Buckle up and enjoy the ride. Tony Horwitz takes readers on a history-packed and often times hilarious journey of discovery - or rather - rediscovery of America. The question Horwitz ponders (and what ultimately fuels his endeavor) is what exactly happened between the time of Columbus's landing in 1492 and 1606 when the English settled Jamestown. Furthermore, why are the events in between these two dates so vague and muddled in his mind.
To answer this question, Horwitz treks thousands of miles across America speaking to local historians, authors, museum and government officials, and native tribe leaders in search of the truth. Well, the truth he discovers is hard to obtain but myths are abundant.
The result of his efforts is an exploration of adventurers and explorers spanning several centuries beginning with the Vikings followed by the Spanish, Portuguese, French and finally the English. Every page of this narrative reveals some fascinating little detail. Prepare to laugh, learn and possibly revise your understanding of America's beginning as well.
Request A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World by Tony Horwitz from the Saint Paul Public Library.
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