Ages 8 to 14 years. In 1519, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan took five ships and 200 men on an epic journey around the world on behalf of Spain. This colourful book follows the world's first circumnavigation by sail through a dramatic passage of disease, starvation, and death. Young readers will learn about the ancient spice trade, early sea navigation, and what life was like aboard a sailing ship in the age of exploration. A recipe from the period is also included. Topics include: what Europe was like before Magellan; science in Magellan's times, and the effect his voyage had on it; his journey down the African coast, across the Atlantic, down along South America, then across the Atlantic to the Spice Islands; mutiny at sea; life at sea; the Philippine Natives that Magellan met, and their way of life.