Hold on to your Viking helmets as you learn about the first known European to set foot on North America in this exciting addition to the Who Was? series! Leif Erikson was born to be an explorer. His father, Erik the Red, had established the first European settlement in present-day Greenland, and although he didn't yet know it, Leif was destined to embark on an adventure of his own. The wise and striking Viking landed in the area known as Vinland almost five centuries before Christopher Columbus even set sail! "Leif the Lucky" and the other fierce, sea-fearing pirates were accomplished navigators who raided foreign lands for resources, hunted for their food, and passed down Old Norse myths from one generation to the next. This book gives readers a detailed account of what life was like during the time of the Vikings.

"Examines the life of Viking explorer Leif Eriksson, including his explorations, his discovery of North America, and his legacy in American history"--Provided by publisher.

Five hundred years before Columbus, a young Viking named Leif Eriksson crossed the Atlantic and became the first-known European to set foot in North America. The tale of the crossing has been passed down for 1000 years. Now Elizabeth Cody Kimmel retells it to a new audience, painting a vivid picture of what Eriksson might have experienced. Includes reproductions of maps, illustrations, and Viking artifacts.

It may not be inapt to liken the attainment of the North Pole to the winning of a game of chess, in which all the various moves leading to a favorable conclusion had been planned in advance, long before the actual game began. It was an old game for me—a game which I had been playing for twenty-three years, with varying fortunes. Always, it is true, I had been beaten, but with every defeat came fresh knowledge of the game, its intricacies, its difficulties, its subtleties, and with every fresh attempt success came a trifle nearer; what had before appeared either impossible, or, at the best, extremely dubious, began to take on an aspect of possibility, and, at last, even of probability. Every defeat was analyzed as to its causes in all their bearings, until it became possible to believe that those causes could in future be guarded against and that, with a fair amount of good fortune, the losing game of nearly a quarter of a century could be turned into one final, complete success. It is true that with this conclusion many well informed and intelligent persons saw fit to differ. But many others shared my views and gave without stint their sympathy and their help, and now, in the end, one of my greatest unalloyed pleasures is to know that their confidence, subjected as it was to many trials, was not misplaced, that their trust, their belief in me and in the mission to which the best years of my life have been given, have been abundantly justified. But while it is true that so far as plan and method are concerned the discovery of the North Pole may fairly be likened to a game of chess, there is, of course, this obvious difference: in chess, brains are matched against brains. In the quest of the Pole it was a struggle of human brains and persistence against the blind, brute forces of the elements of primeval matter, acting often under laws and impulses almost unknown or but little understood by us, and thus many times seemingly capricious, freaky, not to be foretold with any degree of certainty. For this reason, while it was possible to plan, before the hour of sailing from New York, the principal moves of the attack upon the frozen North, it was not possible to anticipate all of the moves of the adversary. Had this been possible, my expedition of 1905-1906, which established the then "farthest north" record of 87° 6´, would have reached the Pole. But everybody familiar with the records of that expedition knows that its complete success was frustrated by one of those unforeseen moves of our great adversary—in that a season of unusually violent and continued winds disrupted the polar pack, separating me from my supporting parties, with insufficient supplies, so that, when almost within striking distance of the goal, it was necessary to turn back because of the imminent peril of starvation. When victory seemed at last almost within reach, I was blocked by a move which could not possibly have been foreseen, and which, when I encountered it, I was helpless to meet. And, as is well known, I and those with me were not only checkmated but very nearly lost our lives as well. But all that is now as a tale that is told. This time it is a different and perhaps a more inspiring story, though the records of gallant defeat are not without their inspiration. And the point which it seems fit to make in the beginning is that success crowned the efforts of years because strength came from repeated defeats, wisdom from earlier error, experience from inexperience, and determination from them all.

Explore the Captivating Life of Leif Erikson The Vikings were exceptional boat builders, seafarers, adventures, and explorers. They not only raided and attacked settlements across Europe and Britain, but they also sailed far and wide, discovering and colonizing new lands. Their impact on history is far-reaching and the mark that they made on the world, especially during the Viking Age, can still be seen today. In this book, you will learn about the world that shaped Leif Erikson and made him into an adventurous man who was not afraid to sail into the unknown to discover new lands. You will discover how he was able to cross the Atlantic on an open longboat and become the first known European to have set foot on the North American continent, almost half a millennium before Christopher Columbus. Some of the topics covered in this book include: The Making of the Man, Leif Erikson's Formative Years The Settlement of Greenland Life in Greenland Leif's First Voyage Mysterious Lands to the West of Greenland Voyage to Vinland Subsequent Voyages to Vinland Master shipbuilders The discovery of L'Anse aux Meadows The End of the Vinland Settlement Leif Erikson's place in History And much, much more! Scroll to the top and select the "add to cart" button to learn more about Leif Erikson!

A viking explorer who led what was probably the first European expedition to North America, Leif Erikson followed in his father's footsteps (Erik the Red) to become the leader of the first settlement in Greenland after his father's death. Born in Iceland, Leif and his family sailed to southern Greenland about 985 where his father founded a settlement near present-day Julianehab. Here, Erikson preached Christianity. His life was recorded in long Icelandic stories called sagas. From these sagas we can learn about the life and explorations of this Norse explorer. You, too, can follow his adventures herein.

"Originally published in 1941 by Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc."