Beginning with Christopher Columbus, the man who found the Americas, we proceed to a variety of the world's finest explorers. These bold navigators braved lengthy sea voyages, as well as dangers upon the sea and the land. Some were commissioned by the leaders of different countries, while others strove to explore independently. All were brave and their adventures made many great story books. Some even founded the first colonial villages and little ports in new lands, starting the recorded history of many a new territory.

Illustrations of the great explorers accompany the biographies, and the author seeks to make the stories of these historic people entertaining yet accurate. Various legends of the time, such as the golden city of El Dorado, are mentioned. Finding mythical treasure and claiming it would not only make the finder a person of huge wealth, but also secure fame and a legacy that would last long after they had left the world.