Around the World in 100 Years

by Jean Fritz

Jean Fritz brings history to life once again in 10 true tales of 15th-century European explorers

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Biography, Geography, American History, Travel

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Jean Guttery Fritz was an American children's writer best known for American biography and history. She won the Children's Legacy Literature Award for her career contribution to American children's literature in 1986. She turned 100 in November 2015 and died in May 2017 at the age of 101.

Reviews

[Jonathan Peto · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first chapter very briefly describes the history of exploration before Prince Henry of Portugal financed expeditions to sail down the west coast of Africa. He was angling for a trade route to Asia that Portugal could control and profit from. Progress was slow, but as the title informs you, it set off a hundred years of European exploration that changed the world and had unintended consequences, such as the European encounter with the New World. Most chapters bear the name and entertainingly detail the story of a landmark explorer, such Bartolomeu Diaz near the beginning and Ferdinand Magellan near the end. A final chapter emphasizes that European exploration continued but makes a case for the importance of the hundred years of the title. The author does not shy away from details that portray the explorers unflatteringly, which makes for a much more balanced account than a jingoistic narrative of heroism and simple adventure, though adventure is certainly emphasized too!

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although from a general and all encompassing reading pleasure point of view, I should probably be rating Jean Fritz' Around the World in a Hundred Years with a high three stars (as while I very much both personally and intellectually have enjoyed and appreciated Jean Fritz' text and her general philosophy regarding the so-called Age of Exploration, I really have not aesthetically found Anthony Bacon Venti's accompanying illustrations all that visually pleasing and as such potentially distracting from the presented narrative), considering that especially on Amazon, Around the World in a Hundred Years features a very disproportionate and large number of not only negative reviews but also a goodly amount of what I would consider rather raging tirades accusing author Jean Fritz of being hateful and biased against ALL Christians, I will be rating Around the World in a Hundred Years with a high and deserving four stars.

And to those readers who do find or who have found Around the World in a Hundred Years as being anti-Christian and bigoted, I will point out this in my opinion inherent if probably personally uncomfortable truth. Considering that many (if not perhaps even the majority) of the explorers presented and described by Jean Fritz in Around the World in a Hundred Years willfully and with purpose enslaved or at least tried to enslave the native populations they encountered on their voyages of discovery (and often indeed attempted to and sometimes sadly very much succeeded in annihilating both their cultures and often their very lives, with the excuse and justification that this was supposedly deemed both acceptable and necessary by both God and the Bible), I personally (and intellectually) have absolutely NO ISSUE whatsoever with Jean Fritz in Around the World in a Hundred Years generally being both critical and yes indeed very massively condemning and even at times totally disrespectful with and in her tone of narrational, authorial voice. For while the journeys and discoveries, the explorations of individuals like Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan et al certainly ended up opening the world, the often (and sadly quite regular) presented and demonstrated anger, hatred and animosity against and towards the native populations the explorers encountered on their voyages and how they did rather too often seem to use the Bible and the in the Bible present supposed "Word of God" to justify slavery and genocide, this should really make ANYONE with reason and common sense (and whether one be Christian or not) actively and vehemently condemn and reject much of the Age of Discovery and in particular how religion was often and rather constantly made use of to justify the deliberate horror and evil perpetrated against the native populations of North and South America, Australia, Southern Africa etc.

A great general introduction to the Age of Exploration and to some of the main movers and shakers, the main explorers is Around the World in a Hundred Years, and yes, I do (as you have probably very much noticed) particularly appreciate and enjoy Jean Fritz's general writing style and personal attitude, that she presents her narrative as enlightening, informative, occasionally humorous and always always with an in my opinion totally necessary and required massive dose of disrespect and condemnation of what the explorers and their backers (the kings and queens on whose behalf they were voyaging and discovering) tended to generally cause for many if not for the vast majority of the native populations of the areas, of the countries they started colonising (with the notes and bibliographical lists at the back of Around the World in a Hundred Years being both an added bonus and an appreciated teaching and learning tool).

