BOOKS:
Bergreen, Laurence. Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe. New York: Morrow, 2003.
“Now in Over the Edge of the World , acclaimed author Laurence Bergreen, interweaving a variety of candid, first-person accounts, some previously unavailable in English, brings to life this groundbreaking and majestic tale of discovery that changed many long-held views about the world and the way explorers would henceforth navigate its oceans. In 1519 Magellan and his fleet set sail from Seville, Spain, to find a water route to the Spice Islands in Indonesia, where the most sought-after commodities -- cloves, pepper, and nutmeg -- flourished. Most important, they were looking for a passageway, a strait, through the great landmass of the Americas that would lead them to these fabled islands. Laurence Bergreen takes readers on board with Magellan and his crew as they explore, navigate, mutiny, suffer, and die across the seas.” (Abstract from publisher)
Columbus, Christopher and Robert Henderson Fuson, ed. The Log of Christopher Columbus . Camden, ME: International Marine Publishing Co., 1987.
“This book is beautiful and important. Columbus's original log has been lost. What remains are several contradictory versions. This magnificent reconstruction reflects careful translation and sensitive scholarly research. Readers will be struck by a great adventure story as well as Columbus's own sense of marvel. There are details of the voyage as well as passages at times poet icon endless searching, geography, human nature, etc. There are, too, excellent supporting chapters on Columbus himself, on the history of the log, and on the technology of travel in Columbus's day. As compelling for general readers as it is valuable to historians.” (From a review by Jay R. Kaufman and Janet Fletcher, published in the Library Journal 112, no. 17 (Oct. 1987): 78-9.)
Duncan, David Ewing. Hernando de Soto: A Savage Quest in the Americas . New York: Crown Publishers, 1995.
"For the first time, a book that tells the truth about Hernando de Soto's legendary expedition across what would become the United States, where he squandered a fortune in gold won in the conquest of Peru, and drove himself slowly mad searching for a second Inca empire.” (Abstract from book cover) Duncan is a writer/reporter for ABC.
Fitzhugh, William W. and Elisabeth I. Ward. Vikings: the North Atlantic Saga. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000.
“Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga celebrates and explores the Viking saga from the combined perspectives of history, archaeology, oral tradition, literature, and natural science. The book's contributors chart the spread of marauders and traders in Europe as well as the movement of farmers and explorers throughout the North Atlantic and into the New World. Incorporating a wealth of recent information, this generously illustrated book describes a first-millennium culture far more complex and entrepreneurial than the horned-helmeted raiders of popular imagination.” (Abstract from book jacket) William W. Fitzhugh is the director of the Arctic Studies Center and curator in the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Elisabeth I. Ward is the curatorial specialist for the Vikings project at the National Museum of Natural History's Arctic Studies Center.
Fuson, Robert Henderson. Juan Ponce de Leon and the Spanish Discovery of Puerto Rico and Florida . Blacksburg, VA: McDonald & Woodward Publishing Co., 2000.
“Juan Ponce de Leon is the most extensive biography to date of this important but misrepresented figure in the early colonial history of America. Written by one of America's foremost experts of 15th-and 16th- century exploration and discovery, this book dispels the myths about Ponce de Leon and credits him with discoveries for which he previously has not been credited. Ponce's life and legacy are examined in the context of Spain's ambitions in the New World during the 16th century.” (Abstract from book cover) Fuson is a professor of geography at the University of South Florida.
Howard, David A. Conquistador in Chains: Cabeza de Vaca and the Indians of the Americas . Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1997.
“A life-changing adventure led Alvar Nunex Cabeza de Vaca to seek a different kind of conquest, one that would be just and humane, true to Spanish religion and law yet safeguarding liberty and justice for the Indians of the New World. His use of skills learned from his experiences with the Indians of North America, however, did not always help him in understanding and managing the Indians of South America, and too many of the Spanish settlers in the Rio de la Plata Province found that his policies threatened their own interests and relations with the Indians. Eventually many of those Spaniards joined a conspiracy that removed him from power and returned him to Spain in chains.” (Abstract from book cover) Howard is a professor of history at Houghton College.
Kelsey, Harry. Sir Francis Drake: the Queen's Pirate . New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998.
"Tracing Drake's family lineage and early childhood in a seafaring family, Kelsey does a creditable job of drawing Drake's character and the influences that molded him. A natural sailor, fearless, ambitious, and tenacious, Drake was also lacking in family attachment, covetous, and devoid of moral scruples. Kelsey's command of the sources is excellent; the notes are a treasure trove of information on 16th-century exploration, and the bibliography is exhaustive.” (From a review by Harold N. Boyer, published in the Library Journal 123, no. 15 (Sept. 1998): 94.) Kelsey is a Research Scholar at Huntington University and a professor of history at the University of California, Riverside.
Larner, John. Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World . New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999.
