A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World
Tony Horwitz
Did Columbus redally discover the New world? Did the pilgrims really step ashore at Plymouth Rock to found the first permanent colony in what would become the United States? Was Ponce de Leon really searching for the fountain of youth? These are lessons that are learned by every American schoolchild, and are an integral part of the fabric of the American national identity and culture - but, are they true?
Horwitz set out to discover, as much as possible, the truth about the discovery and colonization of the New
World, with almost all of the emphasis on North America, and in particular, the United States.
I found this book interesting and engaging. To use a cliché that's been beaten to death, Horwitz makes history come alive. He interviewed many interesting people, and explored many landmarks and relics.
This book brought home to me how many versions there are of the same historic event, and that many times, it's the small, uncelbrated events that have the greatest impact on the developement of history.
Thanks for the review of this book. I've seen it on bookshelves and wondered if it would be a book I'd enjoy. If a history book isn't interesting or engaging, then I'm not likely to keep reading it.
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