A Voyage Long and Strange (Abridged) Audiobook

" I enjoy Tony Horwitz's writing. He is an excellent investigative reporter and he successfully combines history with travel (2 genres I enjoy very much). This book follows the same formula as "Confederates in the Attic" and "Blue Latitudes." He begins with the "popular" version of history and, using investigative techniques, ferrets out alternative (and well-documented) alternative versions that are both interesting and thought-provoking. This book generally covers the period of American history between Columbus' "discovery" of America and the Pilgrims landing a Plymouth Rock (they didn't). What I find most fascinating about his books is how he demonstrates the impacts of our history on present-day culture and national identity. This book in particular, includes a fascinating discussion on the importance and place of myth in national identity. "

" Very funny... for a history book. This book also vindicates my dislike of the Pilgrims. "

" Tony Horwitz takes us on a tour of that fuzzy period of American history in between Columbus and the Pilgrims. Vikings in Newfoundland, Spanish in the southwest and southeast, and the English in, well, New England. He views it all with an eye toward the real history underlying the myths. Even-handed, interesting, and at times even funny. "

" Like the author, I had forgotten so much of the history of colonization of America. The author does a great job of weaving in historical facts with his travel experiences. "

" I really like books that teach without making me feel like I'm reading a textbook, and this book did that very well. The author traveled around to explore the various scenes where explorers set foot in America, from the time of the Vikings in 1000 AD, to Columbus, on up to Jamestown and the Pilgrims. This is a great book if you like history and don't know much about what happened in America before the Pilgrims. Although it mostly focuses on European history in America, there is also a great deal of information about Native Americans and their encounters. "

" Great historical Everyone should read "

" I enjoyed this book. The author writes in a conversational and engaging way, and it reads almost more like a travelogue than a straight history. I recommend it. "

" I never knew that the French started a colony in Florida before the Spanish. That's one of many reason this book should be read by anyone who cares about American history. I really like Horowitz's approach to history: entertaining but thoroughly researched, and tied to current events. "

" This book had an interesting concept, part history, part travelogue, part commentary. Overall, I felt it was lacking a bit of weightiness and started stronger than it ended. But I'd still definitely recommend it. "

" Loved this book. Horwitz writes history that's fun to read, always enlightening and at times hilarious and touching. Highly recommend this ... and Blue Latitudes. "

" This is a good read for history buffs. It helped me brush up on my American history and think about in what order this country was formed in and by which groups. I enjoyed it. "

" Not as entertaining as some of his other books, but a very important topic and something all Americans should learn more about! I am astounded at how ignorant of American history I am despite all those AP US history texts. "

" The author describes what he learned about American history- Columbus came and then the Pilgrims. He decides to delve into what happened in between and writes about De soto, Coronado, as well as Columbus, Jamestown, and the Pilgrims. Very interesting and fun read. "

" Those Conquistadors were one crazy bunch. I learned so much! "

" I don't know why, but I had a hard time focusing on this book. I wanted to like it, but there was something missing for me. "

" This book will have you singing "Don't know much about history" "

" very funny book and interesting "

" I found this to be an enjoyable read which drew lots of "I didn't know that" from me. "

" Great book! I learned a lot about the Europeans coming to America----much more than I learned in school. I always forget about the Spanish exploration of the U.S. "

" An enjoyable journey through the years that most American history books have forgotten -- a view to exploration of the New World that predates Plymouth Rock by hundreds of years. "

" We live here in the new world thanks to some rough customers who crossed the wide ocean and did not hesitate to take what was not theirs. This is an entertaining if ultimately shallow retelling of these bloody tales. "

" Hysterical so far. It's very much in the style of Bill Bryson in that Horwitz' accounts of the locals is well-stirred with the historical content. "

" Great book! I learned a lot about the Europeans coming to America----much more than I learned in school. I always forget about the Spanish exploration of the U.S. "

" I learned how much propaganda public schools teach us in the name of "history." "

" I love the structure the author uses in this very interesting and enlightening history of the new world. This is certainly not the columbus story of my grade school days. "

" Tony Horwitz is an engaging writer, and this book is no exception. "