In 1642 Abel Tasman ‘discovered ’ New Zealand, while looking for the Great Southern Continent. But who was he, and how good were his navigation skills and seamanship? At the time, his voyages were thought to be of no great merit, and even today our view of him is cloudy and incomplete. In this ground-breaking book, based on fifteen years of research, Grahame Anderson reveals the pivotal role of cartographer, illustrator and explorer Isaac Gilsemans, the ‘Merchant of the Zeehaen’ who sailed with Tasman. Anderson discovered that Gilsemans’ drawings, long thought of as vague sketches of coastlines, are in fact precise cartographic documents that place him at the forefront of oceanic exploration, and shed new light on Tasman’s Pacific voyages. They may also enable Anderson to recover Tasman’s anchor, lost off the coast of Tasmania in 1642. This beautifully illustrated book (150 illustrations, 32 pages in colour) is essential reading for all armchair sailors, and everyone interested in exploration, New Zealand history, voyages of discovery, and map-making. "... a fine piece of historical detective work..." Evening Post "... a lucid, immensely satisfying account...lavishly illustrated ... an impressive achievement..." Otago Daily Times ++ Finalist for the Montana Medal for Non-Fiction (History) ++