Spurred by a deep religious conviction, a lust for gold and the riches of the Orient, the Genoise explorer Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain to find a trade route to China. In his first voyage starting in 1492 he found little gold and did not reach China. What he did find was lush islands filled with friendly natives and vast new lands to explore and conquer. The next three voyages would transform this world-class navigator and explorer into a failure as a colonial governor and administrator. The Spanish colonists that were planted into the New World proved to be brutal masters of the indigenous Indians, virtually eliminating entire tribes. Though Columbus's image has been tarnished by his harsh treatment of the native people, he was truly a man that changed the map of the world and the course of human history. This short biography tells the amazing story of the legendary man and his grand adventure of discovery.
The book "Christopher Columbus and the Discovery of the Americas" gives a concise look at the voyages and discoveries of Christopher Columbus. To illustrate the story there are numerous pictures of the people, places, and events that were part of this historic adventure. In addition, the book contains: a list of reference books for further reading, a timeline of the explorer's epic journeys that puts the events and that period of history in sequence, and a section that contains short biographical sketches of the key individuals in the book.

30-Minute Book Series
This is the 47th book in the 30-Minute Book Series. Books in this series are fast-paced, accurate, and cover the story in as much detail as a short book possibly can. Most people complete each book in less than an hour, which makes the books in the series a perfect companion for your lunch hour, a school project, or a little down time.

About the Author
Doug West is a retired engineer and an experienced non-fiction writer with dozens of books to his credit. His writing interests are general, with special expertise in history, science, and biographies. Doug has a Ph.D. in General Engineering from Oklahoma State University.