The Life of Columbus / From His Own Letters and Journals and Other Documents of His Time

The book follows a Genoese mariner from his formative studies and seafaring career through persistent petitions for royal support and the voyages that opened transatlantic contact. It describes first landfalls in Caribbean islands, exploration of Cuba and Hispaniola, establishment and governance of early settlements, conflicts with colonists and imperial agents, later voyages along mainland coasts, imprisonment and partial restoration, and final years devoted to legal claims and reflection. Passages from letters and contemporary documents are used to reconstruct navigation, administration, and the evolving responses of European courts and colonial communities.