Amazon.com
1491 is not so much the story of a year, as of what that year stands for: the long-debated (and often-dismissed) question of what human civilization in the Americas was like before the Europeans crashed the party. The history books most Americans were (and still are) raised on describe the continents before Columbus as a vast, underused territory, sparsely populated by primitives whose cultures would inevitably bow before the advanced technologies of the Europeans. For decades, though, among the archaeologists, anthropologists, paleolinguists, and others whose discoveries Charles C. Mann brings together in 1491, different stories have been emerging. Among the revelations: the first Americans may not have come over the Bering land bridge around 12,000 B.C. but by boat along the Pacific coast 10 or even 20 thousand years earlier; the Americas were a far more urban, more populated, and more technologically advanced region than generally assumed; and the Indians, rather than living in static harmony with nature, radically engineered the landscape across the continents, to the point that even "timeless" natural features like the Amazon rainforest can be seen as products of human intervention.
Mann is well aware that much of the history he relates is necessarily speculative, the product of pot-shard interpretation and precise scientific measurements that often end up being radically revised in later decades. But the most compelling of his eye-opening revisionist stories are among the best-founded: the stories of early American-European contact. To many of those who were there, the earliest encounters felt more like a meeting of equals than one of natural domination. And those who came later and found an emptied landscape that seemed ripe for the taking, Mann argues convincingly, encountered not the natural and unchanging state of the native American, but the evidence of a sudden calamity: the ravages of what was likely the greatest epidemic in human history, the smallpox and other diseases introduced inadvertently by Europeans to a population without immunity, which swept through the Americas faster than the explorers who brought it, and left behind for their discovery a land that held only a shadow of the thriving cultures that it had sustained for centuries before. --Tom Nissley
A 1491 Timeline
|
Europe and Asia |
Dates |
The Americas |
|
25000-35000 B.C. |
Time of paleo-Indian migration to Americas from Siberia, according to genetic evidence. Groups likely traveled across the Pacific in boats. |
| Wheat and barley grown from wild ancestors in Sumer. |
6000 |
|
|
5000 |
In what many scientists regard as humankind's first and greatest feat of genetic engineering, Indians in southern Mexico systematically breed maize (corn) from dissimilar ancestor species. |
| First cities established in Sumer. |
4000 |
|
|
3000 |
The Americas' first urban complex, in coastal Peru, of at least 30 closely packed cities, each centered around large pyramid-like structures |
| Great Pyramid at Giza |
2650 |
|
|
32 |
First clear evidence of Olmec use of zero--an invention, widely described as the most important mathematical discovery ever made, which did not occur in Eurasia until about 600 A.D., in India (zero was not introduced to Europe until the 1200s and not widely used until the 1700s) |
|
800-840 A.D. |
Sudden collapse of most central Maya cities in the face of severe drought and lengthy war |
| Vikings briefly establish first European settlements in North America. |
1000 |
 |
|
Reconstruction of Cahokia, c. 1250 A.D.* | Abrupt rise of Cahokia, near modern St. Louis, the largest city north of the Rio Grande. Population estimates vary from at least 15,000 to 100,000. |
| Black Death devastates Europe. |
1347-1351 |
|
|
1398 |
Birth of Tlacaélel, the brilliant Mexican strategist behind the Triple Alliance (also known as the Aztec empire), which within decades controls central Mexico, then the most densely settled place on Earth. |
| The Encounter: Columbus sails from Europe to the Caribbean. |
1492 |
The Encounter: Columbus sails from Europe to the Caribbean. |
| Syphilis apparently brought to Europe by Columbus's returning crew. |
1493 |
|
| Ferdinand Magellan departs from Spain on around-the-world voyage. |
1519 |
 |
|
Sixteenth-century Mexica drawing of the effects of smallpox** | Cortes driven from Tenochtitlán, capital of the Triple Alliance, and then gains victory as smallpox, a European disease never before seen in the Americas, kills at least one of three in the empire. |
|
1525-1533 |
The smallpox epidemic sweeps into Peru, killing as much as half the population of the Inka empire and opening the door to conquest by Spanish forces led by Pizarro. |
|
1617 |
Huge areas of New England nearly depopulated by epidemic brought by shipwrecked French sailors. |
| English Pilgrims arrive at Patuxet, an Indian village emptied by disease, and survive on stored Indian food, renaming the village Plymouth. |
1620 |
|
|
*Courtesy Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Collinsville, Ill., painting by Michael Hampshire. **Courtesy Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, N.M. (Bernardino de Sahagún, Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España, 1547-77). |
Book Description
In this groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology, Charles C. Mann radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492.
Contrary to what so many Americans learn in school, the pre-Columbian Indians were not sparsely settled in a pristine wilderness; rather, there were huge numbers of Indians who actively molded and influenced the land around them. From the astonishing Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, which had running water, immaculately clean streets, and was larger than any contemporary European city, to the Mexican corn that was so carefully created in a specialized breeding process that it has been called man’s first feat of genetic engineering, Indians were not living lightly on the land but were landscaping and manipulating their world in ways that we are only now beginning to understand. Challenging and surprising, this a transformative new look at a rich and fascinating world we only thought we knew.
Customer Reviews:
a great overview.......2007-10-13
This is a great overview of early American cultures, and the various ways in which they shaped their environments. It is not an encyclopedia of Native American cultures, but uses specific examples to support the notion that the original inhabitants of our country have been misunderstood as lacking in initiative and expertise in manipulating the North American landscape... i.e. it debunks the "Eden" myth. Very well written and entertaining as well as informative.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a more clear view of America before the arrival of Europeans.
Unputdownable.......2007-09-26
I found this book extremely enjoyable. It contains a wealth of knowledge about Native American cultures in N. and S. America; findings that are apparently well-known in academic circles, but which have remained largely unreported and unknown to mainstream audiences. Mr. Mann clearly admires much about the achievements of these pre-Columbus civilizations, and seeks to redress "common" misconceptions that most Westerners have about "primitive, savage" Indian life. I am glad I read this book. I learned a great deal from this book, and was fascinated by the subject matter.
This book is also beautifully written, and makes the subject matter accessible to laypeople. I was expecting it to be readable buy dry, but it was instead a book that just compelled me to keep turning pages. It helps to bring these ancient civilizations to life, talks frankly about the impact of European colonization on these civilizations, and challenges the reader to set aside his/her textbook knowledge and consider seeing Native Americans in an all new light.
Every now and then a book comes out that makes science "sexy." For example, "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond, or "Krakatoa" by Simon Winchester. To me, this is one of those books. It's both revealing and entertaining. "1491" was just a terrific read - thought provoking, compelling, entertaining, well researched. I even read all the appendices, and that's saying something.
I highly recommend this book.
Excellent insight into the latest research.......2007-09-25
Please don't confuse this excellent book with the poorly researched fantasy "1421: The Year China Discovered America." 1491 is an extremely well researched and documented look into the latest archaelogical findings and theories pertaining to life in North and South America prior to Columbus's landing.
Mann does an excellent job explaining the accuracies and flaws of the multitude of theories surrounding this topic. As he simply exposes the debates and doesn't attempt to resolve them himself, he provides an illustrative lesson that one should not become too entrenched with any particular theory on the pre-history of man as each theory is eventually overturned or modified by new findings.
His writing style seems similar to Jared Diamond. Mann, however, makes his points without getting bogged down in the excruciating details which makes this book much more readable than Guns, Germs, and Steel or Collapse (both of which were excellent books as well). With over 100 pages of notes and references he provides the reader with the necessary information for them to conduct their own level of research based upon their desires.
Fascinating but flawed.......2007-09-23
Henry Ford said that all history was bunk, and he had not even read 1491! What a shock to find that the population of the new world in 1491 was greater than that of the old world! That the natives, said to be long-term farmers, had shaped the landscape to suit themselves, that buffalo roamed in small numbers until old world diseases killed off most (90%) of the native tribes and thus allowed the huge herds to form. What a shock to find that many north American tribes considered themselves libertarian compared with the hierarchy bound Europeans. Yet more than enough evidence is given from old writings long ignored, and new archeological finds.
This is all fast and entertaining reading. There are many maps to help explanations, citations by page number, and an index. Mann traveled to several of the archeological sites.
On the downside, Mann talked of the "balanced diet" as though its desirability has been proven, and does not say how maize provided this "balance" (p18). The battle between Hernán Cortés's men and the Mexica was said to have been described as the costliest battle in history with 100,000 casualties (not deaths), (p129). Why no mention of Verdun in WWI with a million deaths and Stalingrad in WWII with a million deaths? Is a mammoth's molar really the size of a bowling ball? (p152) Mann wrote of winter on the Amazon river. I thought equatorial areas had wet and dry seasons, not the 4 seasons observed far from the equator (pp301,305).
But there is another, bigger fly in the ointment. Mann accepts the carbon dioxide from combustion hypothesis of global warming (pp300,308). Solar cycles of changing heat output and the sun's influence on cosmic ray effects on the Earth's clouds determine climate, not CO2 levels. [Jaworowski Z, Solar cycles, not CO2, determine climate, 21st Century Science and Technology, Winter 2003-2004, pp52-65. Accessed as a PDF on 5 Jul 07 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zbigniew_Jaworowski or at: http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/] According to Laurence Hecht, Editor of 21st Century Science & Technology: "Of all the hypotheses [on Earth climate], that of human-produced carbon dioxide as the forcing mechanism for warming is the most deeply and extensively studied, and by far the most discredited. No other hypothesis rests on such flagrant and lying disrepect for data as...on the falsification of the historical CO2 record." [Hecht L, What Really Causes Climate Change? EIR Science, 2 Mar 07, pp6-9. Accessed as a PDF on 5 Jul 07 at: http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/] The other big falsification in this hypothesis, skyrocketing temperatures in the last 50 years to levels not seen in 1300 years, is exemplified by the temperature graph of Michael Mann, which was shown to be a fraud, not just a mistake [McIntyre, S., McKitrick, R. (2005). Hockey sticks, principal components, and spurious significance. Geophysical Research Letters, 32, L03710; doi:10.1029/2004GL021750], [Soon, W., Baliunas, S. (2003). Proxy climatic and environmental changes of the past 1000 years. Climate Research, 23, 89-110].
So for historical controversies Charles C. Mann appeared to do balanced work, with opposing ideas neatly cited. But by failing to look up the "other side" on global warming, he missed effects of giant volcanic eruptions and solar output changes on temperature. The Roman era warming and Medieval Climate Optimum, both with temperatures higher than now and the Little Ice Age (1500-1800) were ignored, thus their effects on migration and population sizes was missed. Now it seems that the crop failures of the Little Ice Age were a main reason for northern Europeans to try to move to a warmer climate.
As always with with non-fiction, some errors make the entire work suspicious. Still a worthwhile book with its limitations in mind.
Great history, great archeology, great read.......2007-09-23
I love fresh looks on old topics. This book delivers on that theme. As a history teacher I find the same mundane, lopsided, and inaccurate truths presented in textbooks about this era time and time again. Mann's book is a counterweight to that miseducation and shed's light on often under appreciated and misrepresented Native American societies.
Amazon.com
This controversial book by Ivan Van Sertima, the Guyanese historian, linguist, and anthropologist, claims that Africans had been to the New World centuries before Columbus arrived there in 1492. Citing--among other things--the huge Negroid-looking Olmec heads of Central Mexico and the similarities between the Aztec and Egyptian calendars and pyramid structures, Van Sertima pieces together a hidden history of pre-Columbian contact between Africans and Native Americans. He also puts forth the possibility that Columbus may have already known about a route to the Americas from his years in Africa as a trader in Guinea. The ideas in this book have been debated and discussed since its first publication in 1976; even those who choose not to believe Van Sertima's theories should take his argument seriously. --Eugene Holley, Jr.
Book Description
They Came Before Columbus reveals a compelling, dramatic, and superbly detailed documentation of the presence and legacy of Africans in ancient America. Examining navigation and shipbuilding; cultural analogies between Native Americans and Africans; the transportation of plants, animals, and textiles between the continents; and the diaries, journals, and oral accounts of the explorers themselves, Ivan Van Sertima builds a pyramid of evidence to support his claim of an African presence in the New World centuries before Columbus. Combining impressive scholarship with a novelist’s gift for storytelling, Van Sertima re-creates some of the most powerful scenes of human history: the launching of the great ships of Mali in 1310 (two hundred master boats and two hundred supply boats), the sea expedition of the Mandingo king in 1311, and many others. In They Came Before Columbus, we see clearly the unmistakable face and handprint of black Africans in pre-Columbian America, and their overwhelming impact on the civilizations they encountered.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting but thats all........2007-07-05
This book raises a few interesting issues but that is about all. Did Columbus discover America? Obviously not as there were people inhabiting the place when he arrived. Had people from the 'old world' traveled to America before Columbus? There would be no reason to suggest that they had not. We have found coins and jewlery from Norse cultures and in this book examples of African art and culture also.
Concerning some images such as statues are art. Yes, they could be African, most likely Native American, possibly influenced by Africans. I mean the thing that is often forgotten is that contary to popular belief our ancestors did not just sit about their own private villages or towns never daring to travel. We have numerous travel books from adventurers and oral tradition to prove otherwise. The peoples of the south Pacific who colonised the islands there, the numerous 'Rihla' books in Arabic and 'Seyahet-name' in Persian and Turkish.
People did travel, there are travel books from Arab manuscripts of adventurers who went to Northern Russia and Eastern Europe, Masudi who went into the Indian jungles the list is endless so there is no reason to asume that Africans may or may not have traveled the Atlantic to the Americas and if in sufficiant numbers settled there.
Where the book does start to go to far is to claim that there was some African influence on nearly every aspect of Native American culture. This form of cultural imperialism is no different than the European kind.
An interesting book, I liked the tale of the Mali king who sailed away leaving his kingdom. Worth reading but with a pinch of salt.
Well-Written Obligatory History Science Revealing Amazing Facts.......2007-04-25
In the meanwhile (from the book's 1st publishing in 1976) it has become widely accepted that the Vikings preceded Columbus in the Americas considerably. It is also popularly known today that Columbus never set foot on American mainland soil personally on any of his travels. Yet, it is still argued by many African Americans that Black Africans arrived in the Americas simultaneously with the very first "Columbian-European" ships onwards - as slaves - and therefore are as naturally or not "Americans" as the Euro Americans today. Why so shy? Ivan Van Sertima proves neatly that Black Africans preceded Columbus in the Americas in at least half a dozen eras, some of those even preceding the Vikings considerably. In fact, that the Americas never have been as completely isolated from Africasia (including Europe) as commonly believed, with accidental driftings from e.g. Japan, Oceania, Europe and Africa all along - even vice versa. Most fascinating are the PLANNED travels by Black Africans to the Americas, ranging from the Egyptian-Phoenician joint (ad)ventures, via the (Black) Mali Empire of 1310/11 and the Moorish-Arabs. While some of these didn't leave that many traces in the Americas, some introduced botanical revolutions in the "Old World" upon return, others caused considerable influences in the famous civilisations of the Americas, such as the Olmecs, Mayas, Aztecs, socalled Incas and many others.
If that sounds unbelievable, you will know for sure after reading this book. I have reviewed parts (!) of other revealing books as a bit of a fishing, theories in need of scientific validation (The Africans Who Wrote the Bible); as maybe flawed proofs for general truths to be enhanced by more modern reasonings (Stolen Legacy); as less than circumstantial evidence (AFRICAN ORIGINS OF FREEMASONRY: Treatise of the Ancient Grand Lodge of Khamet). This book, however, in all parts manages to convince with overwhelming scientific hard evidence, simply un-disprovable. To quote the book's conclusion: "The African [pre-Columbian] presence is proven by stone heads, terra-cottas, skeletons, artifacts, techniques and inscriptions, by oral traditions and documented history, by botanical, linguistic and cultural data." Astounding to read today that Columbus himself was very much aware of African contact with the Americas preceding him, in fact this being the reason to pursue those travel( route)s in the first place. That the nautical skills of most of the preceding Africans by far outmatched those of Columbus - even up to the Europeans till the 18th century. That the king Abubakari himself of the Mali empire, which dwarfed the Roman empire, crossed the Atlantic on a first contact mission very daringly. Not to mention the very specific and very complex parallels between several ancient American and African cultures.
After reading this book, what strikes me as more amazing than the facts revealed, is my previous vague might-or-maybe-belief of them, as I had basically heard of the respective "theory" of the book's title, but without any proven specifics. Being fairly educated on this for my interest in Africa I did know before that it is accepted facts that the ancient Egyptians dug a canal from the Nile to the Red Sea and successfully sent a shipping expedition around Africa. That the Phoenicians became a sea travelling people. That the Egyptians knew that the world was ball-shaped and were masters of astronomy. That they were master-precision builders geometrically and astronomically. That the Polynesians were able to travel to and settle on Hawaii, Easter Island, New Zealand and Madagascar with ships not even resulting from an extraordinary megacity building society. More recently I had learned that the Egyptians and Phoenicians travelled to the British Isles by ship, even into the Baltic Sea. That the East Africans sent ships to India, even China, transporting gifts for the emperors such as elephants and giraffes. And so on and so forth. How was it possible not to automatically assume, Africans could and would send ships to the Americas?! Only because the white-skinned Europeans (largely) wouldn't and couldn't?
The latter fact isn't that surprising either. East Africa is the cradle of humanity, (lighter) black the first skin color. White is one of the last phenotypes emerging so far, for one of the last inhabitations was Europe (having been under ice a lot). Everybody knows that at the time of the pyramids getting built (no matter in which time line version), nothing of the sort happened in Northern, Central, not even in Southern Europe. And after the Greco-Roman cultural collapse, Europe was plunged - on purpose by the religious rulers - into the Dark Ages of mis-education or rather no-education. Sciences and (e.g. nautical) skills were re-introduced by the (largely Black) Moorish-Arab empire(s), stretching into Iberia. It is also no surprise that we have been misinformed on Africa. In order to sell mass-enslavement (again originally in order to demolish the rivaling Egyptian Black Isis religion, spreading in Europe) of the once venerated Black Africans to their European (Christian) subjects, the white rulers had to invent the propaganda that Blacks wouldn't even be humans, but wild apes. In those three lights this book's content appears very natural and not at all like a "controversial theory". The latter is one of the reactions I got for reading this book (publicly, silently by myself). Another reaction was that this is a typically (19)70s book: "Stuff like that was written back then.", ending the interest in this book. Knowledge isn't a fashion! It has to be enhanced by constantly building up on itself. If you never keep up, the gap will only widen. Someone third had never heard about this and couldn't believe it, as he has been misinformed that no pre-colonial civilisation existed in (supposedly) landlocked (Black) Africa. (For this specific purpose of balancing this lack of information I advise to read When We Ruled: The Ancient and Medieval History of Black Civilisations as a preparation for this book.) But then again, during the last couple of (publicly reading) weeks I was approached three times by strangers, commenting their amazement that I could read (as a RastafarI), and IF I could that I indeed would chose to do so. Two of them in all seriousness suggesting, I would only pretend (being able) to read to falsely impress people. Which reminds me of Ivan Van Sertima's words in this book: Racist conditioned people are rather willing to believe the absolutely absurd - Erich von Däniken's science fiction that aliens from outer space built the African and American pyramids - than accepting the most obvious, easily provable reality that it was Black Africans (in combination with the Native Americans).
