RavePortland MercuryNorth\'s premise might sound dry, as he\'s basically writing an encyclopedia. However, he\'s talented and smart enough to make essentially any topic entertaining ... North\'s pseudo-encyclopedia provides perspective, and far-reaching thousand-year long view is actually a relief right now...a reminder that humanity is capable of making significant, real progress, albeit slowly. North\'s vision of history is one of ingenuity and progress in the best way possible. He is here to tell us that we\'ve been better, and we can be better.
Andrew Lawler
PositiveThe Portland MercuryThe Roanoke colony is often associated with phenomena like ghosts, zombies, or alien abduction. Lawler, thankfully, doesn’t spend too much time debunking that kind of thing. Far more interesting is his exploration of Roanoke in regards to how America thinks about itself, its history, and race ... Lawler dives into what could have happened to it. He puts it into context. Roanoke existed at a time when England and Spain were actively trying to kill each other, Native Americans and Europeans were first encountering each other, and the beginnings of America’s genocide and displacement were already underway. That context is inescapable, but everyone loves a good mystery.
