Expeditions & Discoveries, Reference, Travel 

Whether impelled by greed or curiosity, by national pride or a thirst for scientific knowledge, explorers have always had gripping tales to tell. Not only were there the dangers - of fevers, hostile tribes, impenetrable forests and icy water - but also the beauties and mysteries of the unknown. Covering the ancient world to the space age, this book recounts the stories of famous explorers - Alexander the Great, Columbus, Captain Cook, Livingstone, Scott and many others. It also includes many less well-known expeditions, such as the bloody conquest of Kamchatka, the ancient Carthaginian who might have sailed to West Africa, the medieval Arab who reached China and the French expedition to Australia. Background information is provided on each phase of exploration, the equipment and technology available and the people and places discovered. - from Amzon