Writings with other narratives of Roanoke Jamestown and the first English settlement of America

Synopsis

One of the truly legendary figures of American history, the soldier, explorer, and colonist Captain John Smith was a vivid and prolific chronicler of the beginnings of English settlement in the New World. This volume brings together seven of his works, along with 16 additional narratives by 13 other writers, that recount firsthand the tragic, harrowing, and dramatic events of the settlement of Roanoke and Jamestown. Written in a consistently lively style, Smith's works are filled with suspense, astonishment, and keen observations of American Indian cultures and New World landscapes. Together with the other narratives, they capture the fear and fascination of early encounters with the Indians and the brutality, desperation, and ingenuity of settlers facing extreme hardship. Included in the volume are 29 plates of contemporary drawings, 15 in full colour.