When Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453, the long-established trade routes to the East became treacherous and expensive. Enterprising young men took to the sea in search of new lands, new routes, new markets, and of course the possibility of glory and vast fortunes. Historian Boyle reveals that the race was, in fact, as much about commerce and trade as it was about discovery and conquest. Contrary to popular belief, Cabot, Columbus, and Vespucci...