"Christopher Columbus is one of the most famous explorers of all time, but he was neither the first nor last adventurer to ever stumble upon a great discovery. From the Silk Road of Asia to the icy shores of Antarctica, our knowledge of the world today is in large part due to several intrepid pioneers, risking life and limb for the sake of exploration. After all, setting off into the dark unknown requires an enormous amount of bravery. But every explorer quickly learns that courage and curiosity aren't enough to save you if you can't read a map or trespass on somebody else's land!"--From the publisher's web site.
General Note
Includes chronology.
Content Note
Introduction: lost at sea -- Vikings in America -- Marco Polo and Zheng-He: eastern tales of discovery -- Columbus gets lucky -- Ferdinand Magellan--around the world in... three years? -- The "failure" of Giovanni da Verrazzano -- Cabeza de Vaca: castaway in Mexico -- The Seven Cities of Gold -- Jamestown -- Captain Cook's last voyage -- Dr. Livingstone and the quest for the Nile.