The elapsed time from 1976 hasn't only given us a much better overstanding of the ancient American cultures, but has confirmed Ivan Van Sertima by disconfirming him, which should be taken into consideration: Ancient North Africans from the Egyptians via the Pheonicians (including Carthage) to the peoples of the Arabian Peninsula once had been black/much more black than described in this book. It is also known today that the ocean traveling East African Swahili culture became much less Arab influenced and that much later on than previously averred. It has been revealed that Egyptian history has been enviously faked to appear much younger by an initial Berlin Egyptologist, whose "findings" got copied ever since. Thus, the 1st dynasty didn't start some time in the late 4th millennia B.C., but in the early 6th millennia B.C. The first known mummification isn't anymore from Fezzan, "3,500 B.C.", but Uan Muhuggiag in (Black) Libya, ca. 7,500 B.C. Chemical analyses of Egyptian mummies have further proven American contact: Residues of cocaine. (Plus of Australian eucalyptus, by the way.) Most certainly, genetics have advanced in quantum leaps, yet I am not aware of any studies looking into the pre-Colombian African connection. In other words: Even where since 1976 Ivan Van Sertima has been overtaken by ever fresher knowledge (human knowledge currently doubles every 5 years), his statements get confirmed ever more. If the next print of this book fails to include an update, after well more than 30 years, indeed a rating star may be subtracted then.)
A note on the one-star populists on this review site: There are tons of them. None of them, I repeat: not a single one of them even attempts to disprove any of Van Sertima's proofs. (One corrects a bit, but of irrelevant specifics not concerned with the major question.) All they do is to hurl statements of disbelief, based on nothing else but layperson opinions, at the potential buyers of this book. With the only intent to prevent as many people as possible to read this book. Because they are not reasoning with the other reviewers, as the former do not argue as if having read the book and/or as if attempting to convince the other reviewers. The focus is solely on the potential new readers. Superficially, they seem all logical. But all, I repeat, ALL of their arguments are dismissable with ease. That's what I have done a lot in my comments of such populist reviews. I will give one example. Early on in the debate several reviewers claim, because close-by Madagascar is populated by Polynesians, not Africans, no Africans by all logic could have travelled to distant America. Sounds sensible? Well: Van Sertima makes proof of the Egyptians, largely in connection with the Phoenicians as well as the Mali empire travelled to America. Not the East Africans off the coast of Madagascar. Take a look at a globe or a Peter's Map: America is four times closer to Mali than Madagascar (by sea route). Additionally, a map of currents and winds provided in the book shows perfectly that Africans from the ancient Mali empire (i.e. the Senegalese/The Gambian coast) are able to basically float to America without trying, while having to counter winds and currents to get to Madagascar. At the time of the ancient Egyptian canal non-existant, the Egyptian-Phoenician ships would have to have travelled almost completely around Africa to get to Madagascar, even much further away than from Mali. And when they had the canal, they travelled around Africa the other direction. Also: It is historic fact that Vasco da Gama "discovered" India for one reason only: Hiring a Black Swahili sea guide showing him the way. Also: It is even false that no Africans populated Madagascar. It was only that the Polynesians had a much bigger overpopulation problem on their largely small islands, causing much greater emigration pressure, i.e. they quickly outnumbered the Black Africans on Madagascar. Yet, the populists' argument even supports Van Sertima: The Polynesians are/were still largely black, supposedly posessing inferior to white European civilisation. Yet they are by far the most spread out people the world has ever seen - all by ocean travel (with no original ship surviving till today). Last not least the Arabs came into contact with Black, Polynesian, Chinese, Viking and Greco-Roman ship-building knowledge and nautical skills. Why wouldn't they be able to reach the Americas?
Historical nit-picking aside.......2007-04-10
Historical cultural nit-picking aside, this book did an excellent job of blowing away my own blind spots regarding the likelihood of multiple pre-columbian voyages to (and from) the Americas. The author provides historical, archeological, and linguistic evidence and indications of African voyages to the Americas, including written accounts by early European explorers. The author also writes well-crafted 're-enactments' based on valid sources that make the past come alive in the mind's eye of the reader. While this makes for great reading, it may be outside the norm of Euro-American academic culture, weakening the credibility of his thesis in those circles. Each chapter comes with an extensive bibliography. Having read modern accounts of individuals and groups surviving trans-oceanic voyages on small disabled craft, all of his accounts are plausible, most are convincing, none seem far-fetched. The only thing that's really shocking is the lack of published follow-up research and books since Ivan's book was published more than thirty years ago. A great read.
His-Story is slowly being unravelved.......2007-02-27
One of the most enduring myths in the Americas is that Columbus discovered America in 1692. In fact Columbus did not discover diggly. He was actually very late on the scene. The Africans "discovered" the Americas hundreds of years before. The population was already there. They just wanted to know what was on the other side of the big water, and thought they would go and visit. Some of the Africans came by accident, pushed by the trade winds. Others like Abubakari the Second came to the Americas in 1310 by way of a planned expedition, with hundreds of people, provisions, boats, etc.
However, Columbus was very important. With his coming, came the slaughter of native people and the theft of their lands, and the beginning of the degradation of the African in the Americas.
This book is very academic. But it is an excellent read, if you can get through it. There is much information, and will surely broaden your body of knowledge.
A must have.......2007-01-04
All interested in the true history of Africans, African Americans, and the Americas must read this book.
Product Description
Amazon.com
1491 is not so much the story of a year, as of what that year stands for: the long-debated (and often-dismissed) question of what human civilization in the Americas was like before the Europeans crashed the party. The history books most Americans were (and still are) raised on describe the continents before Columbus as a vast, underused territory, sparsely populated by primitives whose cultures would inevitably bow before the advanced technologies of the Europeans. For decades, though, among the archaeologists, anthropologists, paleolinguists, and others whose discoveries Charles C. Mann brings together in 1491, different stories have been emerging. Among the revelations: the first Americans may not have come over the Bering land bridge around 12,000 B.C. but by boat along the Pacific coast 10 or even 20 thousand years earlier; the Americas were a far more urban, more populated, and more technologically advanced region than generally assumed; and the Indians, rather than living in static harmony with nature, radically engineered the landscape across the continents, to the point that even "timeless" natural features like the Amazon rainforest can be seen as products of human intervention.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating stuff.......2007-02-23
I do love reading history, and this one was totally readable. Most interesting.
good but not great.......2006-06-09
This is an informative, intelligent book. Up until the last two (short) sections, it is also intertaining. It should be read with a mental comparison to todays cities, people and environment. Think especially NEW ORLEANS. There is an error on page 251: "...my host...was melting water on her stove." What do you get when you melt water? I hope that the rest of the book was more accurate, but I did mostly enjoy the reading.
Book Description
When Columbus landed in 1492, the New World was far from being a vast expanse of empty wilderness: it was home to some seventy-five million people. They ranged from the Arctic to Tierra del Fuego, spoke as many as two thousand different languages, and lived in groups that varied from small bands of hunter-gatherers to the sophisticated and dazzling empires of the Incas and Aztecs. This brilliantly detailed and documented volume brings together essays by fifteen leading scholars field to present a comprehensive and richly evocative portrait of Native American life on the eve of Columbus's first landfall.
Developed at the D'Arcy McNickle Center for the History of the American Indian and edited by award-winning author Alvin M. Josehpy, Jr., America in 1492 is an invaluable work that combines the insights of historians, anthropologists, and students of art, religion, and folklore. Its dozens of illustrations, drawn from largely from the rare books and manuscripts housed at the Newberry Library, open a window on worlds flourished in the Americas five hundred years ago.
