From Publishers Weekly
This sparkling book retells a beloved tale in modern terms. Journalist Price's subtitle suggests that the book might be only about John Smith and Pocahontas-who "crossed into one another's cultures more than any other Englishman or native woman had done"-as well as about Pocahontas's eventual husband, John Rolfe. Fortunately, the book ranges more widely than that. Price relates the entire riveting story of the founding of Virginia. Smith is of course at the center of the tale, because rarely did a colonial leader so bountifully combine experience, insight, vision, strength of character and leadership skills to overcome extraordinary odds. But no one will come away from this work without heightened admiration also for the natives, especially Chief Powhatan, and greater knowledge of the introduction of a third people, African slaves, into the Chesapeake. The book's leitmotif is the interaction of differing cultures and men, like the British gentry, whom Smith scorned for refusing to adapt to hard colonial labor, and the wily Indians, who resorted to starving out the colonists and in 1622 massacred many of them. If there's a fault in a work built unobtrusively on the best scholarship, it's Price's insistence that we see Virginia principally as a place that rewarded courage and hard labor-for white men-in the service of self-advancement and personal liberty. Such a place it was. But it was also for all participants a site, at the start of the nation's history, of danger, horror and death. This is a splendid work of serious narrative history. 2 maps.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School--A richly flavored, fascinating narrative of the first two decades of the Jamestown settlement. Price has drawn on a wealth of primary sources, but details don't interrupt the flow of the story. As a mercenary in the Netherlands and Romania, and a slave in Turkey, Smith learned the importance of communicating in new languages and understanding unfamiliar cultures. He developed the skills that would later enable him to stand between the fragile new colony and disaster. The author describes the establishment of the Virginia Company and provides intriguing portraits of the new colonists. Parts of the tale sound surprisingly modern. Fearful that bad news would spook investors and discourage future colonists, the company censored accounts of hardship in letters coming from Virginia. Despite demands from London to cultivate more corn and less tobacco, tobacco always sold at much higher prices, and so remained the crop of choice, even when the colonists were forced to buy corn from the natives. Although reliable information about Pocahontas is incomplete, Price's depiction of the bright, compassionate princess is warm and admiring. Smith's return to England to recover from an injury resulted in disaster for Jamestown. The inexperienced former courtiers made incredible errors that led to the Starving Time and massacres. The author describes these horrific events in graphic detail. The book concludes with an account of Smith's writings and an analysis of the man's vision of America.--Kathy Tewell, Chantilly Regional Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Most Americans, one hopes, have at least a vague awareness of the roles of John Smith and Pocahontas in the success of the Jamestown colony. For those general readers who wish to move beyond the myths and obtain a better understanding of them and the early years of the colony, this book will be an enjoyable and valuable tool. Price is a journalist who brings considerable flair to the telling of a familiar story, and he offers some interesting perspectives on both Smith and Pocahontas. Of course, he dispels the myth of their romantic involvement, viewing Smith as a dynamic, driven "common" man who was determined to crack the whip over the aristocratic, lazy colonists, who expected to find gold and then return to England. Pocahontas emerges here as an intelligent, curious young women who played a vital role in bridging the gap between two cultures. Price also describes in vivid detail the precarious and brutal existence of life in Jamestown when the physical survival of the colonists was by no means certain. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
“Splendidly realized. . . . Price has given the Jamestown story a contemporary freshness.”–The Boston Globe
“Solid and engaging. . . . Price focuses on the human story of Jamestown, nearly mythic in its resonances.” --The New York Times
“Price clears away the misconceptions and sugar-coated half truths to reveal the true story of the Virginia Colony. . . . Full of drama, tragedy, and heartbreak.” --Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Price’s well-researched book skillfully weaves together period letters and historical documents into a narrative and is an engaging and detailed account of the many lives that clashed during the founding of Virginia.” --US News & World Report
“A scrupulously researched retelling. . . . One cannot help but be impressed by the depth and breadth of Price’s knowledge.” --The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Not only intellectually palatable, but also a juicy feast of compelling storytelling. . . . Love and Hate in Jamestown deserves an honored spot in any history buff’s library.” –Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“Greed, arrogance, intrigue, valor, stupidity, suspense, and cataclysmic tragedy . . . Price interweaves all these elements with a graceful, reportorial style that never forgets the humanity of the individuals involved.” –Orlando Sentinel
