Maritime Exploration in the Age of Discovery, 1415-1800

"This book represents an extremely useful survey of European exploration and expansion during the early modern period. The author provides a comprehensive examination of this important historical development, from the early rivalry between Spain and Portugal in the fifteenth century to the eighteenth-century exploration of the Pacific by the British and French. The text combines factual information with cogent analysis and interpretation, making the narrative both readable and informative, and the biographies, glossary, and selection of primary documents are helpful supplements to the overview. Students and teachers alike should find the book a very accessible source of information about exploration and imperialism during era in European history." -- Diane C. Margolf, Professor, Department of History, Colorado State University

Contains narrative chapters that guide the reader from Marco Polo's exploration of the Mongol empire to Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe, the search for a Northern Passage, Henry Hudson's voyage to Greenland, the discovery of Tahiti, and more.Despite earlier naval expeditions undertaken for reasons of diplomacy or trade, it wasn't until the early 1400s that European maritime explorers established sea routes through most of the globe's inhabited regions, uniting a divided earth into a single system of navigation. From the early Portuguese and Spanish quests for gold and glory, to later scientific explorations of land and culture, this new understanding of the world's geography created global trade, built empires, defined taste and alliances of power, and began the journey toward the cultural, political, and economic globalization in which we live today. Ronald Love's engaging narrative chapters guide the reader from Marco Polo's exploration of the Mongol empire to Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe, the search for a Northern Passage, Henry Hudson's voyage to Greenland, the discovery of Tahiti, the perils of scurvy, mutiny, and warring empires, and the eventual extension of Western influence into almost every corner of the globe. Biographies and primary documents round out the work.