The Race to the New World

A fresh look at the rivalry between Christopher Columbus and John Cabot and their race to claim the New World for Europe.

“A fascinating story of political desperation and artful salesmanship amid a European struggle for wealth and power.” —The Washington Post

In 1492, Christopher Columbus stepped off the Santa Maria and laid claim to a newly discovered land or Spain. He thought he was on the edge of Asia, but in truth he had found the Bahamas. As Columbus struggled to capitalize on his bewildering discovery, a determined rival, John Cabot, emerged from the entrepreneurial froth and political chaos of Europe to plant the English flag on the land we know today as North America. In The Race to the New World, Douglas Hunter tells for the first time the fascinating tale of how Columbus was embroiled in a high-stakes race with Cabot to find a shortcut to the East—and how the ultimately discovered a New World neither adventurer was looking for. Employing fresh research and new translations of critical documents, Hunter reveals the surprisingly intertwined lives of the legendary explorer and his overshadowed rival, and provides a fresh perspective on the first years of the European discovery of the New World.

“As this fascinating historical detective story unfolds, new pieces of an old puzzle are put into place, providing a fresh perspective on the traditional discovery narrative.” —Booklist