Christopher Columbus was one of the most courageous of the world's explorers. He embraced risk in an era when the blinding expanse of the Atlantic Ocean frightened the Europeans. The cartography of the day was incorrect, as he learned through bitter experience. Columbus is credited with the discovery of America but never realized it during his lifetime. His career as a navigator was peppered with mishaps that shattered the ignorance of the age. Although he was no scientist, Columbus initiated new fields of study and analysis. In 1492, he landed at San Salvador in the Islands of the Bahamas, and he was the first European to have explored the Caribbean Sea. He was the first European to set foot in Cuba, Haiti, and Trinidad, as well as the countries in Central America. Columbus's voyages astonished all of Europe and started a virtual stampede of competitors in search of the East Indies by sailing west. His life was fraught with adversities such as betrayal and character assassination. It still is today. However, his loyalty cannot be assailed, and few have recognized that fact. The life of Christopher Columbus is a fascinating portrayal of a man whose ego was greater than his common sense. His brand of reckless abandon makes Olympic champions out of foolhardy amateurs. This is the story of a man devoted to a goal he was willing to pursue or die trying. And, tragically, he did die trying.