Customer Reviews:
I Just Don't Know.......2006-02-01
Undoubtedly, Fell was a gifted and brilliant scholar who distinguished himself in a number of disciplines. Just as obvious, the author took huge leaps of faith when arriving at some of his faulty conclusions. I found myself both intrigued and disappointed with Fell's work.
As a resident of New Mexico, I visited an archeological sight west of Los Lunas which contains a mezzuzah (abbreviated 10 commandments) inscribed on an 80 ton piece of basalt. The inscription, according to Cyrus Gordon, is an ancient Phoenician/Hebrew script, a language that could not be interpreted until the 1930's. Yet, documentation of this "mystery stone" goes back at least 150 years.
It is easy to dismiss Fell's collective work because of his many misteps, but perhaps that would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. When confronted with an ancient rendition of the 10 Commandments in the middle of a New Mexico desert, I could only scratch my head in bewilderment. Obviously, more careful and scholarly attention is needed to study this whole notion of pre-Columbian visitors to the west. Unfortunately, many of our most respected scholars who could contribute to this area refuse to do so out of fear of being labeled a nut case.
Ancient Mysteries.......2005-08-17
I first read Barry Fell's America B.C. many years ago as a teenager, and being lucky enough to live in Vermont, have visited various ancient sites here and in New Hampshire. Even if you are skeptical after reading this book, at least let it be a jumping off point to read and discover more about this intriguing subject. Another short, but wonderful book is "New England's Ancient Mysteries" by Robert Ellis Cahill. I picked this up at America's Stonehenge in Salem, NH and am anxious to visit some of the other sites outlined in this book. Also visit www.neara.org for more information on New England Antiquities. It truly is in your own backyard!!
A Shame Nobody Has Carried the Torch on This Research.......2005-08-04
"The fact that all of the modern American nations are a result --in different degrees--, of the cultural and biological symbiosis between the populations of the Old World and Pre-Hispanic America, makes the search for the beginnings of this transcendental and still ongoing process an anthropological exercise that does not lack either sense or relevance." - Romeo H. Hristov
The problem with many books and papers on Pre-Columbian contact with America is that many of the people who write them want so badly to believe it that they take enormous, unsubstantiated and ill-informed leaps to that conclusion. Ultimately, this of course benefits the `scholarly' naysayer by casting an ominous cloud of doubt over something that inherently has credibility; that is, when one searches in the right place.
There is no doubt that Barry Fell deserves an immense amount of respect for his very scholarly work in the field of ancient, non-Amerindian epigraphic evidence found in America. Furthermore, his three books really are national treasures that I hope one day will be greatly vindicated. However, the reason I'm compelled to give the book less than 5 stars is due to the Achilles heal that Dr. Fell leaves exposed to the poison arrows of the naysayers...
Let me explain first by saying that from a completely different perspective than Dr. Fell, I have little doubt as to whether ancient, maritime traders made it to America before Columbus. However, the angle which I approach this issue is from clues littered throughout *surviving*, ancient documents; hints, whispers and anecdotes that I myself have read instead of taking a contemporary's word for it. Dr. Fell's work seemed like the final evidence I was looking for to match literary evidence with physical proof.
This is where my only disappointment with Dr. Fell's work lies. He writes with such authority about inscriptions left by certain people but then falls short to relay to his readers a solid background of these very same people. This apparent lack of supporting research on these topics is what leaves his wonderful work exposed to the ninnies. If Dr. Fell had relied more on the exhaustive work of others available to him (even in the 1970s) the finished product of his book would have been wholly undeniable.
Without that however, the background of whom he considers to be Phoenician, Iberian, Iberian-Punic and `Basque' people comes across to me as confused; like mythical hearsay instead of the concrete geo-social groups of people they were.
I about fell out of my chair during the chapter on the `Ship's of Tarshish'; Phoenicians = Syrian Colonists? Ack! Tartessians "seem to be Basque"? Ack! Finally the caption under an engraving in that chapter that claims (even though he has the evidence they came to America) there was no written context for Phoenicians traveling in the Atlantic... If Dr. Fell were still alive, I would make sure he owned a copy of Howard Smith's 1854 `Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography', Herodotus, Diodorus Sicilius (Book V), Strabo, and Polybius for starters...
