Book Description

The explorer who discovered his own humanity.

In 1528, the conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca escaped a hostile reception in Florida only to be shipwrecked off the coast of Texas. For the next eight years, he lived among the native tribes of the Southwest while he journeyed towards the safety of the Spanish settlements in Mexico. He and three companions survived starvation, sickness and slavery thanks to the generosity of native peoples along the way.

When Cabeza de Vaca finally reached the Spanish, he was a changed man and led the struggle against the feudal-like exploitation of the New World populations. Stuart Waldman tells the fascinating story of two journeys: one covering 2,500 miles through unexplored territory, the other the transformation of a man's heart.

Excerpts from Cabeza de Vaca's journals make the reader's immersion into this mystifying world complete. The gatefold map allows the reader to follow the journey while reading. ... Read more

Book Description

"You have written a new chapter in the history of life upon the earth."

When Roy Chapman Andrews read these words from American Museum of Natural History president Henry Fairfield Osborn, he was being congratulated on his discovery of a new species of dinosaur. A stunned scientific community named it Protoceratops andrewsi in his honor.

Andrews led five scientific expeditions to Mongolia's desert, the Gobi, from 1922 to 1930. He was a pioneer of modern field research, but it was his team's fossil discoveries that amazed the world -- especially the first-ever complete nest of dinosaur eggs. These were remarkable achievements for a man who began his scientific career scrubbing floors at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

It wasn't easy. Along the way, he battled sandstorms, snakes, and bandit attacks. He drove through parts of the desert that had never seen cars before, and he had to have spare tires -- and every drop of gasoline -- carted in by camel.

Roy Chapman Andrews had a love of adventure that took him all over the globe. This action packed story, actual expedition photographs, and quotes from Andrews himself present a great explorer of his century -- and a grand tale of adventure! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Roy Chapman Andrews: A Real-Life Indiana Jones
Real-life is usually so much more interesting than the movies, and Ann Bausum's wonderful photobiography of Roy Chapman Andrews - Dragon Bones and Dinosaur Eggs - will be ample evidence of this to any young Indiana Jones fan. Roy Chapman Andrews [1884-1960] was an explorer and is best known for the Central Asiatic Expeditions, which he led on behalf of the American Museum of Natural History and during which the first dinosaur eggs and nests were found. He is also a probable model for the character of Indiana Jones. Dragon Bones and Dinosaur Eggs puts its main focus on Andrew's life from his employment with the AMNH through to the expeditions to the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. The book is a well-done combination of photographs, text, and block quotes. The text is well-written and exciting [even for an older person like me], and the pictures help the reader to put themselves into the story. Did Roy Chapman Andrews wear a cool looking hat? [YES!] Did Roy Chapman Andrews dislike snakes and did he have a run-in with them on one of the expeditions? [YES!] I recommend this book to any young person of late elementary age who is interested in exploration and paleontology. ... Read more

Book Description

Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded and colonized the city of St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest city in the continental United States. Considering who his father was, it was little wonder that he was drawn to a life of adventure and service to the Spanish king. Pedro's father had helped defeat the last of the Moors in 1492. Serving the Spanish monarchy was an honored tradition in the family.

Pedro soon made a name for himself because of his brave deeds at sea. Sometimes, he was little better than a pirate himself, but he was well known for his daring and his bravery.

Most historians believe that it was Ponce de Léon who claimed Florida for Spain in 1513. But by 1562, France began to challenge Spain's claim to the area. This angered the Spanish king. So in 1565, King Philip sent Menéndez back to Florida to get rid of the French and establish Spain's stronghold in the area. His brother-in-law was the official recorder of the expedition and we are able to reconstruct his exploration of the American Southeast (back then, La Florida encompassed most of the southeastern part of the U.S.). Though he was ruthless and merciless in the name of the Spanish crown, he established a colony in Florida that nearly 450 years later still reflects its rich Spanish history. ... Read more

Book Description

Eric the Red was wild and hot-headed, even for a Viking. His quick temper was always getting him into trouble. But he learned quickly how to lead, and in time became a great warrior and a fearless adventurer. He discovered a new land--Greenland--and founded a new nation. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

My four-year-old son loves history thanks to this book!
We've read this book so many times! I'm purchasing more books from the "What's Their Story?" series. The colorful pictures and straight-forward text would appeal to any child, 4 and up. And I'm thrilled to see my son interested in maps, Vikings, and history thanks to this book! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Confronting oneself in the unforgiving cold of Antarctica.
A seasoned writer, Robert Burleigh's interpretation of Admiral Byrd's confrontation with the Antarctic night is outstanding for its intended audience of 9-12 year olds, & for others including adults. The illustrations by Walter Krudop give strong suggestions of the abyssmal 'aloneness' & greatly enhance the story-telling. There must also have been an especially clever editor.

Admiral Byrd is delivered to the prepared outpost & lowers himself to a shack buried in the snow. This is reminiscent of native Americans going down a ladder into a kiva. Byrd's cave also will become a sanctuary of ritual.

Byrd is soon writing poetically of his surroundings. Do his writings speak of those who labored to build & equip the space now containing tons of food & fuel?Outside there are weather instruments set up, from which to gather scientific information, justifying (perhaps) Byrd's personal experiment.

Byrd fights against a blizzard that takes him unawares, and against carbon monoxide fumes that sicken him almost to death. He comes to the point of being unable to stand, and crawls, still struggling to manage his contact by hand-cranked radio. Does he hope that the men at Little America will perceive his illness & depression? The narrative is interspersed with brief journal entries: The cold is so intense & terrible that outdoors he can hearhis breath freeze as he exhales! "20 days colder than -60 degrees."

March drags on into August. He fashions a kite, douses the tail with gasoline & watches as it swooshes to the sky, blazing - -up to a hundred feet to be seen for miles,but for five minutes only. His desperation is acute, but then is answered by the dim light of an approaching tractor. Three members of the crew on a mercy mission! He collapses from the effect of accumulated terrors.As light slowly returns to the bottom of the world, he is nurtureduntil he can be flown back to base camp.

This book tells a challenging adventure story, especially for today's youth. The artist captured the harsh conditions and clearly portrays Byrd as a man humbled by his experiences - certainly he is less arrogant than when he stepped off the "City of New York" upon arrival at the frozen continent.

The early 30s were the days when Abercrombie & Fitch outfitted 'real' men, and pemmican & Horlick's malted milk tablets were menu highlights in Antarctica.Robert Burleigh has achieved an honest telling of this story of courage. REVIEWER mcHAIKU, who "dressed up" long ago in seal mitts & wolverine hooded top,will always thrill to stories of polar exploration.

Black Whiteness: Admiral Byrd Alone in the Antarctic
Burleigh recounts a brief but traumatic period of RichardByrd's life based upon Byrd's diary and book "Alone." Foralmost six months, Byrd observed and recorded the Antartic night, while based in a manmade tunnel where temperatures could drop to 60 degrees below zero.What could the man have been thinking about?The intense cold and dark are nicely illustrated by Krudop's somber colors.A good initial introduction, for the younger reader, to the life of Admiral Byrd. ... Read more