A voyage into history, a tour of the world emerging from the Middle Ages, a chronicle of a desperate grab for commercial and political power, and more, this captivating tale rivals the most exciting thriller fiction.

In rich detail, Bergreen re-creates the adventures of Christopher Columbus as well as the historical background of Columbus' celebrated, controversial career. Written from the participants' vivid perspectives, this breathtakingly dramatic account will be... [More...]

As the first European to travel extensively throughout Asia, Marco Polo was the earliest bridge between East and West. His famous journeys took him across the boundaries of the known world, along the dangerous Silk Road, and into the court of Kublai Kahn,... [More...]

Al Capone reached a pinnacle of celebrity that modern-day upstarts like John Gotti can only dream about. Going behind the myths and movie portrayals, Bergreen introduces Capone as he really was—a cold-blooded killer who saw himself as a modern-day... [More...]

Louis Armstrong was the founding father of jazz and one of this century's towering cultural figures, yet the full story of his extravagant life has never been told.

Born in 1901 to the sixteen-year-old daughter of a slave, he came of age among the... [More...]

Irving Berlin (1888-1989) was unable to read or write music and could only play the piano in the key of F sharp major; yet, for the first half of the twentieth century he was America's most successful and most representative songwriter, composing such hits... [More...]

Ferdinand Magellan's daring circumnavigation of the globe in the sixteenth century was a three-year odyssey filled with sex, violence, and amazing adventure. Now in "Over the Edge of the World, acclaimed author Laurence Bergreen, interweaving a variety of... [More...]

As the most celebrated European to explore Asia, Marco Polo was the original global traveler and the earliest bridge between East and West. A universal icon of adventure and discovery, he has inspired six centuries of popular fascination and spurious... [More...]