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The Voyages of Exploration

This section of the Book Store contains books about the voyages of exploration through which we learned more about our planet. As I remember, Galambos did not often speak of voyages of exploration and those who made them. At least not so much for this planet. More often of voyages to the stars.

Although he sometimes spoke of Columbus and his discovery of the "New World." Mistakenly thinking he had found another route to India. But also saying that after Columbus, "America" and the "New World" did not need discovering again. Being a physicist, I think his interests lay more in what might be called "technology."

But he recognized and was appreciative of the work of the early geometers such as Aristarchus. The mapmaker Mercator. And the knowledge preserved by the Saracens (Arabs) and passed into Euroope through the translation of their texts into Latin. And that it was this knowledge that made the European voyages of exploration possible. Although the Chinese Admiral Zheng He (1371-1433) had the knowledge independently and earlier. And, interestingly, was a Muslim Chinese…
See the Wikipedia entry on Zheng He.
And this from UCLA International Institute
Also this from Time Asia

Or you might try one of the books about Zheng He. Several of them are splendidly illustrated.

I first learned of Zheng He in 1990 when I read The Discoverers, by Daniel J. Boorsttn. Both Boorstin and his book are remarkable. Sadly, he died a couple of years ago at about eight–nine. His widow wrote me to tell me of the great emptiness in her life without him after a litetime of marriage. The world is poorer wihtout him.

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Directory

  1. Cold: The record of an Antarctic sledge journey - Gould (Unknown Binding)
  2. Cold: The Record of an Arctic Sledge Journey - Gould (Hardcover)
  3. The polar regions in their relation to human affairs - Gould
  4. Little America, aerial exploration in the Antarctic, the flight to the South pole - Byrd & Gould (Unknown Binding)
  5. Laurence McKinley Gould (Cosmos Club award) - Gould
  6. The polar regions in their relation to human affairs - Gould
  7. With Byrd at the South Pole: The Story of Little America - DVD, Starring Byrd & Alexander
  8. When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433 - Levathes
  9. Zheng He and the Treasure Fleet 1405-1433> - Rozario
  10. 1421 : The Year China Discovered America - Menzies (Paperback)
  11. 1421: The Year China Discovered America - Menzies (Hardcover)
  12. 1421 - The Year China Discovered America - Edition: 1421 DVD Image

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Cold: The record of an Antarctic sledge journey (Unknown Binding)
by Laurence McKinley Gould

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Review
See the audio version review for more information.

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Cold: The Record of an Arctic Sledge Journey
by Laurence M. Gould
(Hardcover - June 1984)
Avg. Customer Rating: ∗∗∗∗

Customer Review
This describes a forgotten but vital chapter in the annals of Antarctic exploration. Larry Gould was the first geologist to describe Antarctic rocks. His party took the first airplane trip within Antarctica, then had the first airplane rescue by the famous Richard E. Byrd, after their own airplane was blown apart by high winds. They later made a magnificent dogsled journey into interior Antarctica, and brought back rock samples that later proved the that Antarctica had been tied to other continents (the theory of continental drift)

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The polar regions in their relation to human affairs
(Bowman memorial lectures) (Unknown Binding)
by Laurence McKinley Gould

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Little America, aerial exploration in the Antarctic, the flight to the South pole (Unknown Binding)
by Richard Evelyn Byrd, Laurence McKinley Gould

Book Description
1930. With 74 illustrations and maps. If only by virtue of his having stood over both Poles, Admiral Byrd stands apart from all living men. Only one other man of the thousands who strived attained this remote distinction-Amundsen, his friend; and Amundsen is dead. Byrd, now only 41, has capped a lifetime of amazingly productive geographical research by flying over the South Pole. In itself, this flight was the most spectacular thing of the year. But in his larger sphere of action, it took its place as a single phase of a thrilling series of operations on the southern polar continent. Little America is the story of the Byrd Antarctic expedition as told for the first time by its leader. It is a narrative of action and at the same time a record of brilliant scientific achievement. It is, essentially, the story of men who brought their own civilization to a Godforsaken hunk of ice and created on it one of the most extraordinary communities the world has seen. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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With Byrd at the South Pole: The Story of Little America (1930)
Starring: Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Clair D. Alexander

