<DIV>European explorers in the late 15th century had a significant focus: traversing the mysterious body of land we now call North America. Whether to seek untold riches or to set up colonies, spread the word of God or seek new botanical and animal species, each of these intrepid explorers added a piece of the puzzle to our geographical knowledge. This book, using maps and dozens of illustrations, shows how geographical myths came to be exposed, and how the landscape of this continent was fully revealed. The timeline spans centuries, and the stories are all compelling ? in addition to explaining the geography, the book also describes the political and social ramifications of each discovery, creating a truly fascinating story not only of our land, but of how it interacted with the disparate elements that shaped our history.</DIV>