What do you think?
Rate this book
Christopher Columbus
Ladybird Books
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
52 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1961
10 people want to read
About the author
L. Du Garde Peach
80 books13 followersLawrence du Garde Peach was an English author and writer of plays for radio, stage and screen. Today he may be best remembered as the author of over 30 books for Ladybird's Adventure from History series of nonfiction children's books, published from 1957 until his death, which was the largest series Ladybird ever produced, and remained in print until 1986.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 30, 2020
Like all Ladybird Books, this one on Christopher Columbus is well researched and full of historical detail.
It was in 1492 that Genoa-born Christopher Columbus sailed from the Spanish port of Palos on a voyage that changed the course of history. Believing the world to be round - much to other people's surprise - he sailed west and eventually he came across islands that he thought were somewhere near India; the islands we now know as the West Indies are, therefore, a result of the mistake that Columbus made over 500 years ago.
He had made a number of attempts to entice royalty of various nations to support his voyage long before he set off but on each occasion he was refused any funding. But when the King and Queen of Spain finally relented and agreed to fund his travels he set about purchasing the ships that he required. There were none large enough for his purpose and so he had to settle for three smaller ships, the Santa Maria, the largest at seventy feet long and his flagship, the Pinta and the Nina. They were to become three of the most famous ships in the annals of the sea.
Until he sighted the West Indies, as they became, the voyage had gone terribly wrong and on more than one occasion he was tempted to turn back. But he persevered and that perseverance paid off. And even though he lost the Santa Maria after it ran aground he was able to return to Spain in triumph. His patience, his determination and his hard work had paid off.
As he always does, L Du Garde Peach provides a thoroughly readable, detailed and informative account of the man and his voyages.
It was in 1492 that Genoa-born Christopher Columbus sailed from the Spanish port of Palos on a voyage that changed the course of history. Believing the world to be round - much to other people's surprise - he sailed west and eventually he came across islands that he thought were somewhere near India; the islands we now know as the West Indies are, therefore, a result of the mistake that Columbus made over 500 years ago.
He had made a number of attempts to entice royalty of various nations to support his voyage long before he set off but on each occasion he was refused any funding. But when the King and Queen of Spain finally relented and agreed to fund his travels he set about purchasing the ships that he required. There were none large enough for his purpose and so he had to settle for three smaller ships, the Santa Maria, the largest at seventy feet long and his flagship, the Pinta and the Nina. They were to become three of the most famous ships in the annals of the sea.
Until he sighted the West Indies, as they became, the voyage had gone terribly wrong and on more than one occasion he was tempted to turn back. But he persevered and that perseverance paid off. And even though he lost the Santa Maria after it ran aground he was able to return to Spain in triumph. His patience, his determination and his hard work had paid off.
As he always does, L Du Garde Peach provides a thoroughly readable, detailed and informative account of the man and his voyages.
October 13, 2025
A concise, simple, easy to understand book about the 1st voyage of Christopher Columbus. The book is based on the actual journals and original documentation of Columbus and his contemporaries, and so rings true to the actual facts. Not only was it pleasantly entertaining and quick to read, it also had a beautifully illustrated picture on every page, adding to the likability of the story. This book could be read in a few installments if reading it aloud as a family, or in a single sitting for an individual. A perfect read for celebrating Columbus Day!
November 8, 2020
Great good
September 20, 2021
This is the story of Columbus' expedition that ended up in the discovery of the Americas. It is designed for children and was part of Ladybird's line of children's books detailing historical events and personalities. For those not familiar with them Ladybird books were a line of books, both fiction and non-fiction for children. They were published in England, and I am not sure they were imported to the US. The would have been available in Canada, as at this time period the largest book seller in Canada was W. H. Smith and Sons, which was a British firm.
This is a fairly decent portrayal of the events. The story start with the early life of Columbus and ends with the reception of Columbus at court after his return from his journey. We learn of the problems he had in getting financial support for his expedition. Interestingly there seems to be no mention of Queen Isabella pawning her jewels, which I suspect is more legend than reality. I actually knew more about Christopher Columbus and his voyage than I did before I read this book. So from this perspective this is a good book for children who want to learn about Christopher Columbus.
