"History has two great stories to tell": the story of how humans differentiated over many millennia, and the story of how they later they are reconvergent, " lac[ing] the world together with avenues of contact." Pathfinders: A Global History of Exploration by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto chronicles human exploration throughout history, starting with the populating of the earth through the first explorers and continuing to the almost current era of globalization. Felipe Fernández-Armesto is a historian and William P. Reynolds Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame. Fernández-Armesto is a prolific and award-winning author with works published in 27 languages. Many of his books were written for popular audiences, including 1492: The Year the World Began, Our America: A Hispanic History of the United States, Near a Thousand Tables: A History of Food, and The Conquistadors: A Very Short Introduction to name a few. According to Candice Millard of the New York Times, Fernández-Armesto's "breadth of knowledge and depth of understanding" of an "enormous topic" more than qualifies him to write a story of exploration. He leaves no doubt in the reader's mind about his diligence in researching and telling a story of human exploration in accurate detail. Michael Upchurch of the Seattle Times states that "Felipe Fernández-Armesto's lively mind, concise phrasing and extraordinarily thorough and diverse knowledge are a constant pleasure." According to Fernández-Armesto, “explorers were the infrastructure engineers of history, the builders of culture's causeways, gatherers of connections, weavers of networks.” For many, the idea of ​​exploration conjures images of adventure and excitement, risk and anticipation. Explorers are the pioneers, ... half of the document ... d which challenges contemporary American romantic ideas about the motivations of early explorers and contributions to global history such as Christopher Columbus's tendency to exaggerate and the forced tyranny of Captain John Smith subjugation of the Powhatans. Some parts of Pathfinders are reminiscent of Tolstoy's conceit in War and Peace that the reader had thorough prior knowledge of war and military strategies and tactics. Many of Fernández-Armesto's explanations and descriptions relied on a supposed depth of knowledge of maritime navigation and world geography that many in the general public may not possess. Without a doubt, "wanderlust, vainglory, and self-romanticization have always been part of the psychic equipment of explorers." That same “triple nature: fame, curiosity, and the lust for gain” will surely lead modern explorers into new realms yet to be explored..