Open minds are healthy ones. .......2005-05-12
This fascinating book, summarising the author's findings after an extensive survey of Pre-Columbian sites and artifacts, is a gripping read, a masterpiece of archeological detective work. Page after page, Fell builds up a picture of America B.C., based on his decipherment of ancient stone inscriptions, more or less ignored since Columbus set foot in America. The controversial thing here, is that most such inscriptions are in a variant of Ogham - a script usually associated with the ancient British Druids and proto-Celtic culture in lands, far distant from America. Outlining evidence of migrant Celtic and Semitic cultures - on American soil, as far back as 800 B.C. Fell's fascinating account is fleshed out with abundant photographs, maps, charts, alphabets and scripts, showing how he arrived at his conclusions. Short of being downright pig-headed, it is hard to ignore the evidence Fell has adduced, to make his case.
Although a Harvard Professor, Fell presents his ideas in lively and accessible manner. He has had his critics - the most scathing being professional archeologists and ethnologists etc. whose comfortable world of preconceptions has been turned upside down by his findings. Such critics have attempted to discredit Fell's work as unscientific, amatuerish speculation,
even wilful fabrication. However, note well, Barry Fell is a Harvard Professor. The acknowledgements and credits at the front of this book, listing scores of people with impeccable professional qualifications - who have supported and encouraged Fell's work, speak for themselves.
Fell does have supportive voices in the American academic establishment - but, the negative 'academic' reactions have succeeded in persuading a number of people to reject Fell's ideas as 'wacky' - much as if he were claiming that aliens are living in underground bunkers in New York, or that the citizens of Long Island actually constitute a colony from Venus.
However, the only 'aliens' in this picture, are the Caucasian people who settled in post-Columbian America, thereafter making it a virtue to ignore the history of the earth beneath their feet. Amerindian culture - once defined by an ugly, racist stereotype' - Redskins' - has only recently acquired the respect, interest and attention it rightly deserves, recognised as manifold and complex - in fact, a rich diversity of cultures. By and large, the white colonisers of America shew little interest in getting to know the land they settled in - beyond the bounds of self-interest, securing territory, staking out claims, establishing communities based on European models. Thus, until fairly recent times, even the surviving Amerindian culture has remained a closed book, let alone the secrets of Pre-Columbian America, shrouded in the mists of time.
With America B.C.- Barry Fell has presented an exciting and challenging account, which lifts the veil on this matter - not with unfounded speculation, as his citics have asserted, but with hard evidence - written in stone! The disclaimers have had to resort to desperate gestures - to refute Fell. Ridiculously, they have asserted that the Ogham inscriptions - are, in fact, scratch marks left by plough shares etc. Fell shows how Ogham scripts are composed, and the evidence he has provided, speaks for itself. This is a brilliant book, by a brilliant, but profoundly humble man, more interested in pursuing the truth, than know-towing to peer group pressure.
Some find it hard to accept that there is a correspondence between proto-archaic languages of America B.C. - and Celtic, putting it down to chance that certain nouns, verbs etc. - resemble each other. How about this: there are correspondences between the Ainu language in Japan and Celtic/Gaelic" - viz.
Ainu/Gaelic
atui/ath body of water
charuse/tsuruthain stream
hau/au voice/audible
iye/iar ask/say
karap/corrag touch/forefinger
kapuhu/chapno leather
mak/mac descendant of
mo shir/mo thir my land
pen/ben mountain
- there are plenty more. I have thrown these examples in, because they widen the net, showing further evidence of a kind of pan-celtic diaspora (remember the Celtic 'mummy' found in Asia, a few years back? DNA tests made the identity certain). It is virtually impossible to hang-on to the stereotypical ethno-cultural models which provided the basis for such studies, a hundred years ago. In truth, we know better today.
