Publisher's Synopsis
While past histories depict Christopher Columbus as either god-sent angel or bloodthirsty demon, Simple History series author J. Gerlach opts to let the events stand on their own, giving readers the tools they need to draw up their own conclusions. This heavily illustrated history provides a fair and objective portrait of the oft-maligned man. As Gerlach says, "Columbus' importance is debatable. His drive and courage put him in position to 'discover' America, but his greatness depends on your definition of the word 'great.'" The story presented here is one of wholesale murder, wild ambition, and supersized gold lust. It's a dark piece of our history made even darker with facts generally left out of textbooks. In this age of heavily biased "news" media and propaganda-as-documentary, this brand of objective history-telling is refreshing and much needed.
