Christopher Columbus

by R. Conrad Stein

Book Overview

Describes the voyages and discoveries of Columbus and their aftermath. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0516048511
• ISBN13: 9780516048512
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Children's Press(CT)
• Length: 30 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.3" x 9.8"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

A reasonably balanced description of the life of Christopher Columbus

When I was in grade school, the history lesson was that Christopher Columbus discovered America and claimed it for the Spanish Crown. There was very little in the way of explanation as to how the Spanish troops treated the indigenous people, although later we learned about the conquistadors. There was no mention of earlier voyages by the Vikings, to say nothing of the earlier visit by a vast Chinese fleet. While Kent does not go into great detail about the matter, these things are at least mentioned. The modern politically correct world raises questions as to whether Columbus should be hailed as a hero. He was a brave and adventurous man, and he should be given credit for those qualities, which does happen in this book. However, he was also a mercenary, the reason for his voyage was to find gold and other riches and he certainly considered the natives to be inferior. This description of a voyage of discovery that changed the world is reasonably balanced, an honest description of the life of Columbus. It also is clear in providing the historical context, although more could be said about the European attitude towards non-Europeans. That attitude was responsible for a great deal of history.