While Fell's book details some astonishing facts, upsetting cherished preconceptions, the picture of human culture which emerges is a much enlarged - and thus, a much richer one. Don't join the unimaginative crustheads and snobs who mock this book. Order two copies of it, give one to a friend, or local library etc. Celebrate the rich fabric of American culture! On an ironic end-note, I confess that I found my copy of this book in a s/hand store,marked 'Discard. Kyoto International School.'
Whacky.......2005-03-10
Fall for this stuff and I have a bridge I'd like to sell you. Fell is one of those strange archeologists who believes ancient civilizations came to America long before Columbus. He sees Druids in New England, Libyans in Arizona, and Celts everywhere. The evidence is very skimpy and Fell stretches it to what HE wants to believe. His style and approach to his subject are very academic--but only the better to fool ya. Just about everything Fell proposes has been disproved by reputable archeologists, but I guess, like P.T. Barnum, he believes there's a sucker born every minute. Don't fall for it.
Book Description
This account of the settlement of one segment of the North Carolina frontier—the land between the Yadkin and Catawba rivers—examines the process by which the piedmont South was populated. Through its ingenious use of hundreds of sources and documents, Robert Ramsey traces the movement of the original settlers and their families from the time they stepped onto American shores to their final settlement in the northwest Carolina territory. He considers the economic, religious, social, and geographical influences that led the settlers to Rowan County and describes how this frontier community was organized and supervised.
Customer Reviews:
This is a great book to have........2005-12-10
"Carolina Cradle" is probably the best book on this subject; valuable for genealogists as well as people interested in the history of this fascinating period. It is well-documented and should be on your bookshelf.
Carolina Cradle.......2004-04-11
How can you review a book you haven't even read?
Most informative and interesting I have read on genealogy ........1997-11-14
I have always loved this book and wordered if the author wrote any other books.
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Rhineland Emigrants Lists of German Settlers in Colonial America (#6540)
Manufacturer: Clearfield Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0806309342 |
Book Description
This is a collection of articles pertaining to the European origins of Pennsylvania German immigrants which originally appeared in the magazine Pennsylvania Folklife, successor to The Pennsylvania Dutchman.
Virtually all the emigrants mentioned in this work are cited with reference to church, parish, and provincial records and other records located in the archival repositories of the old Palatinate and adjoining provinces in southwest Germany; and these emigrants are cited again, where possible, with reference to a corresponding range of Pennsylvania source materials, notably church records, wills, and tax lists. In addition, names of emigrants are collated with Strassburger and Hinke's celebrated Pennsylvania German Pioneers, from which are drawn dates of arrival, names of ships, and other evidence of immigration.
Book Description
In this second volume of interviews conducted by Nebraska judge Eli S. Ricker, he focuses on white eyewitnesses and participants in the occupying and settling of the American West in the nineteenth century. In the first decade of the twentieth century, as the Old West became increasingly distant and romanticized in popular consciousness, Eli S. Ricker (1842-1926) began interviewing those who had experienced it firsthand, hoping to write a multivolume series about its last days, centering on the conflicts between Natives and outsiders. For years Ricker traveled across the northern Plains, gathering information on and off reservations, in winter and in summer. Judge Ricker never wrote his book, but his interviews are priceless sources of information about that time and place, and they offer more balanced perspectives on events than were accepted at the time. Richard E. Jensen brings together all of Ricker's interviews with those men and women who came to the American West from elsewhere-settlers, homesteaders, and veterans. These interviews shed light on such key events as the massacre at Wounded Knee, the Little Bighorn battle, Beecher Island, Lightning Creek, the Mormon cow incident, and the Washita massacre. Also of interest are glimpses of everyday life at different agencies, including Pine Ridge, Yellow Medicine, and Fort Sill School; brief though revealing memoirs; and snapshots of cattle drives, conflicts with Natives, and the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad. Richard E. Jensen retired as a senior research anthropologist at the Nebraska State Historical Society. He is the editor of Charles Allen's From Fort Laramie to Wounded Knee: In the West That Was and Rolf Johnson's Happy As a Big Sunflower: Adventures in the West, 1876-1880, both available in Bison Books editions.
Book Description
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of William Cooper's Town comes a dramatic and illuminating portrait of white and Native American relations in the aftermath of the American Revolution.
