Horwitz, Tony. A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 2008.
The first thing I want to write about this book is that it is not your typical history book. That fact alone is probably what made this book such a joy to read, which is also not typical of history books. Horwitz has written a history book that is so much more. The history is there, but this book is also a humorous travelogue.
Horwitz describes his experience at Plymouth, Massachusetts when he realized that he, like many other Americans, was clueless about the exploration and settling of North America by Europeans. His main criticism of history education is that it seems to gloss over more than one century of history. He complains that Americans know about Columbus’s voyage in 1492 and then they fast forward to the Pilgrims in 1620, completely missing Spanish colonization of the Southwest and Mexico in the 1500s, or the fact that Plymouth was not even the first English settlement in America. A park ranger in Plymouth commented to Horwitz, stating that people ask her about “the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. People think Columbus dropped off the Pilgrims and sailed home.” Horwitz decided to explore that lost century.
For the history in this book Horwitz examines the voyages of the Vikings, as early as 985 A.D. before proceeding to Columbus and his several voyages in the 1490s. Horwitz then proceeds to study Spanish voyages and explorations throughout the continent, from Cabeza de Vaca and his trek from Florida to the Pacific coast of Mexico, to Coronado in the Southwest and De Soto in the Southeast. All of this took place in the 16th century. He finishes with colonization, first by French Huguenots and then the Spanish in Florida, the English in Virginia and finally Plymouth.
What makes this book so fascinating is the travelogue, which is mixed in with the history throughout the book. Horwitz traveled to each of the places he studied, tracing the path of history. He traveled to New Foundland to see the remains of the Viking settlement, the Dominican Republic and then followed both Coronado’s and De Soto’s routes. Along the way he meets fascinating characters, deals with erratic driving in the Dominican Republic and comes to an understanding of the amazing feat that was Spanish exploration of what was, to them, a new world.
This book is a good read and well worth a recommendation. The history is quite accurate without being dull or long, thus keeping the reader interested. Horwitz also manages, for the most part, to avoid the preachy condemnation of many modern historians, who try to apply 21st century morals to 16th century actions. The travelogue is often humorous and always fascinating, leaving the reader constantly wondering what experiences he will have next and what kind of people he will meet. Finally, Horwitz’s journey deeply affects him, but I will leave it to each individual reader to take what they will from this book for themselves.