Developed in association with the National Maritime Museum, Historical Atlas of Exploration shows how humankind's thirst for knowledge and increasing ability to act on ambition created an age of adventure and discovery. The period is a fascinating one, as Europeans emerged from the psychological and physical confinement of the Middle Ages into the flowering of the Renaissance era. From the sponsorship of early explorers by rival European powers to the creation of a new world empire in the Americas, the book chronicles what is still seen as the golden age of exploration throughout the New World. This title features: biographies of the famous navigators of the day, the voyages they undertook, and the ships they sailed; more than 140 carefully chosen illustrations that capture the spirit of each period; detailed full-color maps that chart the gradual discovery of new lands, making it easy for students and researchers to follow the travels of each explorer across the globe; a continuous timeline of dates and events, and more; Africa in the 15th century and the landings of Goncalo Cabral and Bartolomeu Dias Navigation in the 16th century; Christopher Columbus, the Pinzon Brothers, and Panflo de Narvaez Vasco de Gama, Pedro Cabral, and sea routes to the Indies John Cabot, Juan Ponce de Leon, Giovanni da Verrazzano, and the exploration of North America; and, South and Central American cultures, around-the-world explorations, and the search for the Northwest Passage, and more.