The Divided Ground tells the story of two friends, a Mohawk Indian and the son of a colonial clergyman, whose relationship helped redefine North America. As one served American expansion by promoting Indian dispossession and religious conversion, and the other struggled to defend and strengthen Indian territories, the two friends became bitter enemies. Their battle over control of the Indian borderland, that divided ground between the British Empire and the nascent United States, would come to define nationhood in North America. Taylor tells a fascinating story of the far-reaching effects of the American Revolution and the struggle of American Indians to preserve a land of their own.
Customer Reviews:
A very forthright view of the Native American and their treatment .......2007-02-16
Without being "preachy" or trying to be "politically correct" this account of the native American and their plight against the early settlers in North America is an eye opener. Very well written without the "pretext" of trying to explain it away, the author descibes a people desparately trying to save their culture against the "inevitable" being betrayed every step of the way. "Food for thought" for the 21st Century and the meaning of nationhood.
Detailed, and thus slow going.......2006-10-27
Taylor has done his homework here, and when one reads this book it is obvious he knows his stuff. This is a detailed look at Indian relations with settlers in the post Revol War NY world, as well as a look at relations between Americans and the British in Canada, and between Americans as well. Unfort., Taylor has fallen into the trap (assisted by an editor) of not knowing what to leave OUT of his story. No pun intended, but there are far too many trees described to the point that it takes too long to see the forest. This is especially true in the first half of the book, in which he seems to give us EVERY scrap he could find about indian land leases and coalitions of settlers to try to get the land from the Indians by any means necessary. This has the effect of making for very tedious reading, as do the descriptions of negotiations between whites and Indians. The book is 400 pp long, so eliminating much of this dry, plodding text would have been a great service to the reader, without sacrificing Taylor's objective of telling a story.
One of the Best Studies on the topic of Land Use and colonial power.......2006-09-30
Dr. Taylor's careful study of the encroaching Indian plight in Eastern North America through 1810. This is a highly detailed study demonstrating
considerable skill and a balanced narrative; never losing sight of its subject. Moreover, the study amplifies how intelligent the Indians were and how poorly they were used by the colonial powers. I know of no other book that covers this period so throughly and competently. I recommend Prof. Taylor's earlier work on 'William Cooper's Town' as an excellent precursor to The Devided Land.
Dr. Douglas E. Mapou, PhD-Anthropology
Excellent Research/Less than Coherent Whole.......2006-08-05
This book compiles a large amount of research on the topic of Iroquois-American relations. It emphasizes the gradual loss of Indian lands to Speculators, New York, the US, and British Canada. Unfortunately, it does not always tell a coherent story. For example, I thought the Brant-Kirkland relationship did not form a useful thread through the book as promised early on. It seems almost an editor's shot at repackaging. The book succeeds amazingly at blending personal human detail with the big picture. But too many people, roles, and details burden the reader. I could have really used an index of people with short bios to avoid paging back and forth. The bumpy chonological order also contributes to a ponderous read. The book offers a very rich view at the North American political scene 1783 to 1805, but it's clearly more academic than general interest.
A kaleidoscope of characters and conflicts.......2006-07-10
I was intrigued when I saw historian Alan Taylor on BookTV talking about his newest book, "The Divided Ground." Massive in scope, filled with fascinating characters and decades of conflict, Taylor's book is a compelling account of the years surrounding the American Revolution. It makes a good companion volume to Nathaniel Philbrick's "Mayflower," which I had just finished.
Taylor follows the lives of two contemporary figures, an Indian named Joseph Brant and a white evangelical minister called Samuel Kirkland, who were schoolmates in early life. He paints with a broad brush, and dozens of other people appear in these pages, accompanied by his succinct descriptions of who they were and what they did.
The reader will gain a much deeper understanding of the inevitable conflicts over land, and over boundaries once the Revolution had established a new country which bordered a British territory to the north and west. Also figuring prominently into the mix are the diametrically opposed attitudes of the native American tribes and the frontier farmer settlers toward the uses of land, the concept of private property, and even work/gender roles.
