This book is about an unusual man - a medieval crusader against the infidel Moors who was also a modern scientific researcher. The Infante Dom Henrique of Portugal, called the Navigator, has better claim than Columbus to be regarded as the founder of modern geography. For by his insatiable desire for knowledge and his scientific interest in navigation he ushered in the modern world. Far ahead of his time (1394-1460) the Infante Henrique gathered around him on his lonely promontory of Sagres an amazing group of cartographers, astronomers, physicists and pilots of all nations to create what was probably the first scientific laboratory in the modern world. From here he sent out voyages of discovery which pushed ever farther into the then unknown to dispel legends of monsters and building tropical seas and bring back to a medieval Europe facts about the world as we know it/ He was a pioneer and visionary without illusions who guided his fellow men along new paths of adventure and discovery. He enriched his native Portugal with new dominions and realms and, by allaying fear of the unknown oceans, charted the way for the great voyages of da Gama, Columbus and the other great discoverers. Elaine Sanceau is a student of Portuguese history and author of several books on this period. Here with rare deftness she creates a vivid portrait of Henry the Navigator against the colorful background of his family and the people of his time.