The Great Explorers: The European Discovery of America

Samuel Eliot Morison in this small volume for the subject, just under 800 pages, gathers material from 'The European Discovery of America: The Northern Voyages, A.D. 500-1600' and 'The European Discovery of America: The Southern Voyages, A.D. 1492-1616' to describe for us the arrival of Columbus, Drake, Magellan, and many others. The size of the book makes for a handy reference book for those who are studying these voyages or for those who want an overview of them. This abridgement of his great works is also filled with illustrations and maps. His research and knowledge of this material is made obvious. This is a well-written book that will be appreciated by any reader. The author is able to convey the motives, bravery and experiences of these early voyages that led to the discovery of the New World.

As usual Morison's work is a superior example of both scholarship and writing. Many of his sources for research were not written in English since most of the historians who have studied the voyages of discovery south of the Caribbean have been either Spaniards, Portuguese, Brazilians, Uruguayans, Chileans or Paraguayans.

The discovery of the new world is one of the most exciting periods to study. Here is a book that has not only has Drake, Magellan, and Columbus but has the story of less famous mariners as well. This is not a book that has to be read all at once. You can read about one of the explorers and when you are sick of reading about storms and starvation put it aside for awhile.