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Showing reviews 1-5 of 66
 On the road with Alvar, Francisco, and Hernando July 23, 2010
Joseph Haschka (Glendale, CA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"... history, in America, is a dish best served plain. The first course could include a dollop of Italian in 1942, but not Spanish spice or French sauce or too much Indian corn. Nothing too filling or fancy ahead of the turkey and pumpkin pie, just the way Grandma used to cook it." - Tony Horwitz
Growing up in the 50s and 60s as part of white, middle-class America, the essentials of U.S. history as taught in primary and secondary schools emphasized Columbus and then skipped to the English explorers, Jamestown, and Plymouth Colony. The 16th century Spanish explorers of the American Southwest and Southeast - principally Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, and Hernando de Soto - crossed the pages of the textbooks but briefly much as wraiths across the landscape. We remained blissful in our ignorance. Similarly (un)educated and suddenly confronted with his unawareness, author Tony Horwitz endeavors in A VOYAGE LONG AND STRANGE to delve into a more complete story of the early exploration of what was to become the United States.
Interestingly enough, and to put things in proper perspective, Horwitz begins his book with neither the English nor the Spanish, but rather with the Viking settlement in Newfoundland near L'Anse aux Meadows founded around 1000A.D.
Then, there are the couple of obligatory chapters centered on Columbus and the heavy-handed Spanish colonization of Hispaniola.
What I consider the meat of the volume is Part II, "Conquest", wherein the author recounts the epic marches of Alvar, Francisco and Hernando across the lower half of the Lower 48 during the period 1528-1543 oppressing, torturing and slaughtering the indigenous peoples as they went in the name of God and in search of gold.
Finally, Tony ends his narrative in Part III with the French and Spanish settlements in Florida and those of the English at Roanoke, Jamestown and Plymouth.
As an intellectual exercise, I was enormously fascinated and educated by the material which I'd heretofore so long ignored - the hard marches and hardships endured by de Vaca, Coronado and de Soto. I mean, they almost make Lewis and Clark look like sissies. Then, my iconoclastic streak was served when Horwitz does much to debunk the heroic myth of the Jamestown and Plymouth founders as well as the basis of that enduring opportunity for family dysfunctionality, Thanksgiving Day Dinner.
The author is perhaps less successful when, following along in the paths of the explorers and founders, he interacts with the locals looking for interesting, contemporary angles to the overall story. Some of his experiences, such as those in the Micmac sweat lodge (in Newfoundland) and while in search of an ancient Indian site in Florida are humorous and genuinely worth telling. About the latter he was particularly eloquent:
"I could barely see the ground for all the underbrush, and quickly felt my feet sinking into the muck. Groping to keep my balance, I stuck my hand into a three-foot-tall anthill ... Mosquitoes swarmed every inch of exposed flesh ... After a mile or so, I slumped on a rotted log and tried to imagine how alien and claustrophobic this landscape must have seemed to De Soto's men, most of them natives of Spain's arid, open backcountry ... I was soaked in sweat and half-mad from insects ... I reached a barbed-wire fence enclosing a hillock, apparently all that remained of the Indian settlement. Pushing aside huge, fanlike palm leaves, I went in for a closer look, and instantly sank knee-deep in stagnant black water. Invisible creatures rustled in the dense brush. Wretched and uneasy, I fled the mire and retreated ... No conquistador, I."
A VOYAGE LONG AND STRANGE contains many useful maps. Did you know that Coronado got as far as central Kansas? Though I myself have no desire to visit the place, I was suitably impressed with his effort.
I wish I'd been exposed to this volume in my formative years; it's history written in a way that makes one likely want to read it. Now, if somebody could only do the same service for differential calculus.
 A Wonderful Voyage June 23, 2010
Melissa Hempe (Portland, OR USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
From Vikings to Pilgrims, this delightful book by Pulitzer Prize winning author Tony Horwitz uncovers historical facts in a way that is exciting and, at times, quite humorous. The neat thing about his books is that they are also "travelogues" - he actually follows ancient routes and travels to the places he is researching and makes history come alive. "A Voyage Long and Strange," should be required reading for high school students in my humble opinion, and is so easy to read that they would enjoy it, too. It's more accurate than many of our history books still in circulation, but it is written without the extremes of what I call protest history - "COLUMBUS WAS A CANNIBAL!" - swinging to opposite extremes.
Balance and objectivity are a part of all Tony Horwitz' works - you get the feeling he would be a cool person to have coffee with and chat; very laid back and a good listener. He would have to be. He seems to elicit some really good stuff from the people he meets on his journeys - perhaps they open up to him because of his non-judgmental approach and curiosity.
ANYHOO, you can tell I'm a huge Tony Horwitz fan, first discovering his book, "Confederates in the Attic" which explores his adventures in the Southern States, then "Baghdad Without a Map" which was written just before the war in Iraq began, and finding both of these books difficult to put down, I moved on to his adventures in Australia, "One for the Road." I missed "Blue Latitudes" which explores the journeys of Captain Cook - it is next on my list.
