Samuel de Champlain is one of Canada's most significant historical figures. Both tenacious and knowledgeable, he sustained the fledgling settlement at Quebec, orchestrated alliances with Aboriginal groups, explored and mapped much of Atlantic Canada and the St. Lawrence Valley, and struggled to gain support for New France.<BR>In Champlain: The Birth of French America historians, ethnologists, archaeologists, archivists, and researchers from France, Italy, and Canada revisit Champlain's enormous contributions and unique role in history, offering new insights and raising new questions about the "father of New France." Illustrated, including the thirty-two maps attributed to Champlain as well as documents, a selection of his drawings, and illustrations of rare artifacts, Champlain is a source of information for anyone who wants to understand New France and the origins of Canada.