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The story of Little America. Selected as one of the "Ten Best Films of the Year" by The New York Times and winner of the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, "With Byrd at the South Pole" is a celebration of the American hero at its zenith. Byrd's establishment of Little America and the spectacular first flight over the South Pole--part publicity stunt, part scientific milestone--marked the end of an era. This little-seen record of the 1928-30 adventure opens with a short introduction by Rear-Admiral Byrd, detailing the aims of the expedition and the bravery of previous explorers to the Pole. The photography by Joseph Rucker and Willard Van der Veer is brilliant, and this restoration from original 35mm archival material shows it to wonderful advantage.

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Laurence McKinley Gould (Cosmos Club award) (Unknown Binding)
by Laurence McKinley Gould
Out of Print —Limited Availbility
Click on Amazon graphic for current availability

Review
See the audio version review for more information.

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The polar regions in their relation to human affairs
(Bowman memorial lectures) (Unknown Binding)
by Laurence McKinley Gould

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With Byrd at the South Pole: The Story of Little America (1930)
Starring: Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Clair D. Alexander

Product Description
The story of Little America. Selected as one of the "Ten Best Films of the Year" by The New York Times and winner of the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, "With Byrd at the South Pole" is a celebration of the American hero at its zenith. Byrd's establishment of Little America and the spectacular first flight over the South Pole--part publicity stunt, part scientific milestone--marked the end of an era. This little-seen record of the 1928-30 adventure opens with a short introduction by Rear-Admiral Byrd, detailing the aims of the expedition and the bravery of previous explorers to the Pole. The photography by Joseph Rucker and Willard Van der Veer is brilliant, and this restoration from original 35mm archival material shows it to wonderful advantage.

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When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433 (Paperback)
by Louise Levathes
"In the millennium that preceded the rise of the first Chinese empire about 1600 B.C., the diverse Yi (and Yue) peoples of eastern and southern…"

From Publishers Weekly
Levathes, a former staff writer for National Geographic , here tells the story of seven epic voyages made by unique junk armadas during the reign of the Chinese emperor Zhu Di. These "treasure ships" under the command of the eunuch admiral Zheng He traded in porcelain, silk, lacquerware and fine-art objects; they sailed from Korea and Japan throughout the Malay archipelago and India to East Africa, and possibly as far away as Australia. Levathes argues that China could have employed its navy—with some 3000 vessels, the largest in history until the present century—to establish a great colonial empire 100 years before the age of European exploration and expansion; instead, the Chinese abruptly dismantled their navy. Levathes describes the political showdown that led to this perverse turn of events, revolving around a clash between the powerful eunuch class and Confucian scholar-officials. Her scholarly study includes a section on the construction of the seagoing junks (the largest had nine masts, was 400 feet long and would have dwarfed Columbus's ships) and provides a look into court life in the Ming dynasty, particularly the relationship between the emperor, his eunuch and his concubines. Illustrated. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
In the early 1400s China was poised to become the world's premier maritime power. Emperor Zhu Di (who also built Beijing's Forbidden City) planted vast orchards of tung trees to provide oil to seal his huge "treasure ships," which ranged the South China Seas and the Indian Ocean loaded with silks and porcelains traded for gemstones, coral, pepper, and the cobalt used to improve the very porcelains for which his Ming dynasty would become known. But due to shrinking funds, foreign aggressors, and the Confucian distrust of trade and prosperity, the Chinese abruptly abandoned shipbuilding and began their long plummet into isolationism. A former staff writer for National Geographic, Levathes writes history in the praiseworthy tradition of Barbara TJack Shreve, Allegany Community Coll., Cumberland, Md. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Zheng He and the Treasure Fleet 1405-1433: A Modern Day Traveller's Guide from Antiquity to the Present (Paperback)
by Paul Rozario
"Growing up in Singapore, I remember reading about Zheng He (pronounced Jung Her) in our beautifully illustrated history textbook…"

Book Description
Admiral Zheng He is a major historical figure in China and a great explorer in the history of navigation. An Admiral under the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He undertook a total of seven epic voyages between 1405 and 1433, spanning over 30 countries throughout the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean. These historic voyages are, to this day, the largest maritime expeditions in world history.

