Friday, January 01, 2010
Hub Blog’s Book of the Year
Somewhat fittingly, it was the last book I read this past year and decade: Brandeis University professor David Hackett Fischer’s ‘Champlain’s Dream.’ I devoured it. But here’s a warning. It’s definitely for history buffs. It also helps if you’re a closet Francophile (I plead guilty). … Samuel de Champlain’s exploration of North America is fascinating, reaching all the way down from Canada to Cape Cod and extending deep into the interior of the continent. But the book is much more than a chronicle of Champlain’s voyages. It’s about his relationship with native Indians, members of the French court, company investors and the original habitant colonizers. Max Boot reviewed ‘Champlain’s Dream’ late last year, so I’ll let him do the heavy lifting of providing more details. But I’ll just point out that if you liked David Hackett Fisher’s prior books, including his Pulitzer Prize-winning ‘Washington’s Crossing,’ then you’ll like ‘Champlain’s Dream.’ Fans of Nathaniel Philbrick’s ‘Mayflower’ will also probably like it, though the focus of ‘Champlain’s Dream’ is obviously less local. …
I’d love to buy a copy of Champlain’s famous New France map. If anyone knows where I can get one easily and cheap, let me know.
Somewhat fittingly, it was the last book I read this past year and decade: Brandeis University professor David Hackett Fischer’s ‘Champlain’s Dream.’ I devoured it. But here’s a warning. It’s definitely for history buffs. It also helps if you’re a closet Francophile (I plead guilty). … Samuel de Champlain’s exploration of North America is fascinating, reaching all the way down from Canada to Cape Cod and extending deep into the interior of the continent. But the book is much more than a chronicle of Champlain’s voyages. It’s about his relationship with native Indians, members of the French court, company investors and the original habitant colonizers. Max Boot reviewed ‘Champlain’s Dream’ late last year, so I’ll let him do the heavy lifting of providing more details. But I’ll just point out that if you liked David Hackett Fisher’s prior books, including his Pulitzer Prize-winning ‘Washington’s Crossing,’ then you’ll like ‘Champlain’s Dream.’ Fans of Nathaniel Philbrick’s ‘Mayflower’ will also probably like it, though the focus of ‘Champlain’s Dream’ is obviously less local. …
I’d love to buy a copy of Champlain’s famous New France map. If anyone knows where I can get one easily and cheap, let me know.
