A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World by Tony Horwitz - 9780805076035 - Compare Prices on New & Used Textbooks, Cheap Textbooks

The bestselling author of Blue Latitudes takes us on a thrilling and eye-opening voyage to pre-Mayflower America

On a chance visit to Plymouth Rock, Tony Horwitz realizes he’s mislaid more than a century of American history, from Columbus’s sail in 1492 to Jamestown’s founding in 16-oh-something. Did nothing happen in between? Determined to find out, he embarks on a journey of rediscovery, following in the footsteps of the many Europeans who preceded the Pilgrims to America.

An irresistible blend of history, myth, and misadventure, A Voyage Long and Strange captures the wonder and drama of first contact. Vikings, conquistadors, French voyageurs—these and many others roamed an unknown continent in quest of grapes, gold, converts, even a cure for syphilis. Though most failed, their remarkable exploits left an enduring mark on the land and people encountered by late-arriving English settlers.

Tracing this legacy with his own epic trek—from Florida’s Fountain of Youth to Plymouth’s sacred Rock, from desert pueblos to subarctic sweat lodges—Tony Horwitz explores the revealing gap between what we enshrine and what we forget. Displaying his trademark talent for humor, narrative, and historical insight, A Voyage Long and Strange allows us to rediscover the New World for ourselves.

		A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World by Tony Horwitz ISBN-10: 9780805076035 ISBN-10: 0-8050-7603-4 ISBN-13: 9780805076035 ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-7603-5 Hardcover 2008-04-29 Henry Holt and Co. Find Lowest Price
Editorials

Product Description *The bestselling author of Blue Latitudes* takes us on a thrilling and eye-opening voyage to pre-Mayflower America** On a chance visit to Plymouth Rock, Tony Horwitz realizes he’s mislaid more than a century of American history, from Columbus’s sail in 1492 to Jamestown’s founding in 16-oh-something. Did nothing happen in between? Determined to find out, he embarks on a journey of rediscovery, following in the footsteps of the many Europeans who preceded the Pilgrims to America. An irresistible blend of history, myth, and misadventure, A Voyage Long and Strange captures the wonder and drama of first contact. Vikings, conquistadors, French voyageurs—these and many others roamed an unknown continent in quest of grapes, gold, converts, even a cure for syphilis. Though most failed, their remarkable exploits left an enduring mark on the land and people encountered by late-arriving English settlers. Tracing this legacy with his own epic trek—from Florida’s Fountain of Youth to Plymouth’s sacred Rock, from desert pueblos to subarctic sweat lodges—Tony Horwitz explores the revealing gap between what we enshrine and what we forget. Displaying his trademark talent for humor, narrative, and historical insight, A Voyage Long and Strange allows us to rediscover the New World for ourselves.
Reviews

Horwitz writes another winner. I was a big fan of Tony Horwitz's other works and this new offering did not fail to disappoint. He is able to weave history and humor into a volume that is hard to put down. It should be on every high school history students' reading list (or college for that matter). As our nation continues to struggle with its identity in the modern era, this book gives a foundation for where and how it all began. Anyone even remotely interested in travel and history will be entertained by this well researched tome.
Myth trumps facts Half history, half travelogue. The history covered in this book is pretty much ignored by our educational system which focuses on the pilgrims of 1620 while the much earlier explorations and settlements are generally ignored. This book helps fill those holes. During the author's travels as he researches these histories, he meets a number of fascinating characters who add color and interest to the narrative. The conclusion of the author is that myth always trumps facts. Our creation story is based on the myths surrounding the pilgrims and ignores the facts of earlier explorations.
A voyage long & strange Having just read " Cities of Gold " which covered in great details the spanish exploration in the Southwest U.S., I enjoyed reading more about East Coast Voyages of discovery. The author uses an easy and often humorous way of describing the events. In short it is an easy to read and informative bookA Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World
journey long and strange great research and well written. Our children should be doing this history reviews, if not through this book then through other text books. It is time to change our view of North American History.
Review of "A Voyage Long and Strange" I have been a fan of Mr. Horwitz ever since "Confederates in the Attic". He brings a human element to history, and has a wonderful ability to make an otherwise droll subject in a lesser author's hands, come to life. In this book he shares insights on a part of American history that gets little attention, unless you go looking for it. I enjoyed it very much.