With 200 ships and a crew of 28,000 men, Admiral Zheng He's "Treasure Fleets" set sail on trade and scientific research missions from South China to as far away as East Africa, the Middle East, India, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand. There has long been speculation that the fleet circumnavigated and mapped the world, including America, a century before Magellan.

While Zheng He and his phenomenal voyages has been the subject of ongoing study for centuries, research on this subject has never been more lively than during the past two decades.

From China to Mombasa and Africa's Swahili Coast, Zheng He and the Treasure Fleet takes us in the wake of Admiral Zheng and his fleet on a 21st Century voyage of discovery, retracing his steps and revisiting his ports of call, to give an enlightened perspective on historical sites and present–day customs with links to the past.

This year commemorates the 600th anniversary of Admiral Zheng He's first voyage in 1405, and witnesses the dawning of many theories about Zheng He's expeditions across the disciplines of history, scholarship, Asian Studies, Chinese and Ming Dynasty scholars exploration, cartography, naval studies, oceanography and engineering.

This book is a timely and groundbreaking work, combining meticulous research with lavish four–color maps, illustrations, prints and photographs. It is a sublime combination of the efforts of celebrated reference writer and author Paul Rozario, a collection of international photographers, and a Singapore–based editorial and production team that has won numerous awards in editorial excellence and design distinction across Asia, the United States and Europe.

About the Author Paul Rozario is a full–time professional published writer and editor who has managed illustrated reference, travel and art book projects since 2000. Books he has authored include Liberia, Bolivia and Libya in the "Countries of the World" series and Fiesta! Tunisia and Fiesta! Kenya in the "Fiesta!" series. He was the editor of the "Destination Dream" series (both English and French editions), including Destination Dream Cuba: Caribbean Enigma, Destination Dream French Polynesia: Pearl of the Pacific and Destination Dream Himalayan Kingdom: Roof of the World. He also acquired Four Centuries of Silver: Silver Adornment in the Qing Dynasty and After for his publishing company. A graduate of Oxford, London and New York Universities, he is an avid traveler who has experienced life in places as far away as Djibouti on the Red Sea and Haiti in the Caribbean.

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1421 : The Year China Discovered America (Paperback)
by Gavin Menzies
"OVER TEN YEARS AGO I STUMBLED UPON AN INCREDIBLE discovery, a clue hidden in an ancient map which, though it did not lead to buried…"

