The discovery of the Pacific Ocean in 1513 was a dramatic and moving event in the early exploration of the Americas. The story of Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the man who opened up this new horizon, was also full of drama. Stranded in Hispaniola (now Haiti), after the wreck of an expedition he had joined in Spain, Balboa finally managed to join another group of Spaniards, bound for the Pearl Coast of South America. Through his efforts alone, the voyagers established themselves in Darien. But when they disowned their former leader and chose Balboa instead, Balboa gained a mortal enemy. During the three years of his administration, Darien grew and prospered; still, Balboa found time for an ambitious exploring trip, which eventually led him to the new ocean. At the height of his success, however, a plot originally set in motion by his old enemy caught up with him, and Balboa was executed after a mock trial in a lonely village far from his loyal followers.

William Stobbs' bold illustrations and Ronald Syme's authentic text bring this heroic figure to life in a way not easily forgotten.

From the dust jacket