The Real Story Behind the Age of Exploration

by Daniel R. Faust

Did people in the Middle Ages really believe the Earth was flat? Was Columbus the first European to reach the New World? Were European explorers really treated like gods by the indigenous peoples they encountered? You probably think you know the answers to these questions, but sometimes textbooks don't tell the whole truth. This book takes a deep dive into the Age of Exploration, separating myth from reality. Grade-appropriate text is supported by full-color photographs, while fact boxes, sidebars, and timelines provide additional information and historical context.

32 pages, Library Binding

Published July 15, 2019

Reviews

[Margaret Boling · Rating 3 out of 5]

10/10/2021 ~ There aren't a ton of books for elementary school readers that attempt to tell complex stories from multiple perspectives. This series of 6 books is adequate. My biggest complaint is that there are no sources cited and there is no bio of the author, so it's difficult to judge the credibility of the information.

This book is slightly better than several others in the series. It explores issues such as whether early European explorers really believed the earth was flat, the ways stories about early explorers' goals shifted over time & who wrote those stories, the complexity of the indigenous cultures in the western hemisphere, and the impact of European expeditions on the indigenous peoples.

I am adding this book to my elementary library collection.