A tale of Christopher Columbus' first voyage to the Americas and his shipwreck as told by his motley crew members. Columbus had difficulties manning his expedition; the Catholic Kings' Secretary charged with outfitting the expedition solved that problem by signing an order whereby convicts could avoid prison and the death penalty by signing on the expedition. Those men, ready to do anything to get their hands on gold, are telling Christopher Columbus' first crossing to the Americas. Whether the tale is accurate or not depends entirely on how life had treated each teller. The notes consist of Oxford English Dictionary definitions of uncommon or specifically used English words used in the translation; Short explanations and links to further information of characters, places and events mentioned in the novel.