“The most historically correct and stylistically elegant rendering of John Smith and Pocahontas that I have ever read.” –Joseph J. Ellis, author of Founding Brothers
“The story David Price tells so lucidly is far more compelling than the popular tale. . . . A splendid book.” –The Christian Science Monitor
“John Smith . . . is scrupulously brought to life. . . . Price has re-created a figure to whom this nation owes a debt.” —Dallas Morning News
“The Jamestown story is splendidly realized. . . . Firmly grounded in original sources, particularly Smith’s own vivid records, and in later scholarship.” –Detroit Free Press
“A superb narrative of the founding of the first colony.” –The New York Sun
“[Price] has perused literally all existing record, letters, articles, manuscripts, shipping accounts, slavery files, and other accounts to bring us the real story of the complex first years of the colony. . . . A valuable study.” –The Decatur Daily
“In Price’s research, both Smith and Pocahontas emerge as full, compelling characters.” –Washington City Paper
“[An] admirable new history. . . . A fine book, one that personifies the virtues I esteem in a work of popular history: clarity, intelligence, grace, novelty, and brevity.” –David L. Beck, San Jose Mercury News
“[An] impeccably researched and very able retelling . . . The intersection of the Jamestown story with the careers of Smith and Pocahontas makes a fascinating narrative, and Price has done it full justice.” –The Independent (London)
“Solid and engaging. . . . Price focuses on the human story of Jamestown, nearly mythic in its resonances.” --The New York Times
“Price clears away the misconceptions and sugar-coated half truths to reveal the true story of the Virginia Colony. . . . Full of drama, tragedy, and heartbreak.” --Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Price’s well-researched book skillfully weaves together period letters and historical documents into a narrative and is an engaging and detailed account of the many lives that clashed during the founding of Virginia.” --US News & World Report
“A scrupulously researched retelling. . . . One cannot help but be impressed by the depth and breadth of Price’s knowledge.” --The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Not only intellectually palatable, but also a juicy feast of compelling storytelling. . . . Love and Hate in Jamestown deserves an honored spot in any history buff’s library.” –Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“Greed, arrogance, intrigue, valor, stupidity, suspense, and cataclysmic tragedy . . . Price interweaves all these elements with a graceful, reportorial style that never forgets the humanity of the individuals involved.” –Orlando Sentinel
“The most historically correct and stylistically elegant rendering of John Smith and Pocahontas that I have ever read.” –Joseph J. Ellis, author of Founding Brothers
“The story David Price tells so lucidly is far more compelling than the popular tale. . . . A splendid book.” –The Christian Science Monitor
“John Smith . . . is scrupulously brought to life. . . . Price has re-created a figure to whom this nation owes a debt.” —Dallas Morning News
“The Jamestown story is splendidly realized. . . . Firmly grounded in original sources, particularly Smith’s own vivid records, and in later scholarship.” –Detroit Free Press
“A superb narrative of the founding of the first colony.” –The New York Sun
“[Price] has perused literally all existing record, letters, articles, manuscripts, shipping accounts, slavery files, and other accounts to bring us the real story of the complex first years of the colony. . . . A valuable study.” –The Decatur Daily
“In Price’s research, both Smith and Pocahontas emerge as full, compelling characters.” –Washington City Paper
“[An] admirable new history. . . . A fine book, one that personifies the virtues I esteem in a work of popular history: clarity, intelligence, grace, novelty, and brevity.” –David L. Beck, San Jose Mercury News
“[An] impeccably researched and very able retelling . . . The intersection of the Jamestown story with the careers of Smith and Pocahontas makes a fascinating narrative, and Price has done it full justice.” –The Independent (London)
Book Description
A New York Times Notable Book and aSan Jose Mercury News Top 20 Nonfiction Book of 2003In 1606, approximately 105 British colonists sailed to America, seeking gold and a trade route to the Pacific. Instead, they found disease, hunger, and hostile natives. Ill prepared for such hardship, the men responded with incompetence and infighting; only the leadership of Captain John Smith averted doom for the first permanent English settlement in the New World.The Jamestown colony is one of the great survival stories of American history, and this book brings it fully to life for the first time. Drawing on extensive original documents, David A. Price paints intimate portraits of the major figures from the formidable monarch Chief Powhatan, to the resourceful but unpopular leader John Smith, to the spirited Pocahontas, who twice saved Smith’s life. He also gives a rare balanced view of relations between the settlers and the natives and debunks popular myths about the colony. This is a superb work of history, reminding us of the horrors and heroism that marked the dawning of our nation.
