Encyclopedia of Exploration (Two Volume Set)

Volume 1, The Explorers, presents more than 950 biographical entries that begin with birth and death dates, nationality, occupations, and areas of the world explored, followed by an account of the subject's exploration activities. Among the explorers who are covered are the well known, such as Neil Armstrong, Ferdinand Magellan, and Ernest Shackleton, but also the less familiar, such as Ahmad Ibn Fadlan (fl. 920s), whose record of his diplomatic mission from Baghdad to Russia and eastern Europe is the earliest account of that region in pre-Christian times, and Koncordie Dietrich (1821-91), a German naturalist whose travels through the Australian outback resulted in the largest collection of flora and fauna assembled by a woman. Entries range from two or three paragraphs to four pages in length and are accompanied by 144 illustrations and photographs. Appendixes list explorers by occupation, by region of activity, by nationality or sponsoring country, and in chronological order by birth date.

Volume 2, Places, Technologies, and Cultural Trends, has more than 260 A-Z entries on such topics as Aerial photography, Circumnavigation of the world, Drift ice, Fur trade, Native peoples and exploration, Orinoco River, Virginia Company, and Women explorers. Entries range in length from 2 paragraphs to more than 10 pages and are accompanied by 67 photographs and illustrations and 62 maps. An appendix contains maps by region; by ancient routes in the Mediterranean, Europe, and Asia; by new water routes; and by the interior in Asia, the Americas, the Pacific Ocean and Australia, Africa, the Arctic, and the Antarctic. The volume concludes with a very thorough chronology of exploration, a further reading list for the set, a list of volume 2 entries by subject, and a 35-page cumulative index for both volumes. In both volumes, capital letters are used in the text to designate terms that are also entry headings.

Grade 9 Up–Volume one of this set provides alphabetically arranged biographical profiles of more than 900 explorers. The straightforward entries move chronologically through each subject's life, covering key events and dates; a final paragraph summarizes the impact of the individual's work. Coverage includes astronauts, mountain climbers, and scholars who are not always found in books on this topic. Many entries are several paragraphs long, while some extend to three or four pages. Appendixes provide access by profession, region of exploration, nationality, and period. Black-and-white photographs and portraits of selected individuals are included along with reproductions of historical maps. The second volume has more than 60 maps grouped geographically and detailing hundreds of routes. Arrangement in this volume is alphabetical; many of the entries look at specific regions over time, while others address key concepts, such as geography and cartography or shipbuilding and exploration. Shorter articles define vehicles, tools, and geographic terms. A 100-page chronology is neatly laid out, with references to specific articles and regions. There are numerous cross-references throughout the set. While high school students engaged in in-depth research will appreciate this set, the extensive biographical coverage makes the first volume useful as a reference to slightly younger readers as well.–Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR
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*Starred Review* The search for food, land, precious metals, and scientific knowledge, as well as people to exploit, enslave, or convert, has fueled our drive to explore the unknown. This set provides thorough information about explorers and explorations from 2450 B.C.E. to the present.

Volume 1, The Explorers, presents more than 950 biographical entries that begin with birth and death dates, nationality, occupations, and areas of the world explored, followed by an account of the subject's exploration activities. Among the explorers who are covered are the well known, such as Neil Armstrong, Ferdinand Magellan, and Ernest Shackleton, but also the less familiar, such as Ahmad Ibn Fadlan (fl. 920s), whose record of his diplomatic mission from Baghdad to Russia and eastern Europe is the earliest account of that region in pre-Christian times, and Koncordie Dietrich (1821-91), a German naturalist whose travels through the Australian outback resulted in the largest collection of flora and fauna assembled by a woman. Entries range from two or three paragraphs to four pages in length and are accompanied by 144 illustrations and photographs. Appendixes list explorers by occupation, by region of activity, by nationality or sponsoring country, and in chronological order by birth date.

Volume 2, Places, Technologies, and Cultural Trends, has more than 260 A-Z entries on such topics as Aerial photography, Circumnavigation of the world, Drift ice, Fur trade, Native peoples and exploration, Orinoco River, Virginia Company, and Women explorers. Entries range in length from 2 paragraphs to more than 10 pages and are accompanied by 67 photographs and illustrations and 62 maps. An appendix contains maps by region; by ancient routes in the Mediterranean, Europe, and Asia; by new water routes; and by the interior in Asia, the Americas, the Pacific Ocean and Australia, Africa, the Arctic, and the Antarctic. The volume concludes with a very thorough chronology of exploration, a further reading list for the set, a list of volume 2 entries by subject, and a 35-page cumulative index for both volumes. In both volumes, capital letters are used in the text to designate terms that are also entry headings.

This set is well organized and very readable. It will be used by students in high school and college and by anyone who wishes to learn more about explorers and exploration. It is highly recommended for public, school, and undergraduate libraries. Nora Harris
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