The French explorer, surveyor, cartographer, and diplomat Samuel de Champlain (c. 1575-1635) is often called the Father of New France for founding the settlement that became Quebec City, governing New France, and mapping much of the St. Lawrence and eastern Great Lakes region. Champlain was also a prolific writer who documented his experiences in the Americas, including his travels, impressions of the New World, and encounters and alliances with native peoples.

Samuel de Champlain before 1604 is the definitive edition of the early documents by or about Champlain, correcting numerous errors contained in previous publications. Providing the documents in both English translation and the original French or Spanish, this meticulous, fastidiously researched work includes a comprehensive introduction that provides biographical information, details about Champlain's early career, his connections at court, the military and political context underlying French imperialism, and the royal policies that allowed trade and colonization in the Americas. This stunning scholarly achievement will set the historical record straight and be an invaluable resource for decades to come.