This volume reflects the advances in research and methodology that have been made since 1960, as well as the increasing number of topics covered by the historiography of the European expansion. The studies selected demonstrate the range of this material, focusing in particular on the beginnings of trans-oceanic expansion by the Iberian powers. The volume has the further purpose of showing how the early encounters set precedents for subsequent patterns of interaction.

First published in 1964. This book is concerned with impressions of Arabic culture on the British before the First World War. More particularly, it is concerned with three Victorian travellers, all of whom knew Arabic culture first hand through their travels in the Middle and Near East, and especially in Arabia, Arabic North Africa, and the seaboard of the eastern Mediterranean. This title will be of interest to students of history.

When this book was first published in 1958, Arabia was even then one of the least known corners of the globe. The foreigner was strictly forbidden from entering, except those with the Imam's personal consent, and then under close supervision. Foreigners were only allowed as far as the capital, and what lay beyond was practically unexplored. To Hans Helfritz the only hope of seeing the forbidden area was to make a secret journey, approaching it in disguise by the back door. He decided to reach the borders of the Yemen by a wide detour through the interior, crossing a desert previously considered impassable and still recorded on the maps as a blank. Beginning on the coast at the eastern extremity of the Gulf of Aden, he made his way through the Hadhramaut, the Rub' al Khali and the Yemen to the Red Sea, the first crossing ever of the south-western part of the peninsula. From this journey he brought back a fascinating record of adventure and exploration, together with many wonderful pictures of cities never before photographed.

In this book, Peter F. Krough examines the major events and individuals which figured prominently in the movement of "centers of initiative" and of the world's "main axis of commerce and communication" from East to West over the last five hundred years. The book follows the westward migration of the world's "center of gravity" from China in the fifteenth century across Eurasia to the Near East, onward to Europe and then to America and, now, to the Pacific Rim. The focus is on historical figures who, by virtue of their vision and action, led the movement. It highlights what unfolds when a powerful idea is embraced by a formidable individual, who pursues the idea with uncommon ability and intensity. Along the way, the book identifies qualities that make for leadership on a grand scale which aspiring leaders may find instructive and even inspirational.

Red Arctic tells the history of Stalinist Russia's massive campaign to explore and develop its Northern territories during the 1930s. McCannon tells the dramatic stories of the polar expeditions - conducted by foot, ship, and plane - which were the pride of Stalinist Russia, to expose the reality behind them: chaotic blunders, bureaucratic competition, and the eventual rise of the GULAG as the dominant force in the North. Dramatic stories of the first polar explorations, the record-breaking flights and rescues by both foot and ice-breaker. First examination of the Stalinist creation of the myth of the arctic in the face of the rise of the GULAG.

A pioneering marine biologist takes us down into the deep ocean in this 'thrilling blend of hard science and high adventure' (New York Times) Edith Widder grew up determined to become a marine biologist. But after complications from a surgery during college caused her to go temporarily blind, she became fascinated by light as well as the power of optimism. Below the Edge of Darkness explores the depths of the planet's oceans as Widder seeks to understand bioluminescence, one of the most important and widely used forms of communication in nature. In the process, she reveals hidden worlds and a dazzling menagerie of behaviours and animals. Alongside Widder, we experience life-and-death equipment malfunctions and witness breakthroughs in technology and understanding, all of it set against a growing awareness of the deteriorating health of our largest and least understood ecosystem. 'A vivid account of ocean life' ROBIN MCKIE, GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE DAY 'Edie's story is one of hardscrabble optimism, two-fisted exploration and groundbreaking research. She's done things I dream of doing' JAMES CAMERON 'A book of marvels, marvellously written' RICHARD DAWKINS

In 1528, the Spanish explorer Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca and his three companions were shipwrecked and, looking for help, began an eight-year trek through the deserts of the American West. Over three centuries later, the four "Great Surveys" in the United States were consolidated into the U.S. Geological Survey. The frontiers were the lands near or beyond the recognized international, national, regional, or tribal borders. Over the centuries, they hosted a complicated series of international explorations of lands inhabited by American Indians, Spanish, French-Canadians, British, and Americans. These explorations were undertaken for wide-ranging reasons including geographical, scientific, artistic-literary, and for the growth of the railroad. This history covers over 350 years of exploration of the West.

