Christopher Columbus

Easton Press Christopher Columbus books

Journals and Other Documents on the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus - Books That Changed The World - Samuel Eliot Morison - 1990

Life and Voyages of Columbus - Samuel Eliot Morison - 1990 

Christopher Columbus Mariner - Samuel Eliot Morison - Library of Great Lives - 1990
Admiral of the Ocean Sea, A Life of Christopher Columbus (2 volumes) - Samuel Eliot Morison - 1991

 

Franklin Library Christopher Columbus books

Admiral of the Ocean Sea - Samuel Eliot Morison - 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature - 1978

Admiral of the Ocean Sea - Samuel Eliot Morison - Pulitzer Prize Classics - 1985

 

 

 

Christopher Columbus history

Christopher Columbus, born in Genoa, Italy, around 1451, is widely recognized as the explorer who opened the Americas to European exploration. His life and voyages are central to the Age of Discovery and the historical period known as the Renaissance. Columbus's early life was marked by his maritime interests. He apprenticed as a business agent for a prominent Genoese family, and it was during this time that he gained valuable experience in navigation and trade. His vision of finding a westward route to Asia captured the imagination of many, but Columbus faced challenges in securing support for his ambitious plan.

In 1492, after years of seeking sponsorship, Columbus gained the support of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon of Spain. He set sail on August 3, 1492, with three ships—the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Niña—crossing the Atlantic Ocean in search of a westward route to Asia. On October 12, 1492, Columbus and his crew made landfall in the Bahamas, believing they had reached the East Indies. This marked the beginning of European exploration and the eventual colonization of the Americas. Columbus made subsequent voyages, exploring various Caribbean islands, parts of Central and South America, and the coasts of present-day Venezuela and Honduras.

Despite his monumental achievements, Columbus faced controversy and challenges during his lifetime. There were debates about the nature of the lands he had discovered, and he struggled with governance issues in the colonies he established. Additionally, Columbus's relations with Spanish authorities were often strained.

Columbus made a total of four voyages across the Atlantic, each with its own set of challenges and discoveries. However, his expeditions did not achieve his initial goal of finding a direct westward route to Asia. In later years, Columbus fell out of favor with the Spanish crown, and he faced accusations and legal disputes. He died on May 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Spain, without fully realizing the extent of his impact on reshaping the known world. While Columbus is celebrated for opening the Americas to European exploration, his legacy is complex, with recognition of both his achievements and the negative consequences of European colonization on indigenous peoples.

 

 

Admiral of the Ocean Sea - A Life of Christopher Columbus

Telling the story of the greatest sailor of them all, "Admiral of the Ocean Sea" is a vivid and definitive biography of Columbus that details all of his voyages that, for better or worse, changed the world.

Not content merely to offer a dry recitation of the events & facts of Columbus' life, Samuel Eliot Morison decided to embark on the bold adventure of navigating the sea in Columbus' route, as far as it could be reconstructed. With the support of a number of enthusiastic colleagues, he organized the Harvard Columbus Expedition & began to map out his course. Every effort was made to duplicate the atmosphere & conditions encountered by Columbus, from the ships themselves to the methods of navigation. In the late summer of l939, almost 450 years after Columbus's own historic voyages, Morison & crew set sail. The result was this Pulitzer Prize-winning account of Christopher Columbus the man, the sailor, the father of the modern New World. You will have the opportunity to see as he did. Columbus' journeys unfold before you with a trenchant commentary & vividness only made possible by the experience of a man who has traveled the same path. Historic observations involving weather patterns, birds & sea life, as well as the various lands & people that Columbus encountered, are examined with a great depth of feeling.

This book Presents Columbus in a realistic and non-idealised manner. It logically disputes theories that have been used to disparage Columbus, yet honestly portrays his treatment of the native Americans he encountered. Having spent 2 years travelling the sea routes that Columbus pioneered you get a sense of the adventure, excitement and boredom that Columbus and his men must of felt. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. 

Christopher Columbus, Mariner

One of the great adventure tales of all time, this is the breathtaking story of Christopher Columbus, the canny and skillful Genoese sailor who set out to explore the Indies and discovered the New World instead! Columbus's journeys in tiny ships across thousands of miles of unknown oceans, battling all kinds of weather and often dealing with unruly crews, are among the most significant achievements of recorded history.