Beginning and ending at Plymouth Rock, Horwitz travels as far North as Newfoundland to trace the Vikings discovery of the Continent, and as far South as the Dominican Republic, following the journeys of Columbus. I don't want to leave the wrong impression about Horwitz' writing style - yes, it is easy to read and often humorous, but he covers very serious issues that come up whenever a discussion of the European "Rediscovery" of the New World took place. The brutal treatment of natives as sub-humans and the way this treatment still affects modern-day attitudes and hostilities in different parts of the Continent surprised me in some ways.
One example of this was how the Spanish Conquistador Juan de Onate punished a group of Acomas who had killed 13 men - he ordered one foot cut off or one hand cut off and sentenced them to 20 years of slavery to Spaniards. Later he was punished for cruelty - banned from his colony. Boo-hoo. Jump to modern times, and the Acomas had to tolerate a huge 12 foot tall bronze statue of Onate erected at the side of the highway. However, one day, in 1998, his giant foot went "missing" - expertly and sneakily removed and never found. This amazing story reflects so clearly how generations have not forgotten the cruelty of their Spanish invaders, and explains the ongoing animosity in the Southwest between certain groups of people.
The truth behind so many myths is revealed one explorer or settler at a time, from Columbus to De Soto to John Smith and Pocohontas - Ponce de Leon and De Vaca and Coronado . . . explorers I was unfamiliar with such as Ribault and Menendez and Gosnold (perhaps I am alone in my lack of knowledge here!). The stories are brutal and so many men met terrible ends - dying in poverty after major discoveries, or in disgrace after not finding the gold that seemed to be the goal of most expeditions.
Some of the most enjoyable reading is when Mr. Horwitz visits the cities that claim to be historic points of interest (often incorrectly) and his encounters with people wherever he goes. This is what transforms a book about history into a book that is living, breathing and highly amusing at times. From boating on the Mississippi at a place where even the locals refused to venture, to participating in a history fair in full metal Conquistador-era garb with other reenactors, you can't help but laugh at some of his adventures.
In catching some of the more subtle statements and attitudes of the people Horwitz encounters and letting the reader in on their conversations, I was almost reminded of Sacha Baron Cohen's experiments in revealing on film the sometimes "politically incorrect" attitudes that are expressed by the common folk, minus the element of making a fool out of the people he encounters. The "Borat" star is actually Cambridge educated and terribly intelligent, but I prefer a more civilized approach to unearthing such things!
There is such an enormous amount of detailed and fascinating material in this book, presented in such a light and easy-to-read fashion, that I feel as if I'm not giving a good enough representation of all that it contains . . . it is genuine, well-researched history combined with present day exploration of the same territory and modern-day encounters. I couldn't put it down.
Obviously, I highly recommend "A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World," and truthfully, any book written by Tony Horwitz. Don't use it as a book to go to sleep by, however - I've stayed up until 2:30 am several nights in a row reading until I was exhausted. Yes, it's that good.
A fresh look at an old topic and the people the author meets along the way June 16, 2010
Linda Linguvic (New York City)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've been a fan of this author for many years. I love his books because they are all upfront and personal as he tells tales of his own personal discoveries about history and the people he meets along the way.
Subtitled "Rediscovering the New World", this particular book is about the early voyages, discoveries and settlements in America. We learn about the Vikings, the Spanish, the French and the English as well as the various Indian tribes. We also meet a large variety of modern day people, from learned professors of history to tour guides, park rangers and those who trace their ancestry back through the generations. All of this is told in an easy-to-read style which is often laced with humor.
I love to learn about history and this book certainly opened my eyes. It is a fresh look at an old topic that held my interest throughout and forced me to re-think some of the popular myths I learned about in school. I also felt I was traveling right along with him although I was spared his discomforts.
Applause to the Tony Horwitz for another job well done.
A Haunting Journey into the Past May 26, 2010
Talia Carner (New York, NY United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Tony Horwitz's "A Voyage Long and Strange" is a wonderfully told mix of historical facts and myths revisited by a modern-day adventurer. As he explores the roots of America's discovery and colonization, he does so with engaging prose and lively descriptions that bring to life not only the many forgotten chapters of America's history, but also its today's physical landscape.
Challenged by his quest to reshape the historical narrative of the Vikings, Conquistadors, and colonists of the various European nations who landed on South, Central and North America centuries before the Pilgrims Horwitz set on a long voyage to visit these spots and study and sometimes refute the myths that have lingered in the public mind--and often nurtured and eternalized by tourist-hungry locales refusing to let go of false claims.
Unfortunately, the history he unveils is more bloody and cruel than our modern-day sensibilities can begin to fathom.
The trailing of early American history takes Horwitz to strange places and to encountering a cast of characters that come to life in his vivid description that keep its freshness along the journey of discovery.
Fascinating April 30, 2010
doris holmberg
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I found this book to be utterly fascinating. Tony Horwitz has a talent for writing that keeps you intrigued - I've loved all his books.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 66
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