Customer Reviews:
From Alaska to Terra del Fuego.......2007-04-08
In America in 1492: The World of the Indian Peoples Before the Arrival of Columbus, editor Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., presents a series of essays that dispel the popular idea that the American continents were sparsely populated by primitive hunter-gatherers (or, after Hollywood, Plains Indians whooping on horseback). This collection of essays, written by contributors such as Alan Kolata and Peter Nabokov, reveals the breadth and depth of Indian language, culture, arts, spirituality, and life ways. Part One covers the continents geographically, from northern Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, while Part Two examines language, religion, family and tribal or clan life, migration and cultural influence, systems of knowledge, and the arts. Renowned Native American writers N. Scott Momaday and Vine Deloria, Jr., contribute the first chapter, "The Becoming of the Native: Man in America Before Columbus," and the afterword, respectively.
The weaknesses of the approach are evident; some essays are stronger than others, depending on the writer's skill and bias and on the material available. Some contradict one another. In "In the Realm of the Four Quarters," Kolata's admiration for the success of the Inca empire is nearly boundless, while in "American Frontiers," Francis Jennings doubts the real strength of the empire over its conquered subjects and its economic, political, and military sustainability. Such a survey book can cover only so much information, and, not surprisingly, the Aztecs and Incas are more prominent than, for example, the nations that make up the Iroquois Confederacy.
Another weakness is focus, perhaps driven by lack of information in critical areas. Topics such as food, clothing, structures, tools, seasonal migration, major rituals, and so forth, are described in some detail, but whole areas are sometimes untouched or only briefly alluded to, such internal conflict resolution and justice systems, practical leadership (political vs. spiritual or hunting), the practicalities of daily life in large communal homes, and the frequency and practice of warfare. How often did conflicts occur and what provoked them? How were they conducted? How sustained were they?
Despite the inevitable shortcomings, 1492 does provide a good overview of life in the western hemisphere, from the head-hunting spiritual practices of some Amazonian tribes to the agricultural practices and cultivation of maize that spread from Mesoamerica, from trade routes to migration patterns. There are some surprises here for the novice, for example, that the Navajo so strongly associated in our contemporary minds with the southwestern desert migrated from the northern tundra; that the Great Plains were inhabited by farmers and that the tribes we associate with them, such as the Lakota, had not yet arrived there; and that extensive trade routes and trade centers existed, even if the concept of investment capital did not.
History emphasizes the differences between Europeans and pre-Columbian Indians, and certainly these differences--most obvious in the concepts behind language, in spirituality and philosophy, and in the ideas surrounding the individual and the community--are fundamental. As I read 1492, however, certain similarities to post-Roman Europe struck me. For example, there were the waves of migration that changed the face of Europe many times. There was the ability of Europeans, and others, to establish and use trade routes and centers despite geographical, language, and transportation barriers. In very general terms, on both sides of the Atlantic there was restlessness over land and power combined with a need to live cooperatively and to exchange easily obtained goods, such as shells on the coast, for desired ones found inland, such as corn and furs.
This raises the question, "What is an Indian?" Indians are the native peoples of the Americas, just as Europeans are those who inhabit Europe. It is a broad category that does not reveal much. As in Europe, there are hundreds of languages, cultures, and beliefs, and most likely there is no common ancestry among many of the groups. "European" provides you with only a very vague notion of a person or group; "Swedish" or "Greek" paints two very definite, and different, pictures. That is what should be kept in mind when you read 1492. "The World of the Indian Peoples Before the Arrival of Columbus" changes with every few miles, every alteration in climate or topography, every season, and the world of the Incas is nothing like the world of the Arawaks or Arikara.
As Vine Deloria and others tell us, prophecies pre-dating Columbus predict the arrival of the white man and go on to say that his predominance will be the shortest of all. We look around at our impressive infrastructure that has altered (and in many cases ruined) the land, our health and long lives, and our prosperity, and think that such a prediction seems absurd. Yet we have been here a tiny fraction of the time the Indian has, and as the latest reports about climate change and other environmental and resource issues should remind us, our present way of life is not sustainable for the long term; in fact, it has become problematic in only slightly more than 100 years. The year 1492 marked the end of thousands of years of Indian tradition; what year will mark the end of our ways as we know them?
The Americas before Columbus .......2005-04-24
"America in 1492" is a collection of 14 essays, mostly by anthropologists, about the Indians of the Americas just before the voyages of Christopher Columbus. The editor contributes an introduction and the well-known Indian scholar Vine Deloria, Jr. adds an afterword.
The book is attractive and its premise is superb: to describe the American Indians before their traditional life and culture were destroyed by the Europeans. But the book is not quite as good as it should be. The subject, ranging over two continents, is too broad to be covered adequately in one volume. The contributors are mostly anthropologists and the breadth of their vision is often restricted. Political correctness creeps into some essays. A description of the Aztecs trips quickly over the gory subject of human sacrifice -- widely practiced by the Aztecs and a central theme of their religion.
Moreover, the approach of most writers is anthropological and historical information is mostly ignored. Within 50 years of 1492, the Spanish and other explorers encountered Indians from Newfoundland to Tierra del Fuego and their eye-witness accounts, however brief and biased, are invaluable. The integration of these early historic accounts with anthropological information would result in much more vivid and realistic descriptions of the Indians in 1492. Alas, many of the authors rely on their own anthropologicial speciality, ignoring the eye-witness accounts of Cabeza de Vaca and the expeditions of De Soto and Coronado, among others, which could add materially to the validity of their accounts.
Finally, there is the afterword by DeLoria, the author of the best-selling, "Custer Died For Your Sins." In a thoughtful, interesting, but rambling essay, DeLoria introduces some fantastic notions. An inscription in Tennessee, he says, is written in ancient Hebrew -- thereby reviving the old (and ridiculous) theory that the Indians are descendants of the ten lost tribes of Israel. And, he proceeds onward to describe an Indian pictograph of a dinosaur, suggesting apparently that dinosaurs and American Indians co-existed! Without further explanation, such startling assertions do not belong in a book purporting to be factual.
I don't want to leave the impression that this is a bad book. It's not -- many of the essays are interesting and worth reading -- but a better book could be written or compiled on such a fascinating subject.
Smallchief
A superb book. A MUST read for anyone interested in truth.......1999-08-26
I am a professional computer scientist and an amature historian. This superb book makes the truth of what really happened so self evident that anyone who is really interested in truth must read it. It is expertly edited and written. A pleasure and a heart rendering story, at the same time.
Download Description
"
In this provocative account of colonial America, William R. Polk explores the key events, individuals, and themes of this critical period. With vivid descriptions of the societies that people from Europe came from and with an emphasis on what they believed they were going to, Polk introduces the native Indians encountered in the New World and the black Africans who were brought across the Atlantic.
