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The exploits of Marco Polo and Eric the Red are well-known today, but less-known are the many other explorers of the time and the extent of medieval European contact with other continents. Between 1000 and 1500, world trade and travel flourished as never before as Europe looked for new worlds to explore and conquer. This detailed introductory survey draws on a large and controversial body of evidence to chart the medieval European tradition of expansion, exploring its roots in Classical ideas of the world and tracing its influence on the famous voyages of the Renaissance. Phillips also provides fascinating discussion of the myths and hoaxes surrounding medieval exploration.

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• Maps
• Preface
• Preface to the Second Edition
• Introduction
• The Beginnings of the Medieval Expansion of Europe
• Europe and Asia
• Two Continents and an Ocean
• Europe and the World c.1100-1450
• The Fifteenth-Century Expansion of Europe
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Some Recent Writings
• Index

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CHOICE Review

Phillip's enterprising book looks at the expanding frontiers of medieval Europe and also at its growing geographic knowledge and improving technology of travel. The topics that appear under these umbrellas are very many, e.g., the survival of ancient geographic learning; the role of religion and of myth in shaping geographic perceptions; the Viking settlement of Iceland and Greenland and exploration of the North-American coast. Also covered are Portuguese and Spanish interest in the Atlantic islands and the west coast of Africa; merchants and crusaders in the Middle East; and missionaries and merchants in central Asia and China. There are also discussions of ship design, of mapmaking, and of navigational aides. The conclusion is that the great age of geographical discoveries on early modern times was solidly rooted in medieval achievements, in all areas affecting travel. This list of topics shows the book's weaknesses and strengths. Many discussions are short and superficial (there are no footnotes, but there is an appended bibliographical essay). On the other hand, the book serves as a useful introduction to many topics, a number of which will attract attention from students as the 500th anniversary of the Columbian voyages approaches. D. Herlihy Brown University