Cristóbal Colón y el descubrimiento de América, Tomo 2 Historia de la geografía del nuevo continente y de los progresos de la astronomía náutica en los siglos XV y XVI

A sweeping study of the forces that propelled Europe toward the Atlantic frontier, this volume traces the intellectual and technical currents that shaped the age of discovery. Beginning with the ancient Greek explorers and the medieval cosmographic myths that placed unknown lands west of the Pillars of Hercules, the author maps how centuries of maritime experience, Arabic‑Christian exchanges, and advances in navigation converged on a single ambition: to reach the riches of the East by sea.

The narrative then turns to Christopher Columbus, portraying him as the embodiment of three essential qualities—deep learning, daring resolve, and patient perseverance. By examining his personal background, the evolving geography of the New World, and the breakthroughs in nautical astronomy of the 15th and 16th centuries, the book reveals how a complex web of ideas and circumstances made his voyages possible, even if the continent he encountered was far from what he expected.