1828 by Washington Irving This celebrated biography of Christopher Columbus takes us from his obscure youth to his discovery of the Americas, and through the four voyages he made to the New World. Columbus was born in Genoa, and gained maritime experience by sailing in Europe and along the coast of Africa at a young age. He was voracious in educating himself on topics such as astronomy and geography, and achieved fluency in multiple languages. Formulating a plan to traverse the Atlantic Ocean, his persistence resulted in a commission from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Columbus made landfall…