National Geographic Society Exploration Experience

Filled with names that made and changed the course of history, National Geographic Society Exploration Experience takes readers on a thrilling voyage of discovery—in a fun and dynamic format that's unique in today's reference market. From the travels of Erik the Red through the journeys of Marco Polo to the heroic attempts of Livingstone and Scott, vivid text and rich illustrations tell the story of how intrepid explorers have expanded our knowledge of the world. Throughout the book, more than 30 rare and newly reproduced removable documents put history directly into readers' hands: Hernan Cortes's hand-drawn map of Tenochtitlan, David Livingstone's watercolor of Victoria Falls, a dinner menu featuring Ernest Shackleton's sketch of his planned trip to Antarctica, and many more. A wealth of photographs, maps, artifacts, and portraits enhance Beau Riffenburgh's fascinating text as it covers the exploration of all seven continents. Sidebars delve into everything from navigational instruments to terminology to biographies. The book's organization invites readers to "dip in" to any page and find a fascinating story, or read from start to finish. With a handsome slipcase and more than 200 color photographs packed into 80 pages, Exploration Experience engages both the eye and the mind. An exploration in itself, this lavish book creates a unique history adventure for both armchair and "on-the-ground" explorers of every age.

Beau Riffenburgh is an author and historian specializing in polar exploration. A native of California, he earned his Ph.D. at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge. Since 1994, he has served as the editor of Polar Record, the world’s oldest journal of polar research. He has served as the head of the Polar History Group at the Scott Polar Research Institute and as a lecturer in the history faculty of the University of Cambridge.