In this bestseller, Farley Mowat challenges the conventional notion that the Vikings were the first Europeans to reach North America, offering an unforgettable portrait of the Albans, a race originating from the island now known as Britain. Battered by repeated invasions from their aggressive neighbors–Celt, Roman, and Norse–the Albans fled west. Their search for safety, and for the massive … walrus herds on which their survival depended, eventually took them to the land now known as Newfoundland and Labrador. Skillfully weaving together clues gathered from forty years of research, Mowat presents a fascinating account of a forgotten history.
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This book just makes you envision the history that is not that far away, but a whole different view of daily life.
Nice approach to history telling
Farley Mowatt always interesting
Great historical story
Historical. Of a period and of a people that not much is known. Note: Earth warming is not new.
The author wrote a very interesting narrative that combined facts, actual personal visits and analysis, along with a “best-guess” scenario of events that might have taken place, given the known facts. I found it fascinating and having just returned from Newfoundland, it resonated with what i learned while there. Would recommend it for anyone wanting to know more about the people who traveled centuries ago to Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Facinating thoughts about movements of peoples in the past across the north Atlantic and into the new world, northern north America.
A fascinating alternative to conventional wisdom on prehistoric England/Scotland and environs and the settling of North America. The author deftly mixes a fictionalized account with historical and archeological findings to create a riveting narrative. The logic of the deductions is compelling, especially of the use of inverted skin boats to provide over wintering and storm shelters. We may never have a completely proven case but this reconstruction is likely to be largely correct.
If you enjoy history and mystery, this book is a delightful and provocative read!
Interesting history but dry reading.
Farley Mowat has written some great books. This wasn’t one of them. It was pretentious and poorly organized. He jumps from his present research to a novelized version of history as he sees it. He might be right about the history and writing either the evidence or a good story would have been fine, but jumping from one to the other was not satisfying.
I enjoyed the historical aspect and learned some very interesting things. Hard to read at times as it was quite dry but then again it was a book about history so one must expect those moments when it seems to drag a bit. Overall I was very glad to have read the book.