Magellan's World (Great Explorers Series)

The first voyage around the globe was a daring, high-stakes gamble that changed the world forever.

Portugal dominated the wildly lucrative spice trade, and Spain was desperate for a piece of the action. Spain had everything to gain. Portuguese officer Ferdinand Magellan had nothing to lose. His decades fighting for Portugal had left him with a crippled knee and his king's withering scorn.

And so Magellan left Portugal to lead an expedition for his country's bitter rival, Spain. He knew it would be an exceedingly dangerous voyage, but the reality proved much worse. Killer storms, mutinies, deadly battles, murders, deprivation and disease dogged the four-year journey. Magellan was driven to ever-greater extremes of brilliance, courage, brutality and madness as he sailed around the world.

Magellan's World is the story of a harrowing adventure, an inspiring and flawed hero, and an epic event in the history of the world.

Part of the award winning Great Explorers series this book details the story of the first circumnavigation of the world. Magellan's four-year journey was marked by extremes of brilliance, courage, brutality and madness. Color paintings throughout.

Children's Literature

Ferdinand Magellan is best remembered for leading the first voyage around the world. This book takes readers through a fascinating tale from Magellan's early days in Portugal to his death on the shores of a Pacific island. A phenomenal map begins the book, allowing readers to trace Magellan's voyage as they read about his adventures. Author Waldman also introduces readers to the Ptolemaic map of the 1400s, in which the Indies were very close to South America. When the Portuguese king would not give Magellan a fleet to sail to the Indies, Portuguese-born Magellan went to solicit the Spanish king and was given a five-ship fleet. Throughout the book, Waldman details the bad weather, the mutinies, the illnesses, and the extraordinary length of the journey. In late 1520, Magellan's fleet traveled through the strait at the New World's southern tip. There, Magellan learned the Ptolemaic map was wrong and discovered the Pacific Ocean. In March 1521, the fleet reached the Philippines. There, Magellan successfully converted 2,200 of the natives to Christianity. It was here that he lost his interest in further exploration. On April 26, 1521, Magellan was killed while attacking inhabitants of another island who would not convert. He was only 600 miles from the Indies. His fleet continued to sail around the world and returned to Spain the next year. Reviewer: Lynn O'Connell

Stuart Waldman is a writer and editor. His Great Explorers book We Asked for Nothing: The Remarkable Journey of Cabeza de Vaca won a Notable Children's Book Award from the International Reading Association. He lives in New York City.

Gregory Manchess' paintings have appeared in magazines and children's books. He has won a gold medal and three silver medals from the Society of Illustrators in New York. Previously he illustrated The Last River in The Great Explorers series.