With insightful analysis, he also discusses the dual truths of colonial societies' ""growing up"" and ""growing apart."" As John Adams would point out to Thomas Jefferson, the long years that witnessed the formation of our national character and the growth of our spirit of independence were indeed the real revolution. That story forms the basis of The Birth of America. In addition to its discussion of the influence the British had on the colonies, The Birth of America covers the pivotal roles played by the Spanish, French, and Dutch in early America.
From the fearful crossing of the stormy Atlantic to the growth of the early settlements, to the French and Indian War and the unrest of the 1760s, William Polk brilliantly traces the progress of the colonies to the point where it was no longer possible to recapture the past and the break with England was inevitable. America had been born.
"
Customer Reviews:
A Condensed History .......2006-10-12
THE BIRTH OF AMERICA: FROM COLUMBUS TO THE REVOLUTION is a condensed version of what historians and scholars have already written. The book may best be geared towards readers who may want to "brush up" or have a better understanding of precolonial and colonial history that occurred on the North American continent during the fifteenth century through the mid to late eighteenth century, approximately around the summer of 1775, a year before the inception of the Declaration of the United States. The unique aspect about this narrative is that William R. Polk uses the theme of "birth" and "delivery" as an intricate part of his examination, and he explicitly shows this example at the beginning and the ending of the book.
The most interesting aspect of the book are Parts I-II. Polk does an exceptional examination of the contributions and collaborations that the indigenous people of North America made with colonists to the development of the continent as well as many Africans. At first, one may think the book's complete premise will be comprised of the unspoken voices. However, this is not the case, and this is one of the major weaknesses of Polk's narrative because he provides no new insights or newly discovered primary documents from American Indians and African Americans. And another disconcerting point is his regurgitation of events that led to the Revolutionary War. One may ask, so what is the point of BIRTH OF AMERICA?
BIRTH OF AMERICA introduces readers to the history of the United States. The book may appeal to readers who may want go beyond textbook depictions of the "discovery" of America, and further research or read on their own of what happens after 1775. But for those who would like to get to the bare bone parts of this period in American history, Alan Taylor's AMERICAN COLONIES may be the best place to start.
Too Anglophile........2006-09-12
"The Birth Of America" by William R. Polk. Subtitled: "From Before Columbus To The Revolution" Harper Collins Publishers, New York 2006.
I wanted to enjoy this book. The first chapter, "The Native Americans", put me off as the author presented the so-called "Black Legend" of the relations of Imperial Spain with the Native Americans. For example, no mention was made of the attempts of the Spanish to establish universities, for the Indians, almost a century before Harvard. Or, Bishop Juan de Zumarraga (1468-1548) brought the first printing press for the to North America, for the Indians of Mexico City, in 1539, again almost a century before Harvard University. What did come out of the chapter was that "...the Indians appear to the English as the despised Irish"... (page 13).
I let that slide; I already knew that the English despised the Irish.
But, then, in Chapter 4, "Fish, Fur And Piracy", Mr. Polk states that ... (meat) ..."was also banned by the Catholic church on Fridays and during the profusion of religious holidays. So fisherman had a ready market for their catch."
Are you kidding me? For almost 1200 years, Christians were told to abstain from meat on Fridays as a form of penance since Friday was the day on which Our Lord had died. On religious holidays, (feast days), you were supposed to be joyful and you were to celebrate. Thus, if Christmas fell upon a Friday, the rule to ABSTAIN from meat was waived and you could eat meat ...and celebrate. Meat was NOT banned on "...the profusion of religious holidays".
It appears that Mr. Polk has confused "feast" days with "fast" days. This error on page 53 was too much. Check out the rules of abstinence (not banning) on, for example, "Wikipedia". I wonder if Mr. Polk even considered checking his facts (as I was continuously told to do while I was working on an MA History thesis). Further, in 1571, Pope Pius V had dispensed all Spanish people from the necessity of abstinence from meat on Friday due to the actions of the Spanish fleet in defeating the Turks in the Battle of Lepanto. (See, for example, Time Magazine, June 18 1951). The apparent ignorance or carelessness of the author, William R. Polk, (at least on "banning" meat issue), brimmed my aggravation to the top and I closed his book.
An entertaining survey.......2006-07-04
This book is a very readable and balanced overview of pre-Revolutionary America. While I read a lot of history, I found the vignettes of colonial American life and politics in 1600's and early 1700's very illuminating. We see the birth and developments of many currents that shape later American history. While perhaps not ground-breaking in the sense of inventing or defending some all-encompassing new interpretation of the period, it is a success at what it tries to do - giving a sense of an important and frequently overlooked period of our early history.
Nothing new here at all.......2006-05-04
This seems to be the type of book in which an historian of another field decides, in his "golden years", to take up early US history more as a hobby than as a serious attempt at adding anything to the field. A publisher indulges him, it gets some press, and thus we have a book like this one. There's nothing new here, its a familiar old tale, and thus why bother?
Interesting history of the "Pre" United States of America.......2006-04-28
"The Birth of America: From Before Columbus to the Revolution" is a brief picture of the 200 years (give or take) of life in the so-called "new world" prior to the American Revolution.
William Polk has given us a nice depiction (albeit relatively superficial, as must be expected in a book of this length and a topic so broad) of life in North America up to around 1775.
Polk starts with an introduction to the Continent and how the Europeans crossed the Atlantic to inhabit this vast wilderness. This section of the book is most enjoyable and will help the basic reader better understand the interaction between the Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans in these early years of colonization.
After the Europeans move in, Polk explains how these colonists start to break apart from England and begin to irritate the Native Americans by taking advantage of their generosity by stealing their food and taking their land. He also gives us a very nice introduction to the roots of slavery on the North American Continent (not just black slaves, but also Native Americans enslaved by the colonists).
Breakdown of the imperial British system and the long road to war are the final topics covered by Polk. He gives us a high-level, but very good description of what the French & Indian War (also known as the Seven Years' War) meant to both Britian and the Colonists, and he explains why this singular event led to the eventual split of the Colonies from the mother country of England. Polk ends his narrative just before full-fledged war breaks out in North America by explaining that the British were quite confident that they could suppress any rebellion, and the Americans appeared to be quite weak and could be easily overpowered.
Wisely, Polk ends his narrative at this point rather than trying to continue into the war and the eventual separation from Britain. I believe that Polk has given us a strong look at the early years of America, although that look is from a very high-level. There are, quite literally, hundreds of topics touched on in this book that are probably worthy of individual book-length studies, but this book achieves its goal of an introduction very nicely.