This book will take you into that distant time and open your eyes to its rich complexity. Highly recommended.
Book Description
Into the Valley is the moving story of one woman torn between two brothers who have drastically different visions of the future of their country. In 1780, during the turbulent days of the American Revolution, Annie Barnes is engaged to stable, loving Luke Wilde, an Ohio Valley farmer who is satisfied with his life and not at all sure that it's right or advisable to fight the British crown. But because of a life-changing experience in her childhood, Annie also has strong feelings for his brother, Jeremiah Wilde, a wanderer who becomes deeply involved in the patriot cause and ends up bringing the war a little too close to Annie and Luke's settled life. As the brothers become dangerously embroiled in the fighting, Annie's relationships with both of them are twisted, tried, and tangled beyond recognition. As Luke and Jeremiah face unimaginable dangers, Annie must confront her feelings about the future-both of the land she adores and the brothers she can't live without.The second novel in Bittner's ambitious Westward America series,chronicling the history of the settling of America through the stories of its brave pioneers, Into the Valley is a story of war's unexpected effects on the lives of ordinary citizens, and of the courage of the early patriots showed in gaining America's independence.
Customer Reviews:
Waste of time.......2006-08-04
I find it hard to believe that this is the same author who wrote _Song of the Wolf_. I'm starting to believe that she must have been truly inspired for that book because none of her other books come close to measuring up.
I completely agree with a previous reviewer--the writing is dumbed down. I was bored, bored, bored. Not even the dialogue felt authentic. None of the characters seemed real and I never felt invested in the plot or the time period.
If you're looking to read a Bittner novel, don't waste your time on this one--get a copy of _Song of the Wolf_!
Dumbed-down writing.......2003-12-05
For years I was a staunch fan of Bittner's books, but moved on to other authors when some of her later books lost their appeal. I just recently returned to this author with "Into the Valley" and found even greater disappointment. Bittner has so dumbed down her writing that there is no depth to the characters, let alone the plot. I find this a common style amongst many romance writers - the writing seems to be geared to no more than a 6th grade level. I cringe to think that the book editors and publishers are advising authors along this line of thinking, but I fear it is so. The result is that I couldn't find any emotional attachment to the characters. And the "living history" that was supposedly conveyed was a very narrow window. The sad thing is that Bittner had a potentially interesting plot revolving around the love triangle of Luke, Jeremiah, and Annie. Fleshed out, this could have made for interesting writing, but noooooooooo, sadly, that didn't happen. Some parts were almost funny - the "coupling" scenes were similar to two dolls that some omniscient hand places face to face, they couple, they roll apart. The whole book made me feel like Bittner couldn't decide whether to write a romance or an historical novel, found she had time for neither, so churned out this weak no-brainer. It's time she retires; her heart is no longer in it.
No surprise.......2003-07-03
I loved this book ( no surprise). Rosanne never disappoints. The only thing about this book that could have been different was there could have been more with Jesse, Noah and the boys as they were growing up. Can't wait for the next book.
powerful trek to 1780 in the Ohio Valley.......2003-03-27
In 1780, the American Colonies close to the ocean are embroiled in hostilities with the English military. Further inland in places along the Ohio River, the locals barely feel the war. Most residents are neutrally ambivalent or lean towards loyalty to the crown with few freedom fighters. In Willow Creek, like most of the Ohio Valley settlements, the Revolution takes a back stage to farming and family. Luke Wilde works the land whether he is an English subject or an American citizen. However, his brother Jeremiah has wandered the wilderness and thus has a wider perspective so he desires freedom at any cost.
After being away for three years, Jeremiah returns to Willow Creek on the eve of his sibling's marriage to Annie Barnes. Jeremiah loves Annie, but knows she is better off with his brother, which is why he left in the first place. His arrival brings the British army to previously peaceful Willow Creek forcing the two brothers to join in arms against the oppressor while Annie remains wild about both men.
