Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 In 1492, Christopher Columbus set out to find the westward winds that would take him to Asia. Instead, he landed in the New World and discovered the Americas. His discoveries would have huge geopolitical ramifications. #2 Columbus's discoveries would have huge geopolitical ramifications. It was merchant-investors working in tandem with state-building monarchs who made the voyages of Columbus and his compatriots possible. The 1490s saw a massive influx of new investment, transforming tentative voyages into global business overnight. #3 The fifteenth century saw the rise of merchant-investors working in tandem with state-building monarchs to make the discoveries of Christopher Columbus and his compatriots possible. #4 The fifteenth century saw the rise of merchant-investors working in tandem with state-building monarchs to make the discoveries of Christopher Columbus and his compatriots possible.