Explorers searching for a “New World” found a continent teeming with life and opportunity. Readers will learn how humanity pushed to the edges of the Earth in the quest for knowledge. They will also learn about the exploits of famous explorers such as Francisco Pizarro and Americo Vespucci while full-color photographs show the continent in stunning detail. Fact boxes add depth to every expedition and journey, while glossary terms and further information give readers an in-depth examination of this exciting topic.

A narrative history of exploration from Christopher Columbus to the 19th century, with journal excerpts, diaries and other writings of the explorers themselves. Goodman has marshaled his wide-ranging research and lifelong interest in exploration into a comprehensive, scholarly history. A reprint of the original 1972 edition, the tales have lost none of their luster.

Most students know that Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic to the New World in 1492. However, it was not until Columbus' third voyage, in the summer of 1498, that he actually set foot on the mainland of the American continent, exploring about 1,000 miles of the South American coastline.

Amerigo Vespucci, the presumed namesake of the continents of North America and South America, is a controversial figure in the history of European exploration. The number of voyages he took to the New World is in dispute, but among his accomplishments, he found a rough method of calculating longitude, made notes on the indigenous peoples he encountered, and published theories proving that Columbus had not landed in India. This volume separates the fact from fiction, the man from the myth, and sets about to responsibly examine the remaining open questions at the heart of this history of New World exploration.

Explorers searching for a “New World” found a continent teeming with life and opportunity. Readers will learn how humanity pushed to the edges of the Earth in the quest for knowledge. They will also learn about the exploits of famous explorers such as Francisco Pizarro and Americo Vespucci while full-color photographs show the continent in stunning detail. Fact boxes add depth to every expedition and journey, while glossary terms and further information give readers an in-depth examination of this exciting topic.