“In this engaging and authoritative book, historian John Larner explores for the first time the full range and influence of Polo's Book on the history of geography and exploration. Larner assesses the findings of modern scholarship and offers an original account of Marco Polo and his family, of how and why the Book came into being, and of its reception over the centuries. Beginning with a discussion of the extent of European knowledge of Asia early in the thirteenth century, Larner considers what is known about Marco Polo's life and the composition of his text. He examines the Book's scope and sources (vindicating its author from recent claims that he never visited China), as well as the nature of Polo's cooperation with his co-author Rustichello da Pisa. He traces the manuscript forms and translations of the Book in the Middle Ages, its influence on western cartographers, its fortunes in the climate of fifteenth-century Humanism, the possible extent of its encouragement of Columbus, and its later evolution into such new guises as the object of historical scholarship and exotic curiosity. Finally, Larner provides a fresh view of the enigmatic Marco Polo who, despite a deliberate cultivation of impersonality, continues today to engage the attention of readers.” (Abstract from publisher) Larner is a Professor of History at Glasgow University.
Lavender, David Sievert. De Soto, Coronado, Cabrillo: Explorers of the Northern Mystery. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, 1992.
“This official government handbook describes the expeditions of the Spanish explorers, DeSoto, Coronado, and Cabrillo and their encounters with the new world of America and its native peoples. Also provides information about the national monuments named after the explorers.” (Abstract from publisher) Lavendar is employed with the National Park Service.
Russell, P.E. Prince Henry “the Navigator”: a Life . New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000.
“While full attention is given to all aspects of his voyages of discovery in the African Atlantic, including their economic and cultural consequences and the difficult questions of international law and papal jurisdiction, Russell also examines in detail the other spheres of activity which contributed to his fame, or sometimes brought it into question. He demonstrates the degree to which Henry's actions were motivated by the predictions of his astrologer -- an aspect of his career that has been neglected in the past -- and explains how it was that a man who was anything but 'modern' could have taken the first steps which were to change the political and demographic landscape not only of Europe but of much of the world. Together with Columbus he was considered one of the progenitors of 'modernity', a man who dared to challenge the scientific assumptions of his age and by so doing was responsible for liberating Europeans from the geographical constraints which had bound them since the collapse of the Roman Empire.” (Abstract from book cover) Russell is professor of Spanish studies at the University of Oxford.
Trevelyan, Raleigh. Sir Walter Raleigh . New York: H. Holt, 2004.
[Sir Walter Raleigh's] accomplishments are legion: he founded the first American colony, gave the Irish the potato, and defeated Spain. He was also a brilliant operator in the shark pool of Elizabethan court politics, until he married a court beauty, without Elizabeth's permission, and later challenged her capricious successor, James I. Raleigh Trevelyan has traveled to each of the principal places where Raleigh adventured—Ireland, the Azores, Roanoke Islands, and the legendary El Dorado (Orinoco)—and uncovered new insights into Raleigh's extraordinary life. New information from the Spanish archives give a freshness and immediacy to this detailed and convincing portrait of one of the most compelling figures of the Elizabethan era." (Abstract from publisher) Trevelyan is a publisher and author.
Wilford, John Noble. The Mysterious History of Columbus: an Exploration of the Man, the Myth, the Legacy . New York: Knopf, 1991.
“ The quincentennial observation of the European encounter with America brings forth these titles, each different in approach to traditional but newly sensitive controversies. The three authors agree that, at the very least, Columbus was an extraordinary mariner whose efforts linked two civilizations with profound effects. At the same time they do not excuse his personal role in initiating the enslavement and destruction of the indigenous populations." (From a review by William F. Young, published in the Library Journal 116, no. 17 (Oct. 1991): 90.) Wilford is a New York Times Reporter.
ARTICLES:
Allen, James Sloan. “Reflections at the Edge of the World.” Sewanee Review 100, no. 4 (Fall 1992): 565-73.
“Reflects on the contributions of the Portuguese to the exploration of the world as triggered by a socio-psychological maxim called Eurocentrism. European exploration in the 15th and 16th century; Niccolo Machiavelli's political ethic in `The Prince' as reflective of the cultural catalyst of the explorations; Tourism in Sagres and Cape St. Vincent, Portugal.” (Abstract from Inspire) Allen is a professor of history at Columbia University
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Allen, John L. “From Cabot to Cartier: the Early Exploration of Eastern North America, 1497-1543.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers 82, no. 3 (Sept. 1992): 500-22.
“Discusses how the initial European responses to the Columbian discovery included an exploratory process, that in the space of a half-century, delineated the basic geographical features of North America's Atlantic coast. Geographical lore of North Cabot; Portuguese explorations in the Northwestern Atlantic; The early English search for the Northwest passage; More.” (Abstract from Inspire) Allen is a p rofessor of geography at the University of Wyoming.
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Axtell, James. “The Moral Dimensions of 1492.” Historian 56, no. 1 (Autumn 1993): 17-29.
