| Quite a lot happened in Europe between 1002AD, | | | | the forces of the Ottaman Turks in 1453, the trade |
| when the Vikings hurriedly packed their longships and | | | | virtually dried up. The merchants were doomed and a |
| retreated back to the colder climes of Greenland, and | | | | continent that had become more or less dependant |
| 1492AD, when the Spanish caravels, with Columbus | | | | on this trade suddenly felt the need to find an |
| so confident at the helm, accidentally stumbled | | | | alternative route to regain access to this lucrative |
| across the forgotten continent.The period, collectively | | | | market.At that time Portugal was the leading |
| known as the Renaissance, saw a general revival of | | | | maritime nation in Europe, holding vital access to the |
| interest in intellectual thought. Science was studied, | | | | Atlantic Ocean, the unknown frontier and as a few |
| with fresh experiments conducted and new | | | | believed the real key to access the eastern markets. |
| conclusions drawn, laws were introduced to control | | | | As they started to explore into this ocean they first |
| the growing populations and to create more stable | | | | found tiny chains of islands - Madeira, the Canary |
| societies, medicines were used to cure illness and | | | | Islands, the Azores and the Cape Verde Islands - but |
| prolong life, astonomers peered farther into the | | | | they then turned their ships southwards to chart the |
| unknown universe, while geographers mapped and | | | | continent of Africa. The Atlantic was still too big, too |
| plotted the earth.All of these advances were aided | | | | unknown, and they decided to play it safe and stick |
| by the invention of the movable type and a working | | | | to the coastline. Their plan was to try and get around |
| printing press, which for the first time made books | | | | the tip of Africa and then to access Asia across the |
| and maps easy to produce and allowed knowledge to | | | | Indian Ocean. This was a safe route, making sense |
| be readily available to all.While Spain united to drive | | | | on the maps of the time, as to their knowledge the |
| out the Moors and the other major European | | | | American continent quite simply did not exist.How |
| countries generally moved closer to becoming nation | | | | things were going to change!This excerpt is taken |
| states, so the merchants also started to trade with | | | | from the third chapter of Discovery - The Story of |
| far-off places and in particular with the other main | | | | America by Anthony Treasure. This book is already |
| hubbub of civilization, namely the East (principally | | | | published in the UK (listed on Amazon.co.uk) and is |
| China, India and Persia).This trade brought all sorts of | | | | due to be published in the US at a later date. For |
| attractive items into daily use and it wasn't long | | | | now it is published as an ebook and as a SPECIAL |
| before Europe started to thrive on this vital | | | | INTRODUCTORY OFFER Discovery Part One is |
| commerce, though events were suddenly brought to | | | | available to download COMPLETELY FREE OF |
| a premature halt by the rise of the Muslems in the | | | | CHARGE. Three further titles - Discovery Part Two, |
| Middle East who moved to blockade the profitable | | | | Colonization Part One and Colonization Part Two are |
| trade routes.When Constantinople, the established | | | | also out as ebooks and can be bought and |
| base of the Christian Byzantium Empire, finally fell to | | | | downloaded from the website. |