Samuel de Champlain

Across the 1500s, Samuel de Champlain made a name for himself as an unusually varied figure: a skilled sea captain who also worked as a spy, soldier, diplomat, author, and painter. Yet it was his journeys to the Americas that secured his place in history.

Written in clear, accessible language, this biography traces his many roles. It shows him as the official geographer to the French king, a close observer of Native American peoples, and an accomplished mapmaker. It also credits him with founding Quebec City and with being the father of New France.