“Examines the alleged genocide committed by Christopher Columbus and his European successors to American Indians since the discovery of America. Moral aspects of the 1992 quincentennial celebration of Columbus' discovery of America; Ambiguity of evidence of genocide during the colonial period; France's use of germ warfare to fight smallpox breakout among the Indian population; More.” (Abstract from Inspire) Axtell is a p rofessor of humanities at the College of William and Mary.
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Boxhall, Peter. “Portuguese Seafarers in the Indian Ocean.” Asian Affairs 23, no. 3 (Oct. 1992): 322-31.
“Presents an overview of the history of Portuguese seafaring in the Indian Ocean. Pedro da Covilham's travels in the region; Feats of Arabian seamanship and how they relate to the accomplishments of the Portuguese; Encounters with native populations; Additional observations.” (Abstract from Inspire) Boxhall is a writer and officer with the British Army.
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Davis, Kortright,. “Sunshine Christophers': Bearers of Christ and Caribbean History.” Journal of Religious Thought 49, no. 2 (Winter 1992/Spring 1993): 7-24.
“Focuses on the celebration of the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' voyage to the Caribbean in 1492. Characteristics of the Caribbean countries; Differences in people's views on Columbus; Link between the celebration of Columbus' voyage and freedom in the Caribbean.” (Abstract from Inspire) Davis is a p rofessor of theology at Howard University.
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Elliott, Jane. “The Choosers or the Dispossessed? Aspects of the Work of some French Eighteenth Century Pacific Explorers.” Oceania 67, no. 3 (Mar. 1997): 234-57.
“Links the literary works of eighteenth century French explorers with that being done by anthropologists on the Islands of the Pacific. Range of contradictory responses to assumptions about the nature of humankind; Ability to document behavior; Consciousness of the validity of the data.” (Abstract from Inspire)
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McGovern, Thomas H. and Sophia Perdikaris. “The Vikings' Silent Saga.” Natural History 109, no 8 (Oct. 2000): 50-8.
“Features information on the history of the colonization of the North Atlantic by the Vikings. Details on the migration of Vikings to other settlements; Description of the social conditions in the settlements; Effects of the environmental conditions of the North Atlantic on the expansion activities of the Vikings.” (Abstract from Inspire) Thomas H. McGovern is a professor of anthropology at Columbia University. Sophia Perdikaris is a professor of anthropology at the City University of New York.
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Paine, Robert. “Columbus and Anthropology and the Unknown.” Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 1, no. 1 (Mar. 1995): 47-66.
“Addresses the relation of the `unknown' to the `known' at two periods of European thought. The known and the unknown at the time of Christopher Columbus; Referential knowing; Knowing by invention; Comparison of the Age of Discovery and modern anthropology in respect of the handling of the unknown.” (Abstract from Inspire) Paine is a p rofessor of anthropology at the Memorial University of Newfoundland
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Rogers, Nicholas. “Caribbean Borderland: Empire, Ethnicity, and the Exotic on the Mosquito Coast.” Eighteenth-Century Life 26, no. 3 (Fall 2002): 117-39.
“Examines the interaction between the Miskito Indians and British buccaneers, settlers or officials whom they encountered in the Mosquito Coast. Investigations on negotiations for social space by the Miskitos during power struggles of the 18th century Caribbean region; Influence of the negotiations in the formation of their own ethnic identity and their relations with other aboriginal peoples in Atlantic Central America.” (Abstract from Inspire) Rogers ia a professor of history at York University, Toronto
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Wilson, Samuel M. “Columbus's Competition.” Natural History 101, no. 1 (Jan. 1992): 26-30.
“States that Christopher Columbus was the first of all his colleagues and competitors to make it to the New World because he was the first to try a route that took him further south than the Azores before heading westward, thus enabling him to take advantage of easterly trade winds and a north equatorial current. The Renaissance geographer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli and his times; Ferno Dulmo and his attempts to sail west from the Azores; Geographer and sailor Martin Behaim; More.” (Abstract from Inspire) Wilson is a professor of anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin
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Woods, Frances. “Did Marco Polo Go to China?” Asian Affairs 27, no. 3 (Oct. 1996): 296-304.
Focuses on earliest surviving texts on Marco Polo which raise questions on his claims about China in the book `Description of the World.' Popular view of Marco Polo; Omissions in Marco Polo's account of China; Aspects of William Rubruck's text that are interesting when compared to Marco Polo's `Description of the World.” (Abstract from Inspire) Woods is e mployed at the British Library's Chinese Section (Oriental and India Office Collections)
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RECOMMENDED SOURCES:
The Mariners' Museum
http://www.mariner.org/educationalad/ageofex/
California History Online
http://www.californiahistory.net/explo_main_frame.htm
Latitude Changed Knowledge of the World
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~feegi/
National Geographic Society
www.nationalgeographic.com
Library of Congress- “The Ongoing Voyage” exhibition
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/1492/
American Journeys
http://www.americanjourneys.org/
European Voyages of Exploration: The Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries
http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/eurvoya/
KidsClick! web search for kids by librarians
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/searchkids.pl?searchtype=subject&keywords=exploration&title=Exploration
