The Great Explorers, Samuel Eliot Morison
The Great Explorers, Samuel Eliot Morison
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The Great Explorers
The European Discovery of America

Author: Samuel Eliot Morison

Narrator: Frederick Davidson

Unabridged: 22 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook (DRM Protected)

Published: 09/29/2009

Synopsis

The great voyages of discovery to the New World are here brought to life by one of the twentieth century's most eminent historians, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Samuel Morison. A master seaman himself, Morison personally retraced the voyages of the early explorers, charting his travels in maps and photographs and comparing these to the maps and travelogues of the early sailors. The resulting two-volume The European Discovery of America was widely acclaimed both for its author's incomparable knowledge of history, cartography, and sea navigation and for the fresh immediacy of its writing.The Great Explorers abridges this great work, following the voyages of Columbus, Magellan, Drake, and many more. Here is the fascinating story of these explorers' ventures into uncharted waters, their encounters with natives, and their joy—and surprise—at discovering new land.

About Samuel Eliot Morison

Samuel Eliot Morison (1887–1976), Rear Admiral, United States Naval Reserve, was an American historian noted for his works of history, especially maritime history, that were both authoritative and highly readable. At various times he held teaching positions at Berkeley, Oxford, and Harvard. A sailor as well as a scholar, he garnered numerous literary prizes, military honors, and national awards from both foreign countries and the United States, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the 1962 American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for History. His Admiral of the Ocean Sea won the 1943 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. 

About Frederick Davidson

Frederick Davidson (1932–2005), also known as David Case, was one of the most prolific readers in the audiobook industry, recording more than eight hundred audiobooks in his lifetime, including over two hundred for Blackstone Audio. Born in London, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed for many years in radio plays for the British Broadcasting Company before coming to America in 1976. He received AudioFile’s Golden Voice Award and numerous Earphones Awards and was nominated for a Grammy for his readings.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Frank on August 09, 2021

A fascinating book on the trials and tribulations of those who dared to strike out in search of the unknown. A different breed of man.......more

Goodreads review by Mr. on December 26, 2018

As you can see, I would prefer to read fiction over nonfiction. I started this book about 10 months ago, and let it sit for a while, and then said, why not finish it before the end of the year? I learned a whole lot about the European explorers. I also learned that the author who wrote it, Samuel El......more

Goodreads review by Jwt on August 19, 2020

After finishing Champlain late 77/early 78 I went for this one. I'd probably appreciate it more now after the years as a navigator and dealing with the weather out over the oceans. Still, hard not to appreciate the temerity of the captains and the crews on these voyages. We tend to focus on the ones......more

Goodreads review by Kevin on August 26, 2022

Well written and entertaining non-fiction book detailing the various fetes of European Explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries who plied the unknown seas of the Western Hemisphere during the Age of Sail and the Age of Exploration.......more

Goodreads review by Mark on March 02, 2022

It is a masterful telling of the expeditions of the explorers, as opposed to the explorers themselves. The author is a true professional and master of his subject matter.......more

Quotes

“What a story! And how worthily the writer tells it!…To read this book is to be a privileged passenger on the bridge beside a master mariner who…imparts the wisdoms of the deep in tones of a salty tang—brisk, skeptical, yet always measured.” New York Times Book Review

“In all ways admirable, written with wit and easy scholarship…[Morison] at his entertaining best.” New Yorker

“One of the most readable and gripping histories in decades.” Boston Globe

“An epic work of true grandeur.” Journal of Southern History

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