Average customer rating:
- Legacies and Adventures Teach Youth to Pursue Dreams
- An excellent book for young and old
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Saint Brendan And The Voyage Before Columbus
Michael McGrew
Manufacturer: Paulist Press
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ASIN: 0809167050 |
Book Description
Saint Brendan and the Voyage Before Columbus is a an exciting picture book that introduces children and their parents to the story of Brendan's voyage to the land of Tir-na-n-Og, a voyage so fantastic that many people believed it was only a legend.
Born in Ireland in 484, Brendan was schooled in the ways of the sun and the seas and the sky. As a monk, Brendan learned about the land of Tir-na-n-Og, the Promised Land of the Saints, and one day he set out in a sailboat called a curragh to find it. On his journey he and his fellow voyagers encountered a whale, several islands, an iceberg, and a volcano, before finally reaching beautiful Tir-na-n-Og, where "painted saints" (Native Americans) greeted him in peace. Brendan returned home with the understanding that his adventures, good and bad, had brought him closer to God. In a postscript the author links Brendan with Columbus and with modern sailor Tim Severin, who in 1976 retraced Brendan's route in a replica curragh using Brendan's Navigatio as his guide.
This richly illustrated book captures Brendan's spirit and legacy and his incredible adventures as he journeyed to America in the sixth century. It will make wonderful reading for children, who will be excited to learn about this saint after whom so many are named.
Customer Reviews:
Legacies and Adventures Teach Youth to Pursue Dreams.......2005-02-05
Many parents want to teach their children the importance of identifying and pursuing their dreams and the value of a strong faith in God. In the new book Saint Brendan and the Voyage Before Columbus (Paulist Press, December 2004, paperback, 32 pages) author Dr. Mike McGrew and illustrator Marnie Saenz Litz share the story of St. Brendan and his legendary voyage to North America.
Through lyrical prose and vivid illustrations, this book recounts the life history of Saint Brendan, the Irish monk who spread the message of Jesus Christ in his own land of Ireland and, legend states, beyond to the land of Tir-na-n-Og and to its native "painted saints", a thousand years before Columbus set sail for North America. Whether fact or fiction, Brendan's voyage has sparked the enthusiasm and adventurous spirit of many, including sailors who count him as their patron saint.
The great value in providing children with the images of concrete role models is that it helps them see that they too can capture their dreams. McGrew shares Saint Brendan's story with zeal and energy, stressing the saint's reliance on God's protection and his appreciation for God's hand in the nature surrounding him and in his brother monks. Children who might not sit still for a dry recitation of the facts of a saint's life will be drawn in and inspired by this book and its message to trust in God and pursue your dreams. Aimed at children ages four through eight, the book will also be enjoyed by older adventurers and those interested in the lives of the saints.
An excellent book for young and old.......2004-12-16
A beautifully illustrated book, Dr. McGrew did a wonderful job telling the story of St. Brendan in a way that is thorough, yet succinct. It is a book that both parent and child can enjoy.
Book Description
The story of a mysterious southern Illinois treasure cave and its proof of the presence of Africans in North America long before Columbus.
• Includes over 100 photographs of the artifacts discovered.
• Re-creates the historic voyage of King Juba and his Mauretanian sailors across the Atlantic to rebuild their society in the New World.
• Explains the mystery of the Washitaws, a tribal group of African origin, first encountered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
In 1982 Russell E. Burrows, a treasure hunter in southern Illinois, stumbled on a cache of ancient weapons, jewels, and gold sarcophagi in a remote cave. There also were stone tablets inscribed with illustrations of Roman-like soldiers, Jews, early Christians, and West African sailors. These relics fueled a bitter controversy in the archaeological community regarding their authenticity, leading Burrows to destroy the entrance to the cave.
Researching more than 7,000 artifacts removed from the cave before it was sealed, Frank Joseph explains how these objects came to be buried in the middle of the United States. It started with Cleopatra, whose daughter was made queen of the semi-independent realm of Mauretania, present-day Morocco, which she ruled with her husband, King Juba II. Following the execution of their son, Ptolemy, by Emperor Caligula, the Mauretanians rebelled against their Roman overlords and made their way into what is now Ghana. There they constructed a fleet of ships for a transatlantic voyage to a land where they hoped to rebuild their kingdom safe from Roman rule. They took with them a great prize unsuccessfully sought by two Roman emperors: Cleopatra's golden treasure and King Juba's encyclopedic library of ancient wisdom.
Fully illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs of artifacts retrieved from the southern Illinois site, The Lost Treasure of King Juba is a compelling story that could force us to rethink the early history of our nation and the possibility that Africans arrived on our continent nearly fifteen centuries before Columbus.
Customer Reviews:
Suspenseful Report on the as of Then 21-Year-Old Burrows Cave Controversy's Development.......2007-05-15
In 1982 a hobby archaeologist discovered the strangest of treasures in an Illinois cave: Many thousands of artifacts and coins, appearing to be all of the below: Phoenician, Mauretanien, Numidian, Egyptian, Roman, Celtic, Jewish, Christian and some others (of various phenotypes, by the way, this isn't exclusively about black skinned Africans). It isn't only about African traces in the pre-Columbian, even pre-Viking Americas, but about that incredible mix.
The structure of the 2003 book is most rewarding. Five chapters (1/4 of the book) is devoted to ancient Mediterranean history, featuring Egypt, Rome (including Greece), Numidia and Mauretania. Starting with Cleopatra and ending with her grandkids. The popularly "educated" via respective Hollywood movies will be left very surprised. The next chapter is devoted to reconstructed history at the time, after Caligula turned the Roman empire's previous amicable relationship with ancient Mauretania (roughly today's Morocco) sour, conquered that African kingdom, leading to an exodus of its multicultural population to the only save haven: The Americas, largely unknown to Rome, but not to the Africans. Seven chapters are devoted to the controversy of most important archaeological find of the century (at least) versus most elaborate hoax. Usually I don't care that much for this sort of focus, but in this case I can promise a most suspensefull and eye-opening reading experience of this major section of the book. Two chapters are devoted to general evidence of Africans in the pre-Columbian Americas (largely not copying Ivan Van Sertima's 1976 classic They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America, but listing fresh findings). Another two are devoted to the evidence of the Illinois cave itself, analyzing the many significances.
Be prepared that this print doesn't finish up everything about Burrows Cave and that you will google it after having finished this book. The reason for that is that within the 21 years after its discovery an all-encompassing scientific analasys of the cave could not take place. For the most absurd, yet fascinating, mostly saddening, frustrating and angering reasons. Yet many objects have been able to get scientifically analyzed, in a CSI fashion. And yes, the way, all of this has been handled could be described as a crime. By virtually everyone involved. That provides for an unexpected reading. Not only focusing on the find itself, but the high-handedness of the discoverer who doesn't want to diclose too much, the greed of some of the involved, asocial private collectors, ignorance and arrogance of prejudiced experts, inadequate laws, the utter passivity of the government throughout the entire affair and many more failures of I-and-I (us) humans who are obviously not able to deal with such a find, no matter from which perspective. As a result, this treasure has survived almost two millennia, getting protected by Native Americans during that time, only to get largely lost, destroyed and otherwise inaccessible within a few years of exposure to current Western culture. I hardly dared to turn the pages for the contrast of awestruck wonder for the 1st century A.D. forgotten Mauretanian exodus with its evidence left behind and the grim despair of having to learn about our contemporaries: "What have they done now to the historic evidence?!".
