Book excerpt: First published in 1916, “The Golden Book of the Dutch Navigators” is a detailed account of various famous Dutch navigators, many of whom sacrificed their lives and did so knowingly in the name of exploration. Some of them were drowned, and some of them died of thirst. A few were frozen to death, and many were killed by the heat of the scorching sun. Others were speared by cannibals and provided a feast for the hungry tribes of the Pacific Islands. This volume is not to be missed by those with an interest in navigation and its history, and it would make for a fantastic addition to collections of allied literature. Willem van Loon (1882 – 1944) was a Dutch-American journalist, historian, and successful author of children's books. Contents include: “Jan Huygen Van Linschoten”, “The Northeast Passage”, “The Tragedy Of Spitzbergen”, “The First Voyage To India—Failure”, “The Second Voyage To India—Success”, “Van Noort Circumnavigates The World”, “The Attack Upon The West Coast Of America”, “The Bad Luck Of Captain Bontekoe”, etc. Other notable works by this author include: “The Story of Mankind” (1921), "The Story of the Bible" (1923), and "Witches and Witch-Finders" (1923). Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.