Christopher Columbus: Across the Ocean Sea

Heroes of History #12

by Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

"It was completely dark. The only things visible now were the two small beacon fires on the Pinta and the Niña. Christopher was glad the two fires calmed his frightened crew. They calmed him, too. Their glow reminded him that the Santa Maria was not alone on the vast, uncharted Ocean Sea. The three ships would sail together into the unknown."

Buoyant and determined, and having at last won the support of the king and queen of Spain, Christopher Columbus sailed west from Europe with three ships, confident he would reach the Indies by this new route and find the gold-laden civilization of the great khan.

After four risky expeditions in which he explored the Caribbean and landed in South America, Columbus died without acclaim, never knowing he had reached what would soon by known as the New World. While Columbus himself never realized the magnitude of his discoveries, his voyages across the Ocean Sea would soon be recognized as a major turning point in world history.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 4, 2005

About the author

Janet and Geoff Benge are a husband and wife writing team with twenty years of writing experience. They are best known for the books in the two series Christian Heroes: Then & Now series and Heroes of History. Janet is a former elementary school teacher. Geoff holds a degree in history. Together they have a passion to make history come alive for a new generation. Originally from New Zealand, the Benges make their home in the Orlando, Florida, area.

Reviews

[Daniel Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Columbus was after a shorter route to Asia than going south around Africa. He thought the earth was smaller in circumference. When others began to believe an unknown continent lay between Europe and Asia, he never accepted it. Ironically, older history books claim he “discovered” this new continent.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written biography. I learned a lot, and have things to think about.

It's... It leaves me sad, more than anything else.

[Natalie Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, easy-to-read account of the intrepid explorer who discovered America. Although he suffered much misunderstanding and mistreatment in his lifetime and eventually died in obscurity, his contributions forever changed the history of the world!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful history to read about how Columbus’ life went. The publisher’s note at the beginning was helpful, that the format of these books being told from the perspective of the main character provides limitations on commentary on what he did, so it’s wise to read other accounts of his life as well. It’s good to read history like this so we can hope not to make the same mistakes.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read this aloud to help our kids have a basic knowledge of American history.

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could read it again. Its a great book and it makes me imagine being a part of the journey Christopher Columbus went on.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story, with a lot of facts about his many voyages.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book while I was in Europe. Of course, having been raised in the 50s and 60s, I knew about Columbus and we even had Columbus Day (now politically incorrect to talk about Columbus Day) so I will mention it. A school holiday, yahoo. What I like about this series is that it is historical fiction. I had not known about his sons. I sure remember the 3 ships and the King and Queen. After being in Spain, particularly in Granada, his story took on greater depth for me.

He is an example of persevering. He was shot down how many times? I kind of want to read it again since I often listened as I tried to fall asleep in Cyprus with jet lag. I'd rewind but I think I missed a lot

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of detail is woven in. The kids like this series. It can get info-heavy at times... but for the most part, they asked to read this a few times until it was done.

[Erinn Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good overview of Columbus's adventures with enough background information to help me understand how he became a sailor out of a weaver. It seemed unbiased and informative, with a lot of information packed into a short, easy to read book.

[Allyson Jamison]

Such a thrilling read! Can you imagine sailing around the entire world? What an adventure!