From the Back Cover
“Splendidly realized. . . . Price has given the Jamestown story a contemporary freshness.”–The Boston Globe
“Solid and engaging. . . . Price focuses on the human story of Jamestown, nearly mythic in its resonances.” --The New York Times
“Price clears away the misconceptions and sugar-coated half truths to reveal the true story of the Virginia Colony. . . . Full of drama, tragedy, and heartbreak.” --Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Price’s well-researched book skillfully weaves together period letters and historical documents into a narrative and is an engaging and detailed account of the many lives that clashed during the founding of Virginia.” --US News & World Report
“A scrupulously researched retelling. . . . One cannot help but be impressed by the depth and breadth of Price’s knowledge.” --The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Not only intellectually palatable, but also a juicy feast of compelling storytelling. . . . Love and Hate in Jamestown deserves an honored spot in any history buff’s library.” –Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“Greed, arrogance, intrigue, valor, stupidity, suspense, and cataclysmic tragedy . . . Price interweaves all these elements with a graceful, reportorial style that never forgets the humanity of the individuals involved.” –Orlando Sentinel
“The most historically correct and stylistically elegant rendering of John Smith and Pocahontas that I have ever read.” –Joseph J. Ellis, author of Founding Brothers
“The story David Price tells so lucidly is far more compelling than the popular tale. . . . A splendid book.” –The Christian Science Monitor
“John Smith . . . is scrupulously brought to life. . . . Price has re-created a figure to whom this nation owes a debt.” —Dallas Morning News
“The Jamestown story is splendidly realized. . . . Firmly grounded in original sources, particularly Smith’s own vivid records, and in later scholarship.” –Detroit Free Press
“A superb narrative of the founding of the first colony.” –The New York Sun
“[Price] has perused literally all existing record, letters, articles, manuscripts, shipping accounts, slavery files, and other accounts to bring us the real story of the complex first years of the colony. . . . A valuable study.” –The Decatur Daily
“In Price’s research, both Smith and Pocahontas emerge as full, compelling characters.” –Washington City Paper
“[An] admirable new history. . . . A fine book, one that personifies the virtues I esteem in a work of popular history: clarity, intelligence, grace, novelty, and brevity.” –David L. Beck, San Jose Mercury News
“[An] impeccably researched and very able retelling . . . The intersection of the Jamestown story with the careers of Smith and Pocahontas makes a fascinating narrative, and Price has done it full justice.” –The Independent (London)
“Solid and engaging. . . . Price focuses on the human story of Jamestown, nearly mythic in its resonances.” --The New York Times
“Price clears away the misconceptions and sugar-coated half truths to reveal the true story of the Virginia Colony. . . . Full of drama, tragedy, and heartbreak.” --Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Price’s well-researched book skillfully weaves together period letters and historical documents into a narrative and is an engaging and detailed account of the many lives that clashed during the founding of Virginia.” --US News & World Report
“A scrupulously researched retelling. . . . One cannot help but be impressed by the depth and breadth of Price’s knowledge.” --The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Not only intellectually palatable, but also a juicy feast of compelling storytelling. . . . Love and Hate in Jamestown deserves an honored spot in any history buff’s library.” –Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“Greed, arrogance, intrigue, valor, stupidity, suspense, and cataclysmic tragedy . . . Price interweaves all these elements with a graceful, reportorial style that never forgets the humanity of the individuals involved.” –Orlando Sentinel
“The most historically correct and stylistically elegant rendering of John Smith and Pocahontas that I have ever read.” –Joseph J. Ellis, author of Founding Brothers
“The story David Price tells so lucidly is far more compelling than the popular tale. . . . A splendid book.” –The Christian Science Monitor
“John Smith . . . is scrupulously brought to life. . . . Price has re-created a figure to whom this nation owes a debt.” —Dallas Morning News
“The Jamestown story is splendidly realized. . . . Firmly grounded in original sources, particularly Smith’s own vivid records, and in later scholarship.” –Detroit Free Press
“A superb narrative of the founding of the first colony.” –The New York Sun
“[Price] has perused literally all existing record, letters, articles, manuscripts, shipping accounts, slavery files, and other accounts to bring us the real story of the complex first years of the colony. . . . A valuable study.” –The Decatur Daily
“In Price’s research, both Smith and Pocahontas emerge as full, compelling characters.” –Washington City Paper
“[An] admirable new history. . . . A fine book, one that personifies the virtues I esteem in a work of popular history: clarity, intelligence, grace, novelty, and brevity.” –David L. Beck, San Jose Mercury News
“[An] impeccably researched and very able retelling . . . The intersection of the Jamestown story with the careers of Smith and Pocahontas makes a fascinating narrative, and Price has done it full justice.” –The Independent (London)
About the Author
David A. Price has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, Forbes, and Business 2.0. He was formerly a reporter in the Washington, D.C., bureau of Investor's Business Daily. He holds degrees from Harvard Law School, Cambridge University, and the College of William and Mary. He was raised in Richmond, Virginia, and now lives with his wife and their two sons in Washington, D.C.
