Before Columbus Early voyages to the Americas

Gr 5-9-This engaging presentation of early exploration of the Americas offers both fact and speculation on who, when, and why voyagers came; how they traveled; and what evidence they left behind. Did Phoenicians flee their Greek conquerors in 146 BCE and land in New Hampshire, building America's mysterious "Stonehenge" and etching Phoenician letters into rocks? Are the ancient Irish beehive-shaped homes, scattered as ruins throughout New England, clues to the presence of persecuted Irish monks living among Native Americans more than 1000 years ago? Did the complexion and Welsh vocabulary of the reputedly "white" Mandan tribe of North Dakota result from assimilation of Prince Madoc's Welsh expedition in the 12th century? How did gold spearheads from West Africa become artifacts of the Olmec people of Central America? Citing legends and sagas, oral and written histories, and archaeological discoveries, Wulffson presents an intriguing array of possibilities that includes Romans, Vikings, Chinese, Irish, and Africans. Similar in content, format, documentation, and audience appeal, Russell Freedman's Who Was First? Discovering the Americas (Clarion, 2007) is more selective, factual, and colorful. Although well-captioned images and eye-catching sidebars enhance Wulffson's text, the brown and blue washed illustrations lack vibrancy. Nonetheless, the stories and unanswered questions about pre-Columbian voyagers will capture the imaginations of many readers, offer fascinating glimpses of different cultural groups, stimulate further research, and establish that Columbus's latecomer discovery fame can be attributed to the printing press, good publicity, and his royal backing.-Gerry Larson, Durham School of the Arts, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.