Christopher Columbus ¦ Westward with Columbus

Well, the Columbus bandwagon grows apace; not only quincentennial celebrations in 1992, but the master-mariner also features in Key Stage Two History Core Unit: Exploration and Encounters.

Pupils should be able to 'show an understanding that deficiencies in evidence may lead to different interpretations of the past' says the oracle. They need look no further than these three accounts to observe the nuances of emphasis that lead not only to some unravelling of threads, but some ravelling too!

John Dyson makes no bones about one proposed version of events. In 1990 he sailed in an authentic replica of the 'Nina' to test the theory of a Spanish academic that Columbus followed a secret map obtained from someone who had actually been to the New World before him! Although following a more southerly route, the essence of the explorer's first voyage is all there, fascinatingly portrayed in a blend of fact (photographs of the modern-day adventure) and 'faction' (the past as 'seen' through the eyes of a young ship's boy).

Ken Hills recounts a more conventional version of events in his very readable narrative covering all four voyages. The illustrations rely mainly on artist's impressions; although a number of different illustrators have been used, the overall effect is not too jarring.

A very matter-of-fact approach is provided by Richard Humble; the illustrations (also artist's drawings) are given almost as much space as the text. He ends his book with the following: 'the saddest legacy of the discoveries of Columbus was the slave trade, which lasted nearly 350 years before it was finally banned'.

A salutory note, perhaps, on which to approach the forthcoming celebrations.