One further point. I know that these days, among some people, there is a different opinion of Columbus than there was when I was younger. Of course this book doesn't cover that. How could it when it was written in the very early sixties. We also have to set these events in their own time. It was an age of exploration in many areas and Columbus was a product of this sense of exploration. We simply have to accept those facts and move on from there.
This is a fairly decent portrayal of the events. The story start with the early life of Columbus and ends with the reception of Columbus at court after his return from his journey. We learn of the problems he had in getting financial support for his expedition. Interestingly there seems to be no mention of Queen Isabella pawning her jewels, which I suspect is more legend than reality. I actually knew more about Christopher Columbus and his voyage than I did before I read this book. So from this perspective this is a good book for children who want to learn about Christopher Columbus.
One further point. I know that these days, among some people, there is a different opinion of Columbus than there was when I was younger. Of course this book doesn't cover that. How could it when it was written in the very early sixties. We also have to set these events in their own time. It was an age of exploration in many areas and Columbus was a product of this sense of exploration. We simply have to accept those facts and move on from there.
May 1, 2016
Name: Malek Sibai
Date: Apr/17/16
Section: 7-3
Christopher Columbus Goodreads #7
This fantastic book, Christopher Columbus by Minna Lacey has many interesting facts about Christopher Columbus that will be important to learn about his achievements and what he did to change the world. Christopher Columbus was born 1451 in Genoa, Italy. His dad had a sewing business, but Christopher Columbus did not like his Dad’s work, his dream was to be in a boat and be an explorer. After few years later Christopher Columbus worked on ships to get money to feed him and his family. One day while working on the Ships just next to Portugal there was a French Ship that exploded the ship. After the ship’s explosion Christopher made it to the Portugal Sea and that how his life changed. While visiting Portugal he learned the beauty of trading and being an explorer that the Portuguese did. After a while, Christopher Columbus had a great idea to explore the west side of the earth where he believed that they had a quicker route to Asia so he demanded the King of Portugal for some money for the trip and the King of Portugal refused. Christopher decided to ask to the rival of Portugal, Spain. “Will you pay for a voyage west to the Indies?’’ He asked, At first, they refused as well. But Columbus kept asking again, again, and again.”(Lacey, 14) Christopher proposed to the King of Spain and accepted the offer. After a few months, Christopher Columbus set out with three ships the Santa Maria, Nina, and Pinta. Two months later just as Christopher Columbus will give up Columbus found unknown land. This land was an island that was called the Bahamas. After the voyage in the Caribbean islands, he returns in Spain. At Spain Christopher Columbus was crown as a hero and made many voyages after his first one. Christopher Columbus’s dream was finally achieved with big success.
The book, Christopher Columbus written by Minna Lacey is the most fantastic and fun book I had ever read this trimester. In Christopher Columbus, I have five facts that I liked. The first fact that I learned in Christopher Columbus is that Christopher Columbus was Italian. “Living near the busy port of Genoa, in Italy, he loved watching ships arrive from far away places, packed with precious silks and spices” (Lacey 5). The second fact that I learned about Christopher Columbus is his ship exploded by a French ship, and that is how he started to become an explorer. “Then, when he was 26, everything changed. Columbus was sailing on a ship near the coast of Portugal when French warships fired at the crew” (Lacey 7). The third fact that I learned in Christopher Columbus is that Columbus came to Spain because he needed money for his trip and when he asked King John he said no, but proposing to the King and Queen of Spain they said yes. “ Portugal’s biggest rival, taking Diego with him. Leaving his son with some fries at a monastery, he hurried to the palace and requested an audience with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. After more discussions, they finally agreed to back Columbus and made him Captain-General” (Lacey 14). The fourth fact that I learned in Christopher Columbus is that Columbus was the first voyager that explored The New World. The last fact that I learned in Christopher Columbus is that Columbus returned in chains in his last voyage in The New World because he treated the native people and his crew badly.
