Vespucci

Yet Vespucci's enterprising life was never boring and his far-fetched tales ought not to be judged by today's exacting standards.

A second Italian, Amerigo Vespucci , actually argued that the landmass to the west of Europe was a whole new continent.

Early accounts of Vespucci's voyages, now believed to have been forgeries, had quickly spread throughout Europe.

Were Vespucci's deceptions all that wicked?

Ameriga Vespucci proved that the land was a new continent. Therefore, the la nd was named America after him.

When they described hostile natives as friendly traders, Vespucci and his fellow explorers served their vested interests.

However, it was another Spanish explorer, Amerigo Vespucci who gave his name to the new continent.

Mr Winchester is good on stories about heavyweight Atlantic names: Columbus, Vespucci, Nelson.

But this, in his book, does not mean that Vespucci (1454-1512) is unworthy of having two continents called after him.

Even though an Italian named Amerigo Vespucci had started calling it the new world.

Bow and stern are decorated with intricate ornaments; she has a life-size figurehead of Amerigo Vespucci .

Vespucci 's contemporaries were not in thrall to hard facts based on firm evidence.

The New World was so conducive to life and health, Vespucci opined, that "doctors would find it ruinous to live there" .

It was named after Amerigo Vespucci, who landed in America in the late fifteenth century.