From the legendary travels of Odysseus to Pizarro's conquest of Peru, and from the Wright Brothers' first flight to the launch of the Voyager mission, this substantial overviews takes in the entire range of mankind's desire to explore. Illustrated profusely with color photographs, the text encompasses 5,000 years of history, with discussions of such momentous topics as the trade networks of ancient Sumer, the first use of passports, Persia's courier system, Polynesians exploring by canoe, the Crusades, the Grand Tour, the first hot-air balloon, and the achievements of the Mars rover.