I would recommend Christopher Columbus to 7th grade until 5th grade because this book is kind of easy to understand. I would recommend this book to the 7th Graders because this book has a lot of facts that are very detailed and a little bit hard to understand, but they are easy to understand. Some of the facts of Christopher Columbus are very interesting because there is no part of the book where you get bored. I would also recommend this book to 7th Graders because there is some vocabulary that is very hard to understand. This book is also recommended to lower schoolers because there not a lot of pages but just 62 which is appropriate for a 5th Grader. I liked this book because it was very interesting how the book explained the life of Christopher Columbus and how he became one of the greatest explorers in the world, which is now still know in the year 2016. I would also recommend this book to people that just want to learn basic facts about Christopher Columbus because the book is a good source to use if someone wants to learn about his journey.
Date: Apr/17/16
Section: 7-3
Christopher Columbus Goodreads #7
This fantastic book, Christopher Columbus by Minna Lacey has many interesting facts about Christopher Columbus that will be important to learn about his achievements and what he did to change the world. Christopher Columbus was born 1451 in Genoa, Italy. His dad had a sewing business, but Christopher Columbus did not like his Dad’s work, his dream was to be in a boat and be an explorer. After few years later Christopher Columbus worked on ships to get money to feed him and his family. One day while working on the Ships just next to Portugal there was a French Ship that exploded the ship. After the ship’s explosion Christopher made it to the Portugal Sea and that how his life changed. While visiting Portugal he learned the beauty of trading and being an explorer that the Portuguese did. After a while, Christopher Columbus had a great idea to explore the west side of the earth where he believed that they had a quicker route to Asia so he demanded the King of Portugal for some money for the trip and the King of Portugal refused. Christopher decided to ask to the rival of Portugal, Spain. “Will you pay for a voyage west to the Indies?’’ He asked, At first, they refused as well. But Columbus kept asking again, again, and again.”(Lacey, 14) Christopher proposed to the King of Spain and accepted the offer. After a few months, Christopher Columbus set out with three ships the Santa Maria, Nina, and Pinta. Two months later just as Christopher Columbus will give up Columbus found unknown land. This land was an island that was called the Bahamas. After the voyage in the Caribbean islands, he returns in Spain. At Spain Christopher Columbus was crown as a hero and made many voyages after his first one. Christopher Columbus’s dream was finally achieved with big success.
The book, Christopher Columbus written by Minna Lacey is the most fantastic and fun book I had ever read this trimester. In Christopher Columbus, I have five facts that I liked. The first fact that I learned in Christopher Columbus is that Christopher Columbus was Italian. “Living near the busy port of Genoa, in Italy, he loved watching ships arrive from far away places, packed with precious silks and spices” (Lacey 5). The second fact that I learned about Christopher Columbus is his ship exploded by a French ship, and that is how he started to become an explorer. “Then, when he was 26, everything changed. Columbus was sailing on a ship near the coast of Portugal when French warships fired at the crew” (Lacey 7). The third fact that I learned in Christopher Columbus is that Columbus came to Spain because he needed money for his trip and when he asked King John he said no, but proposing to the King and Queen of Spain they said yes. “ Portugal’s biggest rival, taking Diego with him. Leaving his son with some fries at a monastery, he hurried to the palace and requested an audience with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. After more discussions, they finally agreed to back Columbus and made him Captain-General” (Lacey 14). The fourth fact that I learned in Christopher Columbus is that Columbus was the first voyager that explored The New World. The last fact that I learned in Christopher Columbus is that Columbus returned in chains in his last voyage in The New World because he treated the native people and his crew badly.
I would recommend Christopher Columbus to 7th grade until 5th grade because this book is kind of easy to understand. I would recommend this book to the 7th Graders because this book has a lot of facts that are very detailed and a little bit hard to understand, but they are easy to understand. Some of the facts of Christopher Columbus are very interesting because there is no part of the book where you get bored. I would also recommend this book to 7th Graders because there is some vocabulary that is very hard to understand. This book is also recommended to lower schoolers because there not a lot of pages but just 62 which is appropriate for a 5th Grader. I liked this book because it was very interesting how the book explained the life of Christopher Columbus and how he became one of the greatest explorers in the world, which is now still know in the year 2016. I would also recommend this book to people that just want to learn basic facts about Christopher Columbus because the book is a good source to use if someone wants to learn about his journey.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews