"Before he led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, Ferdinand Magellan [1480-1521] was a Portuguese noble who dreamed of adventure. After years of sailing, he was chosen to lead a crew to circle the globe--a trip that no other ship had ever completed. Though Magellan died in combat in the Philippines before he could finish the voyage, his ship made it around the world, and he is still known as one of the greatest explorers."--Back cover....