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really well told book about the discovery and adventures of the early explorers! I enjoyed the touch of having illustrations too. Most certainly a good book to add to your educational collection!

Ages: 7 - 12

Cleanliness: Fritz blames the burning of the Library of Alexandria on the Christians - here's a good article to learn what we do/don't know about it. Mentions naked herdsmen/naked men a couple of times.

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!

Visit my website!

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm pre-reading several books about explorers and this was the first one. Each of 10 explorers gets a few pages with some cartoonish pictures. This book moved quickly and you could easily read one section per day. That is, if you want to read the book in the first place.

I felt that the author was a tad disrespectful at times. Some of the men were treated as idiots or monsters. Now, I'm sure some of them were not the best of men and I'm sure they did bad things. But those can be stated matter-of-factly and the child can make up their own minds. When certain words or phrases or 'tone of voice' are used it can prejudice the child's thinking ability.

I most likely won't use this book. I'll let you know which book we do use though.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Goodreads description is pretty spot on: playful irreverence, fast-paced. I thought I would enjoy those aspects, but I really hated them.

The tone throughout is so dripping in sarcasm, idioms, and tongue in cheek remarks, that the stories are lost, and a younger reader will be lost in the excess.

As for the fast pace, it definitely assumes the reader has certain ideas and information already formed on the topic, so it would not be good as an introduction to this time period. Except the first chapter, which does a decent job "setting the stage".

After reading it, I felt like I had watched a "powder puff girls" version of "the age of exploitation" that was just trying too hard to make things interesting. Things that actually are interesting, without the "flashing lights".

This book is probably best suited for a middle school student who thinks history is totally boring.

Please note there are (and I hate this term) "anti-Christian" themes throughout. I'm totally okay with criticism of religions and how they are used to justify atrocities, but the book does so in a sarcastic vein. So instead of allowing the student to figure out how terrible something/someone was, it basically slapped a "That's terrible!!" cartoon bumper sticker on things. I guess that's the "irreverent" bit.

Overall, for me, the wealth of information and story was greatly overshadowed by the "BOOM!" "POW!" cartoonish-ness, and zip-zoom pace.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was appalled by the inaccuracies of this book found on page 10. The book credits the destruction of the library in Alexandria to the Christians. To think that "Christians did not believe in scholarship" (p. 10) is ridiculous. Throughout history, the Catholic Church - the only Christian church in existence in the year 391 A.D., when the library was destroyed - was dedicated to the preservation of scholarly works. Scientists such as Ptolemy would have been mostly forgotten had not the Catholic Church rescued as much writing as it did.

A simple reference to an encyclopedia offers the truth as to who was to blame for the burning of the library... Julius Caesar destroyed the library and blamed the Christians to discredit them.

The remaining facts in the book offered plenty of opportunities to check facts. Thank you to this book and author for such a great opportunity to research.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book bringing together all of the explorers around the Columbus era of exploration, explaining how one's discoveries (yes, discoveries - "discovery" does NOT mean first ever - it means seeing things that one has not yet seen for themselves or for a representative group) kept building upon the explorers before them. The book points out that many of these explorers were sent out to discover what the Christian world had not yet seen before. So, they knew others had seen far away places, they knew others existed. As a result, then present-day explorers and rulers wanted to know who and all of the many WHAT was out there that they could collect, for better or for worse. Explorers were so busy during this time that the map makers could not keep up with the new lands being explored and configured on 'paper.' This would be a great book for someone who wants to review their knowledge of explorers by putting them 'in order,' so to speak, or for someone who want to learn about explorers for the first time. I see this as a great book to use in a classroom.

Oh, if you think explorers were kind-hearted and thoughtful of all of mankind, don't read this book. History hurts. Explorers were out for spreading whatever they believed in, collecting plants, animals, artifacts (and people). Explorers in ALL four corners of the world did this. European explorers were no different. Columbus was brutal (the fact is pointed out in this book but not described in detail). Many places where they landed had people who did NOT WANT THEM THERE and killed them on the spot. In this book, we read about those who survived many, but maybe not all, of their travels.

[Jen Ozburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and funning.

An interpretation for kids with an early 1990s tone (at least for me I guess, since that was when I was a young reader) with a mix of didacticism, political correctness, and humor.

On Prince Henry's exploration and exploitation . . .

"Europeans took for granted that other people were inferior because they were different, and so Europeans believed (or persuaded themselves) that they could use natives in whatever way that suited them. Once European curiosity was unleashed on the world, so was their cruelty, arrogance, and greed" (pg. 29).

[Cody · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasn't impressed. Seemed like a political anti-religious crusade more than anything. Sure, there were horrible things that went on in the name of (and under the banner of) Christianity, but the author seems to treat anyone who lived in the medieval era like a bunch of children who can't tell left from right and who were, directly as a result of their faith, horribly racist and intolerant toward other cultures. I just get a bit sick of it, that's all.

[Melissa King · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m disappointed. I’ve read and collected several Jean Fritz history books because I enjoy her playful tone and fast pace. It’s not quality literature, but perfect for a jumping off point to get a kid interested in a person or historical time period. This book however won’t find a home on my shelves. The tone is irreverent, sarcastic, and not suitable for elementary aged children. I wouldn’t mind a middle-schooler flipping through it, but I’m sure there are a number of better options.

[Jean-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my 10-year-old to complement our World Exploration history lesson. It was very interesting, definitely much more interesting than a dry textbook, and it offered just the right amount of information on early European explorers for the middle grade level.

[Rykki · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a quick overview of history, and some odd facts (like the two unusual mentions of explorers' dogs) this was a pretty good read. Of course, it is not the quintessential guide to all things explorer of "the new world" but it does a pretty good job covering the path taken to the eventual circumnavigation of the globe, and gives some interesting links between historic figures that I hadn't known before.

That being said, if you're looking for a book that just talks about very basic facts without touching upon unpleasantness (like slavery and murder) this probably isn't a great place to start. It doesn't paint the explorers as saints. It highlights where these figures in history (and the people who touched their lives) were flawed people, sometimes in their thinking, and sometimes in just doing horrible things. While I've seen some people argue that this kind of view doesn't leave it up to the reader to determine how they feel about these historical figures, I think you can't honestly make an opinion on these people without knowing the horrible, misguided, or even just careless things they did. It's a part of who they were, and while it's all well and good to glorify historic figures, it results in a very dishonest view of history.

Though we're using this for homeschooling this year, I think I may keep it kicking around the house after the fact as a reference anyway. It's a pretty quick, easy read and it's full of facts. There are also notes in the back that give details that were missed or are interesting, but not necessarily relevant to the explorers discussed. These can make a great launching off point for further research.

Basically, if you're looking for a good intro or a review, this is a great book. In our reading this will help set the stage for what will follow in our study of American history.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why do we love Jean Fritz? Because she highlights all the wonderful and weird facts from our past in her writing. Because she is an accurate judge of character. Because she packages all her wonderful knowledge into fascinating history book for children. Because she knows about all the explorers who were making trips before Prince Henry the Navigator and still helps me clearly see why he is still so important. Obviously.
My coworker gave me a box of books this year that included this collection of short biographies about the first major European explorers. Of all the stories my favorite was the story of Vasco Nunez de Balboa. To be honest I've always told students that he is a not so great farmer who ended up finding the Pacific Ocean as he ran away from debt (by hiding in a barrel). Really there is so much more to his story. He was a good diplomat and excellent explorer who was able to befriend many Natives who aided his trip to the Pacific. I also had no idea that he was captured by Pizarro, shipped back to Spain and beheaded for treason. Ah history is braving.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite by Jean Fritz. Some of the accounts seem unbalanced and are graphic and violent. I’m glad I read this aloud to my kids and didn’t have them read it on their own, needs much discussion.

[Jacque · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very informative book. We enjoyed most of it, but questioned some of the accuracy on a few explorers just because of other resources we read that came from log books and journal entries.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was packed full of great information and was written in an immersive manner, however I did feel it had bias instead of being neutral.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book drew me in quickly, as I'm developing a big interest in world history the older I get. I started reading it to a son who had to do a book report on a character in it...then I couldn't put it down. I found it a well written children's history, but you expect no less from Jean Fritz. However it seemed a little forced sometimes. She seemed to be trying too hard to make it interesting for chilren, as when she included the names of the dogs of a couple of explorers, but it took me a minute to realize in one instance that she was really talking about a DOG! I think too, it would have been useful to have a glossary to refer to, and maybe a list of the various characters and their main contributions, since I was frequently getting lost with who was who. Very fascinating, though.

[Shelley Alongi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was a good place to start if you want to read your history. But I am always a little put off by the big bad European Christians not caring about what they do to other people. It may or may not be true I just get tired of reading about it. I think it is a trend in the last 20 to 30 years and it shows here. But I did learn some first names I didn’t know. I learned who discovered America. I know it was named after a person I just didn’t know who it was. I think if his book us for a third grader it might be a little over their heads but older readers will probably get it. I got it. I’m not in the third grade though ask me if I’m in the third grade when I think. :-)

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I always learn a lot about history when I read with my kids, but this was a real eye-opener. Each chapter is about one of the 'great' explorers. The writing is fun and easy to read aloud, and there are some fun pictures that add to the experience. This has been a great book for discussing bias and knowing your author! Fritz is very frank about some of the really awful things our venerated Christopher Columbus and his contemporaries did, while recognizing their contributions to history. Quite different from my history education and very different from Story of the World!

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to my daughter for homeschool as part of her curriculum. I personally found this book the be a fun and informative book about early explorers. many explorer's quirky links to eachother were brought up, as well as distinctive parts of their personality and the some horrors that met them at the end of their adventures. many historical details are provided and with maps of their routes in the front. even some fun art work is smattered here and there.

That said, it didn't capture my daughters attention or interest much.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covering Prince Henry the Navigator, Bartholomew Diaz, Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Pedro Alvares Cabral, John Cabot, Amerigo Vespucci, Juan Ponce de Leon, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, and Ferdinand Magellan, Around the World in a Hundred Years tells the story of about one-hundred years of exploration in a way younger readers can understand and find interesting. On occasion it drags a bit, but the majority is quite fascinating. I recommend it to upper elementary to lower middle school age kids.

[Pierre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my absolute favorites as a child. I must've read it three or four times. I learned that the conquistadors weren't saints...a lot were rather mean actually but that they were still doing things that no one else was doing. I don't think I learned the word hubris from this book, but I sure learned what it meant from it.

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes:
like all history books, there are mistakes
there are several anti-christian remarks
best for ages 11+ due to violence in stories and illustrations
simply told in story form -- each chapter covers a new explorer

[Pen63 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jean Fritz is a great way to introduce students to history in a leveled reader sort of way. This book contains many exposures to academic knowledge in an easy to digest manner. Good for 4-7th grades.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering this book is from a ridiculously Eurocentric, Christian point of view, it does give a fairly good overview of a brutal and ruthless part of European history. I only wish it gave a more balanced account.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

We checked out tons of different books on individual explorers--all dry dry dry! This is the only book you'll ever need! Well written, entertaining, shocking. I'm learning more than I ever learned in school!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always, Jean Fritz brings a lighthearted, witty perspective to world history. Here she gives an account for young children of the first European explorers who dared to sail beyond the shores of Europe, from Prince Henry the Navigator to Ferdinand Magellan.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wonder why greed, hatred and intolerance are so strong. Has the human race always been so fearful and insecure? Or is that the hubris of zealous explores seeking fame over understanding? This book will make middle grade readers think.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

J 910.92 F True tales of 10 famous 15th century explorers. Well told.

[Johannes Kristian · Rating 2 out of 5]

MCL. It wasn't really a story, and I prefer stories.