Follow four centuries of discovery and change, from the moment people set out to explore the world to turbulent times when it turned upside down--even for the people who stayed home! See how South American gold fueled Spain's Golden Age, Ivan the Terrible expanded Russia at a terrible cost, a French king and an English king lost their heads (literally), and the United States won independence. Illustrated maps highlight key events and give a bird's eye view of what was happening when and where--including mind-blowing inventions such as the telegraph, photography, and the car.