If you are interested in the subject of early "discoveries" of the Americas preceding Columbus from all sorts of peoples such as Africans, Polynesians, Chinese and Europeans, would like to read an update (of 2006) and are able to overstand German, look for "Bevor Kolumbus kam. Die frühen Entdecker Amerikas" by Rene Oth (literally translating as: "Before Columbus Came: The Early Discoverers of America")
An inherently interesting and iconoclastic discourse.......2003-10-08
In The Lost Treasure Of King Juba, Frank Joseph provides an inherently interesting and iconoclastic discourse on the evidence of Africans in America before Columbus, outlining evidence obtained from over 7000 artifacts removed from a 1982 cave in southern Illinois. Here Joseph pieces together the common story of how these artifacts came to appear in a hidden cave in Illinois, recreating the story of a fleet of ships which voyaged to a land in escape of their ruined African kingdom. A fascinating discourse.
Evidence of Mauretanians in the Midwest.......2003-09-22
Accidentally found by an amateur named Russell Burrows, the extraordinary collection of artifacts taken from a cave in southern Illinois has been believed to be a fake and a hoax. Viewed with much opposition and skepticism by many lofty archeological experts. A large subterranean crypt which is accounted to contain gold statues, sarcophagi, coins and medallions, uncut diamonds and inscribed scrolls among many other valuable antiquities. But the most intriguing artifacts to come out of Burrows Cave are the hundreds of portrait stones. All depicting men and women in more than just Roman, Egyptian, Phoenician, Numidian and Hebrew appearances as well as their written languages. This mixture of ancient society found in one unusual setting seems all too good to be true, as nothing else like it has ever been found in the New World. But the author presents a large amount of curious evidence in how authenticity is considered possible, and explains the important links to pre-Columbian history. He tells of many other significant findings made in Illinois, North America, South America and the Old World that provide factual support for verification. Bringing it all together effectively with great persuasive detail.
The author begins with a thorough history of King Juba II and how he and his wife, Cleopatra Selene became rulers of ancient Mauretania in North Africa. Then continues to explain the war waged by Rome against this semi-independent nation and it's effects, or the Mauertanian exodus it caused. All of these events the author illustrates in a slightly dramatized manner. With the majority of chapters that follow, he focuses on the Illinois site; it's relics and the comments of various experts, while giving his own viewpoints and understandings. The information is arranged well with perfect quotes at the start of each chapter, plenty of black and white photos and a summarizing timeline. Because there is still much that remains untold and undiscovered on the subject, could be why the book wasn't closed with a strong conclusion. And I also felt that a few more maps, besides the one of Illinois would have been beneficial to the book. But otherwise I was pleased with it overall.
Whether the existence of a "treasure house of gold" remains entirely true or not, it still is a very interesting and educational read. Even the actions and nature of Mr. Burrows, and the trouble he caused interested investigators, makes it read almost something like a fiction novel. And as controversial as theories can be, it still is a story that shouldn't be ignored or remain lost in time. For starters, Frank Joseph's book will entice your curiosity.
Africans in the midwest before columbus?.......2003-08-15
Frank Joseph's latest book offers a good overview of the controversy surrounding the Burroughs Cave,well known in diffusionist circles but less so elsewhere.While he can't prove the authenticity of the artifacts he does clearly lay out how the controversy developed and the reasons he believes the artifacts are 'real'.The automatic anti-diffusionist bias of conventional academia definitely does prevent a fair ascesment of the case, though many diffusionists remain skeptical as well. Where the book shines is in the lucid description of ancient Mauritania's history and how that could fit in with the existance of the cave in Illinois and it's purported treasure.The reader learns about the complex mixture of cultures in ancient north Africa and it's maritime tradition. The story of the province's rise to wealth and cosmopolitan splendour is excellently told, as is it's trajic destruction at the hands of Rome.l feel these chapters are worthwhile even for those unfamiliar with the diffusionist- isolationist debate, revealing a dramatic yet little known chapter in ancient history.lt forms a sort of sequel to the famous tale of Ceaser,Anthony and Cleopatra.Even many students of history may not have been aware or the survival and ultimate fate of the Ptolemaic dynasty after Cleopatra's death.lt has all the makings of an engrossing historical novel.Hence l recommend the book to both history buffs and those fascinated by the possibility of trans-oceanic diffusion in antiquity.
Book Description
Five hundred years before Columbus, a young Viking named Leif Eriksson crossed the Atlantic and became the first-known European to set foot in North America. The tale of the crossing has been passed down for 1000 years. Now Elizabeth Cody Kimmel retells it to a new audience, painting a vivid picture of what Eriksson might have experienced. Includes reproductions of maps, illustrations, and Viking artifacts.
Customer Reviews:
An exciting saga of the Lief Eriksson expedition.......2003-12-14
Before Columbus is an exciting saga of the Lief Eriksson expedition five hundred years before Columbus provides kids in grades 3-5 with an excellent saga which reads like fiction but includes all known facts about his incredible journey. New audiences will appreciate this vivid retelling of what Lief might have experienced on his Viking expedition.
Customer Reviews:
Columbus as a logical outcome.......2003-03-18
It is hard to use, in the same sentence, logic and a man who believed both in the basic sphericity of the earth and the existence of the Earthly Paradise. But, all hero-villain dichotomies aside, we shall always be confronted with the fact that it was Columbus who started the inexorable process that produced America as we know it, to the exclusion of all who may have preceded him to these shores.
I doubt seriously that, even today, you can find any book in English containing as much of the process (speaking historically) that produced Columbus. The patchwork of overlapping interests that constituted the Medieval and Renaissance Mediterranean has to be one of the truly difficult places to begin on the globe. Just when you think Venice has emerged safely ahead of Genoa, and the Portuguese have shut the gate on Spain, then everything changes. Too bad the expression "sea change" wasn't yet invented when this book was written.
The African leg of the process has had some coverage, but not any more competently than here. I have some reservations about the claim that gold was the Italian merchants' only motive for trading in North Africa. And this claim is somewhat mitigated by the author's own observation that the attraction of the Canaries was a certain dyestuff easily obtained there. His explanation of
the crucial role of the Canaries, while Morisonesque, certainly explains much.
A chronological list of major steps would have been helpful. This book is, however, a "keeper," and will be for some time to come.
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