Explorers

Find out about 12 of the most incredible expeditions in history, from the ancient Egyptian voyage to the land of Punt around 1470 BCE to the Apollo mission to space in 1969; taking in Marco Polo's journey to China, the great 15th-century Chinese voyages, the Portuguese sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, the New World voyages, the circumnavigation of the globe, the mapping of the Pacific, the exploration of the American West, the exploration of Africa, the race to the South Pole and the descent into the Mariana Trench on the way.

Discover the dates and location of each expedition, the people involved and the distances travelled. Find out about the expedition leaders, Hatshepsut, Marco Polo, Zheng He, Christopher Columbus, Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, Captain James Cook, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Dr Livingstone, Henry Morton Stanley, Mary Kingsley, Robert Scott, Roald Amundsen, Jacques Picard, James Cameron, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin.

Epic: Explorers also looks at the technology and vehicles involved in each expedition, from the Chinese treasure ships and the American canoes to the skis and dog sleds used on the South Pole expedition, and the rocket that carried the astronauts to the Moon. The dangers the adventurers faced are also catalogued, from the deserts, robbers and storms Marco Polo braved on his journey to China, to the lions, crocodiles and diseases Stanley and Livingstone battled in Africa.

A perfect resource for project work on exploration, geography or history, or simply a great leisure read, for children aged 9 and above.

For more epic events, try reading the other titles in the Epic series: Animal Migrations, Battles and Empires.

Philip Steele is a leading writer of children’s non-fiction books. He was born in Surrey, graduated from University College Durham and worked in London publishing houses. He then freelanced as a project manager, publishing consultant and author. He has written a wide range of books for Wayland, Watts, Dorling Kindersley, Kingfisher/Macmillan, Walker Books and many other publishers worldwide. History, biography, lands and peoples, the natural world, current affairs and social issues all feature prominently in his backlist. Philip has backpacked around Africa, Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. For many years he has been settled very happily amidst the mountains, beaches and green fields of North Wales. His wife (as a teacher) and his teenage daughter (as a secondary school pupil) are ideally suited to cast an critical eye over his work!