This is a big fun, fully illustrated reference book about explorers from across the world and throughout history. Readers will learn about both famous – and these days sometimes controversial – names, such as Columbus, Magellan and Roald Amundsen, plus little-known ones, particularly women and people of colour. These include Jeanne Baré, the first woman to circumnavigate the Earth (which she did in the 18th century, disguised as a man), and Matthew Henson, an African American explorer who may have been the first person to reach the North Pole in the early 20th century. Individual biographies will also be interspersed with themed spreads that focus on wider topics – such as First Journeys out of Africa, Aboriginal Songlines, the Space Race, the future of human exploration, and much more.