- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- Online publication date:
- February 2013
- Print publication year:
- 2011
- First published in:
- 1889
- Online ISBN:
- 9781139151627
- Subjects:
- Geography, Historical Geography
22 August 2024: Due to technical disruption, we are experiencing some delays to publication. We are working to restore services and apologise for the inconvenience. For further updates please visit our website: https://www.cambridge.org/universitypress/about-us/news-and-blogs/cambridge-university-press-publishing-update-following-technical-disruption
Vitus Bering (1681–1741) was a Danish-born Russian navigator. He enlisted in the Russian navy and fought during the Great Northern War (1700–21) against the Swedish Empire. In 1725 he received a commission from Peter the Great to discover whether there was a land bridge between Russia and America. He sailed through what would later be called the Bering Strait, but was unable to reach America on this first attempt. He succeeded on his next voyage, later named the Great Northern Expedition, and set about mapping significant sections of North American coastline. He also charted the Arctic coast of Siberia, 'discovered' Japan from the North and became the first European to explore Alaska. Published in English translation for the American market in 1889, this sympathetic biography by the historian and geographer Peter Lauridsen (1846–1923) had originally appeared in Danish in 1885. It includes extensive notes and an index.
* Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.
Usage data cannot currently be displayed.