New worlds, ancient texts : the power of tradition and the shock of discovery

Describing an era of exploration during the Renaissance that went far beyond geographic bounds, this book shows how the evidence of the New World shook the foundations of the old, upsetting the authority of the ancient texts that had guided Europeans so far afield. What Grafton recounts is a war of ideas fought by mariners, scientists, publishers and rulers over a period of 150 years. Using vignettes, published debates and illustrations, this work portrays these men and their contemporaries trying to make sense of their discoveries as they sometimes confirm, sometimes contest, and finally displace traditional notions of the world beyond Europe. This text was awarded the "Los Angeles Times" Book Prize in 1993.