailing the legendary search of the source of the Nile, the traversing of the Congo and Niger, and the recovery of Livingstone. The ensuing chapters deal then with different aspects of exploration over the period. The highly-praised Hearts of Darkness brings us the reality behind the myths and legends of England's first steps into the Dark Continent. Frank McLynn is a British author, biographer, historian and journalist. He is noted for critically acclaimed biographies of Napoleon Bonaparte, Robert Louis Stevenson, Carl Jung, Richard Francis Burton and Henry Morton Stanley. He is also the author of Fitzroy Maclean, Villa and Zapata and Bipolar, a novel about Roald Amundsen, published by Sharpe Books. Praise for Frank McLynn: 'A remarkable opus.' ALA Booklist 'An eye-opening safari into the history and psychobiography of Africa exploration.' Kirkus Reviews 'In sturdy, confident prose McLynn takes an intriguing tack by offering a thematic, comparative account of African exploration during the Victorian era.' Publishers Weekly 'A readable, well-written and worthwhile work.' Seattle Times 'A smoothly written account of African exploration during the Victorian era. [McLynn] presents fascinating derails on everything from the eating habits of the black mamba to the ravages of the tsetse fly on the European travellers.' Tampa Tribune and Times

U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.

The state is central to social scientific and historical inquiry today, reflecting its importance in domestic and international affairs. States kill, coerce, fight, torture, and incarcerate, yet they also nurture, protect, educate, redistribute, and invest. It is precisely because of the complexity and wide-ranging impacts of states that research on them has proliferated and diversified. Yet, too many scholars inhabit separate academic silos, and theorizing of states has become dispersed and disjointed. This book aims to bridge some of the many gaps between scholarly endeavors, bringing together scholars from a diverse array of disciplines and perspectives who study states and empires. The book offers not only a sample of cutting-edge research that can serve as models and directions for future work, but an original conceptualization and theorization of states, their origins and evolution, and their effects.