"O prince and ye captains, and learned men who have come from afar! What I am going to relate to you is an ancient history, a history that is known only to those who can read our language and who have our ancient books."

Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal feels certain there lies not only the legendary island named Atlantis in the great sea, but other lands to the west, far beyond the limits of the horizon. He has assembled the men wisest in the lore of their nations and their people, and one by one he calls them to tell him the stories of their land, of their seas, of their explorations.

Open this book to join in the journey...

From the dust jacket of the Smidgen Press reprint

This classic seafaring adventure is calling your name!

Have you ever wondered why the city of Atlantis was lost beneath the salty waves? Or what drove Leif Erikson to explore the bitterly cold northern lands? What about the explorer Saint Brendan from Irish folklore who risked everything to discover the "Radiant Land"—and was shocked to find so much more?

If old-storytelling collections intrigue you, Padraic Colum's tales of mythical and historical seafaring voyages will weave its spell over you. With additional notes mentioning Native American and Indigenous perspectives Colum would not have had access to for his writings about Columbus and Jamestown, we hope readers will appreciate having this Newbery Honor classic back in print.

From the back of the Smidgen Press reprint