Driven by ambition and greed; or in quest of prestige and glory; or searching for a unique brand of personal fulfilment; they deserted their homelands to make journeys never before achieved.
Episode 10: The Story of Christopher Columbus who discovered the New World in 1492 Written by JESSE LASKY JR and PAT SILVER
Introduced by David Attenborough from the Royal Geographical Society, London
Incredibly, Columbus refused to accept he had found a new Continent. Until the day he died he believed all he had achieved was the discovery of a new route to China. For it was in search of the spices and gold of the Orient that he set out on his first voyage in the Santa Maria. Tonight's film tells the little-known story of what really happened to Columbus and his men. From the Royal Court in Spain to the slave camps of the New World, it traces the dramatic decline of a man who made a momentous discovery - but would not accept it.
Director LAWRENCE GORDON CLARK Producer MICHAEL LATHAM
(Repeated: Thursday, 8.10 pm)