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 hes mislaid more than a century of American history, from Columbuss sail in 1492 to Jamestowns 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 Floridas Fountain of Youth to Plymouths 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.
