The Ancient Explorers

by Max Cary, E.H. Warmington, Germano Facetti (Illustrator)

Two eminent scholars collaborated in the writing of this volume, which remains a standard work on ancient travel and discovery. Concerned with the actual journeys made rather than with the geographical speculations of ancient scholars, they tell how, before Arabic expansion closed the gates of the Mediterranean Sea, men had coasted Western Europe and penetrated the continent south of the Danube and Rhine, sailed from Suez to Canton and probed deeply into Asia, and--even if they failed to circumnavigate Africa--had been as far as Sierra Leone and Port Delgado.

Genres: Roman History, Ancient History

319 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1929

Reviews

[Len · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book suddenly resurfaced into my mind when I read a review by one of my Goodreads friends about a children's book set in ancient Egypt. I remember reading this when I was about 14 and I was absolutely enthralled by it. For some reason the voyage of Hanno the Carthaginian supposedly circumnavigating Africa has always stuck in my mind - that's almost 60 years ago. It is books such as this that set young people off discovering and exploring for themselves. Even though my own explorations were limited I cannot express fully the debt I still owe to the authors. Whatever modern scholars may think of their work, they sparked a light of curiosity in my little mind which is flickering even now.