Glyn Williams’s Prize of All the Oceans was reviewed by Patrick O’Brian: ‘A remarkably erudite and deeply informed book’. And by Andrew Roberts as ‘Staggeringly good… the best book I’ve read in ages.’

The Quest for the North-West Passage should be as big a best-seller as Fergus Fleming’s Barrow’s Boys—which was about the quest for the north-west passage in the 19th century.

Williams’s book is set in the heat of 18th century exploration fever and charts the many perilous expeditions undertaken to find the ‘maritime philosopher’s stone’ from amongst the ice and eskimos of Hudson Bay. Fuelled by the promise of fame and riches from revitalised British trade and dominance of the North American continent, the search for this illusory passage even captivated Cook—the most pragmatic of explorers.

Williams examines successive expeditions from James Knight to George Vancouver. The secretive Hudson’s Bay Company plays a supporting role throughout, as does Sir Arthur Dobbs whose political ambition—and obsessive pursuit of the illusory passage—relied heavily on exploitative cunning, personal greed and putting other’s lives at risk.

The book is based on extensive archival research and archaeological excavations which fuel the content of the book, rich in political and personal intrigue. Written with the narrative brilliance and the mastery of form which characterises The Prize of all the Oceans, this book promises to be both a work of historical excellence and a compelling story of daring adventure, survival and endurance at sea.

In 1845, British explorer Sir John Franklin set out on a voyage to find the North-West Passage - the sea route linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. The expedition was expected to complete its mission within three years and return home in triumph but the two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, and the 129 men aboard them disappeared in the Arctic. The last Europeans to see them alive were the crews of two whaling ships in Baffin Bay in July 1845, just before they entered the labyrinth of the Arctic Archipelago. The loss of this British hero and his crew, and the many rescue expeditions and searches that followed, captured the public imagination, but the mystery surrounding the expedition's fate only deepened as more clues were found. How did Franklin's final expedition end in tragedy? What happened to the crew? The thrilling discoveries in the Arctic of the wrecks of Erebus in 2014 and Terror in 2016 have brought the events of 170 years ago into sharp focus and excited new interest in the Franklin expedition. This richly illustrated book is an essential guide to this story of heroism, endurance, tragedy and dark desperation.

An enthralling biography about one of the most intriguing women of the Victorian age: the first self-invented international social celebrity. Lola Montez was one of the most celebrated and notorious women of the nineteenth century. A raven-haired Andalusian who performed her scandalous "Spider Dance" in the greatest performance halls across Europe, she dazzled and beguiled all who met her with her astonishing beauty, sexuality, and shocking disregard for propriety. But Lola was an impostor, a self-invention. Born Eliza Gilbert, the beautiful Irish wild child escaped a stifling marriage and reimagined herself as Lola the Sevillian flamenco dancer and noblewoman, choosing a life of adventure, fame, sex, and scandal rather than submitting to the strictures of her era. Lola cast her spell on the European aristocracy and the most famous intellectuals and artists of the time, including Alexandre Dumas, Franz Liszt, and George Sand, and became the obsession of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. She then set out for the New World, arriving in San Francisco at the height of the gold rush, where she lived like a pioneer and performed for rowdy miners before making her way to New York. There, her inevitable downfall was every bit as dramatic as her rise. Yet there was one final reinvention to come for the most defiant woman of the Victorian age-a woman known as a "savage beauty" who was idolized, romanticized, vilified, truly known by no one, and a century ahead of her time.

