The great voyages of discovery to the New World are here brought to life by one of the twentieth century's most eminent historians, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Samuel Morison. A master seaman himself, Morison personally retraced the voyages of the early explorers, charting his travels in maps and photographs and comparing these to the maps and travelogues of the early sailors. The resulting two-volume The European Discovery of America was widely acclaimed both for its author's incomparable knowledge of history, cartography, and sea navigation and for the fresh immediacy of its writing.
The Great Explorers abridges this great work, following the voyages of Columbus, Magellan, Drake, and many more. Here is the fascinating story of these explorers' ventures into uncharted waters, their encounters with natives, and their joy—and surprise—at discovering new land.
Download and start listening now!
"There's a LOT of detail, but I now think I'm close to knowing as much as a 5th grader. I want to get the book for my personal library." — Ingrid (4 out of 5 stars)
"There's a LOT of detail, but I now think I'm close to knowing as much as a 5th grader. I want to get the book for my personal library."
“What a story! And how worthily the writer tells it!…To read this book is to be a privileged passenger on the bridge beside a master mariner who…imparts the wisdoms of the deep in tones of a salty tang—brisk, skeptical, yet always measured.”
“In all ways admirable, written with wit and easy scholarship…[Morison] at his entertaining best.”
“One of the most readable and gripping histories in decades.”
“An epic work of true grandeur.”
" This was full of interesting nuggets of information, but as much as I found it interesting, I know for a fact I couldn't have ploughed through the original, unabridged , work from which this was taken. "
" Would prefer more maps. The book also assumes an advanced knowledge of sailing. Can be a little annoying. Otherwise, very good. "
Samuel Eliot Morison (1887–1976), Rear Admiral, United States Naval Reserve, was an American historian noted for his works of history, especially maritime history, that were both authoritative and highly readable. At various times he held teaching positions at Berkeley, Oxford, and Harvard. A sailor as well as a scholar, he garnered numerous literary prizes, military honors, and national awards from both foreign countries and the United States, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the 1962 American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for History. His Admiral of the Ocean Sea won the 1943 Pulitzer Prize for Biography.
Frederick Davidson (1932–2005), also known as David Case, was one of the most prolific readers in the audiobook industry, recording more than eight hundred audiobooks in his lifetime, including over two hundred for Blackstone Audio. Born in London, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed for many years in radio plays for the British Broadcasting Company before coming to America in 1976. He received AudioFile’s Golden Voice Award and numerous Earphones Awards and was nominated for a Grammy for his readings.
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.