From Publishers Weekly
A former submarine commander in Britain's Royal Navy, Menzies must enjoy doing battle. The amateur historian's lightly footnoted, heavily speculative re-creation of little-known voyages made by Chinese ships in the early 1400s goes far beyond what most experts in and outside of China are willing to assert and will surely set tongues wagging. According to Menzies's brazen but dull account of the Middle Kingdom's exploits at sea, Magellan, Dias, da Gama, Cabral and Cook only "discovered" lands the Chinese had already visited, and they sailed with maps drawn from Chinese charts. Menzies alleges that the Chinese not only discovered America, but also established colonies here long before Columbus set out to sea. Because China burned the records of its historic expeditions led by Zheng He, the famed eunuch admiral and the focus of this account, Menzies is forced to defend his argument by compiling a tedious package of circumstantial evidence that ranges from reasonable to ridiculous. While the book does contain some compelling claims-for example, that the Chinese were able to calculate longitude long before Western explorers-drawn from Menzies's experiences at sea, his overall credibility is undermined by dubious research methods. In just one instance, when confounded by the derivation of cryptic words on a Venetian map, Menzies first consults an expert at crossword puzzles rather than an etymologist. Such an approach to scholarship, along with a promise of more proof to come in the paperback edition, casts a shadow of doubt over Menzies's discoveries. 32 pages of color illus., 27 maps and diagrams. Book-of-the-Month Club alternate. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Menzies makes the fascinating argument that the Chinese discovered the Americas a full 70 years before Columbus. Not only did the Chinese discover America first, but they also, according to the author, established a number of subsequently lost colonies in the Caribbean. Furthermore, he asserts that the Chinese circumnavigated the globe, desalinated water, and perfected the art of cartography. In fact, he believes that most of the renowned European explorers actually sailed with maps charted by the Chinese. Though most historical records were destroyed during centuries of turmoil in the Far East, he manages to cobble together some feasible evidence supporting his controversial conclusions. Sure to cause a stir among historians, this questionable tale of adventure on the high seas will be hotly debated in academic circles. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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1421: The Year China Discovered America (Hardcover)
by Gavin Menzies

From Publishers Weekly
A former submarine commander in Britain's Royal Navy, Menzies must enjoy doing battle. The amateur historian's lightly footnoted, heavily speculative re-creation of little-known voyages made by Chinese ships in the early 1400s goes far beyond what most experts in and outside of China are willing to assert and will surely set tongues wagging. According to Menzies's brazen but dull account of the Middle Kingdom's exploits at sea, Magellan, Dias, da Gama, Cabral and Cook only "discovered" lands the Chinese had already visited, and they sailed with maps drawn from Chinese charts. Menzies alleges that the Chinese not only discovered America, but also established colonies here long before Columbus set out to sea. Because China burned the records of its historic expeditions led by Zheng He, the famed eunuch admiral and the focus of this account, Menzies is forced to defend his argument by compiling a tedious package of circumstantial evidence that ranges from reasonable to ridiculous. While the book does contain some compelling claims-for example, that the Chinese were able to calculate longitude long before Western explorers-drawn from Menzies's experiences at sea, his overall credibility is undermined by dubious research methods. In just one instance, when confounded by the derivation of cryptic words on a Venetian map, Menzies first consults an expert at crossword puzzles rather than an etymologist. Such an approach to scholarship, along with a promise of more proof to come in the paperback edition, casts a shadow of doubt over Menzies's discoveries. 32 pages of color illus., 27 maps and diagrams. Book-of-the-Month Club alternate. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Menzies makes the fascinating argument that the Chinese discovered the Americas a full 70 years before Columbus. Not only did the Chinese discover America first, but they also, according to the author, established a number of subsequently lost colonies in the Caribbean. Furthermore, he asserts that the Chinese circumnavigated the globe, desalinated water, and perfected the art of cartography. In fact, he believes that most of the renowned European explorers actually sailed with maps charted by the Chinese. Though most historical records were destroyed during centuries of turmoil in the Far East, he manages to cobble together some feasible evidence supporting his controversial conclusions. Sure to cause a stir among historians, this questionable tale of adventure on the high seas will be hotly debated in academic circles. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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1421 - The Year China Discovered America (2004)
Edition: 1421 DVD Image

From the Back Cover
1421: Year China Discovered America? Presents a startling journey of adventure and exploration that could turn the conventional view of world history on its head. This fascinating documentary examines the mystery surrounding the sailing exploits of the legendary Admiral Zhen He and his 30 year command of a gigantic Ming fleet. The Chinese court burned all records of Admiral Zhen He's daring voyages and achievements, and unwittingly created a mystery that tantalizes the world 500 years later.

Product Description
This special examines the theories outlined by Gavin Menzies in his best-selling book. An amateur historian and former submarine commander in the British Navy, Menzies poses an argument that could change the way we perceive global history forever — that Chinese admirals discovered America and Chinese junks first circled the earth. Traveling across the continent, the film combines history, science and technology with adventure and exploration

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