For more than 30 years, renowned psychological scientist Elizabeth F. Loftus has contributed groundbreaking research to the fields of science, law, and academia. This book provides an opportunity for readers to become better acquainted with one of the most important psychologists of our time, as it celebrates her life and accomplishments. It is intended to be a working text-one that challenges, intrigues, and inspires all readers alike. Do Justice and Let the Sky Fall collects research in theoretical and applied areas of human memory, provides an overview of the application of memory research to legal problems, and presents an introduction to the costs of doing controversial research. The first chapter gives a sketch of Loftus' career in her own words, and the remaining chapters color in that sketch. The final chapters of the book are more personal, and put a human face on a person who is held in such high esteem. This multipurpose volume is intended to serve as a valuable resource for established scientists, emerging scientists, graduate students, lawyers, and health professionals.

In the Nineteenth Century people could gain fame and fortune by "discovering" and documenting things that were already known to exist like the source of the Nile and the North Pole. For decades trappers and prospectors had told about the wonders of the area that became Yellowstone Park, but no credible person had written about the falls canyons and geysers there. An ambitious politician, Nathaniel P. Langford, decided to make his name by promoting an expedition and publicizing its activities in 1870. An army lieutenant named Gustavus Doane maneuvered to lead the expedition's army escort for the same reason. Their written accounts of the big "discovery" of Wonderland were the basis for the park's founding in 1872.This book brings together the words of these men and provides historical context for the exploration and for the founding of America's first national park.

Following his participation in James Cook's circumnavigation in HMS Endeavour (1768-71), Joseph Banks developed an extensive global network of scientists and explorers. His correspondence shows how he developed effective working links with the British Admiralty and with the generation of naval officers who sailed after Cook. He was familiar with most natural philosophers in Britain and across Europe, many of whom consulted his unrivalled collections of Pacific natural history and ethnology, and who shared specimens and information with him regarding the region. Banks also advised the British government and commercial enterprise in the development of successive ventures to India, the Far East and the Pacific. His career demonstrates how a private individual could influence global exploration in the Georgian era. Banks's correspondence is one of the great primary sources for studying the Pacific region during this important period of exploration and colonial expansion. His Indian and Pacific correspondence has not previously been published in a fully edited thematic series. This critical edition of over 2,000 letters uses material from archives around the world. Together with The Scientific Correspondence of Sir Joseph Banks 1765-1820, this edition establishes Pickering & Chatto as the field leader in the publication of Joseph Banks's edited papers and ensures that editorial standards are applied consistently across his published papers. It will be important for scholars researching the History of Science, Empire Studies, Eighteenth-Century Studies and Travel Literature.

The definitive history of the Vikings -- from arts and culture to politics and cosmology -- by a distinguished archaeologist with decades of expertise The Viking Age -- from 750 to 1050 -- saw an unprecedented expansion of the Scandinavian peoples into the wider world. As traders and raiders, explorers and colonists, they ranged from eastern North America to the Asian steppe. But for centuries, the Vikings have been seen through the eyes of others, distorted to suit the tastes of medieval clerics and Elizabethan playwrights, Victorian imperialists, Nazis, and more. None of these appropriations capture the real Vikings, or the richness and sophistication of their culture. Based on the latest archaeological and textual evidence, Children of Ash and Elm tells the story of the Vikings on their own terms: their politics, their cosmology and religion, their material world. Known today for a stereotype of maritime violence, the Vikings exported new ideas, technologies, beliefs, and practices to the lands they discovered and the peoples they encountered, and in the process were themselves changed. From Eirik Bloodaxe, who fought his way to a kingdom, to Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir, the most traveled woman in the world, Children of Ash and Elm is the definitive history of the Vikings and their time.

First published in 1735, this account focuses on the customs, food, languages and religions of the peoples in the islands and settlements visited. It also has remarks on the gold, ivory and slave trades.

First Published in 1968. This book charts the sea voyages of John Tradescant the Elder, Sir Hugh Willoughby, Richard Chancellor, Nelson and Others. Starting at the mouth of Dwina in 1553 and ending with expeditions for the Russia Company from 1612 and an account of the companions of Tradescant in his voyage to Archangel.

This account was first published in 1829.

This is the recording of a six month long journey to Persia as well as previous travels in neighbouring areas. The book also describes the communications maintained with the Persian authorities.