An account of the four voyages of Columbus. Relates the oft-told incidents as well as the seldom-heard accounts of his sea voyages, the mutinies of his crews, and land colonization.
About Landmark Books "Each is a book that brings to life a great event or personality in our nation's past. Each is designed to be rich, rewarding reading, capable of stirring the heart as well as the mind. Each is intended to arouse in the reader not only an interest in the course of history, but also an understanding of how the democracy that is our heritage was forged." -From one of the dust jackets
The Landmark Books for children are a great way to learn history! I can't say enough about these, and it's no wonder that they are highly sought after in the homeschool community. From what I鈥檝e researched, I鈥檝e found these books to be very historically accurate. It鈥檚 history told in nicely narrated story-form 鈥� a win! Ages: 10+ Pages: approx. 175-200 Illustrations: some Price Range: $4 鈥� $125 depending on HC or PB, and the title and its rarity.
Cleanliness: "Lubberly idiots" "lubberly fools" and the like are used a couple times. "Holy Spirit" is exclaimed. Mentions that the natives are naked. Coming across a cannibal's camp: "human skulls hung from the door posts ... gnawed bones and portions of human limbs roasting on spits over the embers."
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you鈥檙e 100+ pages in, so here鈥檚 my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell !
Let's face it. Christopher Columbus was no hero. He was a bully, a opportunist, and a lousy seaman. He's one "hero" that I've been glad to see get torn down in recent decades and called out for what he really was. (So why do we still have a holiday for him? The guy was a horse's ass.) But then, I didn't know that when I read this book back in the Dark Ages.
I read a bunch of the books from this series as a kid. I remember enjoying them, but I was too young at the time to question the narrative or the quality of writing. I just like reading biographies and histories, and there were precious few of those for younger readers then that weren't boring. Would I read it to kids today? Nah. The whole "Great White Race has God-given right to take, kill, abuse, and exploit whatever and whoever in the name of making America Great" slant doesn't sit well. It never did; we just were too indoctrinated in it to know better 50+ years ago when these came out.
Hmm - just realizing the one we just finished was actually different but the only landmark Columbus book I could find. Ours was called Meet Christopher Columbus by James T. De Kay and it was a really good supplement to our history. The kids enjoyed it and the illustrations were really nice. We stopped for narrations and all have a much greater understanding of the adventures and trials and importance of Columbus!
I learned that people didn't sail with Christopher Columbus because they were scared of this legend Sea of Darkness. I loved when the parrot said "long live Don Christopher Columbus".
A friend and I are lending each other our Landmark books, and this treasure is one I got to borrow. I really enjoyed reading about Columbus's life in this easy to read book. It is perfect for children first learning about Columbus' life. I would recommend this book for anyone aged 7 and up.
I enjoyed reading many of the Landmark series in school and have now made it a goal to collect and read as many of the series as I can. This book is the first in the series. It starts in 1491 when the man Christopher Columbus is seeking legal and financial support for his voyages to the West. Notice I said man not hero. Many people enjoy ripping apart these historical figures because they apply the current moral and legal views but remember these figures were products of a different time. It also doesn鈥檛 matter to me whether Columbus was the 鈥渇irst鈥� to discover the Americas. As the book says at the end Columbus opened a door. If a person reads carefully the good and the bad is written about in this book that describes the four voyages of Columbus. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it to anyone wanting a quick easy read to begin to learn more about Christopher Columbus.
Another landmark book. Enjoyed the telling of Christopher Columbus not only from his first hand account, but also through the perspective of his son. I think it is sad that people who manage to do great things, usually live difficult lives and no one appreciates their accomplishments until after they pass away.
2 on aim. 2 on research. 2 on logic. 2 on style. 1 on affections. As far as the aim of this book, he does a great job uncovering the Columbus. The Spaniards double cross him and the natives repeatedly. It shows how "Christian" those Catholics were.