1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
Best entry point to Mann's major historical nonfiction and his account of the Americas before European contact.
Author guide
Charles C. Mann Books in Order
Charles C. Mann is an American journalist and author born in 1955. He has written for The Atlantic, Science, Wired, Fortune, The New York Times, Smithsonian, Technology Review, Vanity Fair, and The Washington Post. His work connects scientific research with history, technology, commerce, and environmental questions. His book 1491 won the National Academies Communication Award for best book of the year, and he has been a three-time National Magazine Award finalist.
nonfictionhistoryscience writingjournalismenvironmental studies
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
Natural follow-up to 1491, examining the global ecological and economic consequences of the Columbian Exchange.
The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow's World
Best entry point to Mann's environmental and science-history writing.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (5)
- 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
nonfiction · 2005
A groundbreaking study that radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans in 1492. Traditionally, Americans learned in school that the ancestors of the people who inhabited the Western Hemisphere…
- Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491
adapted_nonfiction · 2009
117 pages : color illustrations, maps ; 26 cm.NC1080L Lexile
- 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
nonfiction · 2011
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A deeply engaging history of how European settlements in the post-Colombian Americas shaped the world—from the highly acclaimed author of 1491. • "Fascinating...Lively...A convincing explanation of why our world is…
- 1493 for Young People: From Columbus's Voyage to Globalization
adapted_nonfiction · 2015
"1493 for Young People by Charles C. Mann tells the gripping story of globalization through travel, trade, colonization, and migration from its beginnings in the fifteenth century to the present. How did the lowly potato plant feed the…
- The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow's World
nonfiction · 2018
From the best-selling, award-winning author of 1491 and 1493--an incisive portrait of the two little-known twentieth-century scientists, Norman Borlaug and William Vogt, whose diametrically opposed views shaped our ideas about the…
Collaborations (4)
- The Second Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Twentieth-Century Physics
co-authored_nonfiction · 1986
- The Aspirin Wars: Money, Medicine, and 100 Years of Rampant Competition
co-authored_nonfiction · 1991
- Noah's Choice: The Future of Endangered Species
co-authored_nonfiction · 1995
Examines the controversy over the Endangered Species Act and calls for a new set of principles to serve as a guideline for choosing which endangered species to save
- @ Large: The Strange Case of the World's Biggest Internet Invasion
co-authored_nonfiction · 1997
Frequently asked questions about Charles C. Mann
Who is Charles C. Mann?
Charles C. Mann is an American journalist and nonfiction author whose writing connects science, history, technology, ecology, and globalization. He is especially known for accessible writing about the Americas before European contact.
Sources: penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)si.edu (opens in a new tab)
What was Charles C. Mann’s journalism career?
Mann has worked as a correspondent for The Atlantic, Science, and Wired, and has also written for publications including The New York Times, Smithsonian, Vanity Fair, and The Washington Post.
What inspired Charles C. Mann to write about pre-Columbian America?
While reporting for Science on an ozone-depletion expedition, Mann visited Maya ruins near Mérida, Mexico. That experience sparked his deeper investigation into the history of the Americas before European contact.
What awards has Charles C. Mann received?
Mann has been a three-time National Magazine Award finalist and has received several journalism prizes. His book 1491 won the National Academies Communication Award for its contribution to public understanding of early American history.
Sources: penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)nationalacademies.org (opens in a new tab)
Why is Charles C. Mann’s work influential?
His work brings archaeological, scientific, and historical research about Indigenous societies and the pre-Columbian Americas to a broad audience. National Academies recognition described 1491 as an engaging rediscovery of the continent’s early human history.
Sources: si.edu (opens in a new tab)nationalacademies.org (opens in a new tab)