Christopher Columbus: Across the Ocean Sea

Heroes of History #12

by Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

The Heroes of History series chronicles the true stories of fascinating men and women who changed the course of history.

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 civilizations of the great khan.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

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!

[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.

[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!