Journals & Other Documents on the Life & Voyages of Christopher Columbus, 1963 — Samuel Eliot Morison, Illustrated by Lima de Freitas | Heritage Press

A 1963 Heritage Press edition of Journals and Other Documents on the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, translated and edited by Samuel Eliot Morison and illustrated by Lima de Freitas.

Rather than being a conventional biography of Columbus, this book brings together the actual written record surrounding his life and voyages: journals, letters, maps, and other documents relating to his expeditions and exploration. Morison arranged the material chronologically, beginning with the preparations for the first voyage in 1492 and continuing through the first, second, third, and fourth voyages, ending with the expedition of 1502–1504. The result is a fascinating primary-source look at Columbus and the voyages themselves, with Morison’s translations and editorial work providing the framework for the documents.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Lima de Freitas, with black-and-white and full-color illustrations, maps, and decorative artwork throughout. Contemporary descriptions of the Heritage Press edition also note the illustrated binding and maps on the endpapers.

This is a solid, used copy with some expected signs of age and handling. There is fading to the spine and some age spotting along the page edges (the outer edges of the closed pages), while the binding and contents remain in great, readable condition. It measures 9” x 11” and contains 417 pages.