THE SETTLERS is an exciting historical tale that looks closely at a segment of American Revolutionary War society often ignored by textbooks. The vivid story line brings to the forefront the varying feelings including internal conflict towards the war and the crown. This leads to deep characterizations, at least on the colonial side. The English come across as caricatures because they appear as abusive brutes rather than concerned individual with some doubts about fighting their Anglo brothers. Fans of strong Americana novels will appreciate Roseanne Bittner's powerful trek to 1780 in the Ohio Valley.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
The epic true story of Charlotte Taylor, as told by her great-great-great-granddaughter, one of Canada’s foremost journalists.
In 1775, twenty-year-old Charlotte Taylor fled her English country house with her lover, the family’s black butler. To escape the fury of her father, they boarded a ship for the West Indies, but ten days after reaching shore, Charlotte’s lover died of yellow fever, leaving her alone and pregnant in Jamaica.
Undaunted, Charlotte swiftly made an alliance with a British naval commodore, who plied a trading route between the islands and British North America, and travelled north with him. She landed at the Baie de Chaleur, in what is present-day New Brunswick, where she found refuge with the Mi’kmaq and birthed her baby. In the sixty-six years that followed, she would have three husbands, nine more children and a lifelong relationship with an aboriginal man.
Charlotte Taylor lived in the front row of history, walking the same paths as the expelled Acadians, the privateers of the British-American War and the newly arriving Loyalists. In a rough and beautiful landscape, she struggled to clear and claim land, and battled the devastating epidemics that stalked her growing family. Using a seamless blend of fact and fiction, Charlotte Taylor’s great-great-great-granddaughter, Sally Armstrong, reclaims the life of a dauntless and unusual woman and delivers living history with all the drama and sweep of a novel.
Excerpt from from
The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor:
“Every summer of my youth, we would travel from the family cottage at Youghall Beach to visit my mother’s extended clan in Tabusintac near the Miramichi River. And at every gathering, just as much as there would be chickens to chase and newly cut hay to leap in, so there would be an ample serving of stories about Charlotte Taylor. . .
She was a woman with a “past.” The potboilers about her ran like serials from summer to summer, at weddings and funerals and whenever the clan came together. She wasn’t exactly presented as a gentlewoman, although it was said that she came from an aristocratic family in England. Nor was there much that seemed genteel about the person they always referred to as “old Charlotte.” Words like “lover” and “land grabber” drifted down from the supper table to where we kids sat on the floor. There were whoops of laughter at her indiscretions, followed by sideways glances at us. But for all the stories passed around, it was clear the family still had a powerful respect for a woman long dead. We owed our very existence to her, and the anecdotes the older generation told suggested that their own fortitude and guile were family traits passed down from the ancestral matriarch. For as long as I can remember, I’ve tried to imagine the real life Charlotte Taylor lived and, more, how she ever survived.”
Book Description
The first book to capture both the arms and family history of the old Irish Septs, and the newer 'settler' families from Scotland and England. Documented with Locations, Dates and Sources. The actual Color Coats of Arms and Blazons are included for many of the families, and many others are displayed in black and white exactly as they are found in the old works in the Irish Archives. Seats of power; forfeited arms; Extinct lines; Noble orders; Badges; and Peeresses are included, making this the most complete work of its kind.
Customer Reviews:
Irish Book of Arms.......2007-09-26
Overall this is a very good source on Irish heraldry dating back some time. True it is in black and white and the images seem to be scanned in from other sources, but that is precisely the point. It is a compilation of arms from several Irish sources scanned into one collection and alphabetized for the reader.
It is a worthwhile book for anyone interested in Irish armory at all levels and certainly aids those who do heraldic artwork, such as myself, in finding emblazons from long ago so future clients can create their own arms based off of, though different from, the existing arms of these names from specific places.
Overall I give it 4 out of 5 stars. The only reason it is not 5 out of 5 is that I wish the blazons for some of the arms, which are not included, would have been; i.e., the arms of the Tribes of Galway is an excellent feature, but the blazon for the crests and arms is not there ... you have to dig them out of the text where they are available there, though not all are.
Proven original arms and families from the 1700's onwards!.......2002-09-17
This book has salvaged original arms from works as early as the 1700s in Ireland, and ties many of the arms to specific individuals - seldom done in other works. Some originals were from the 1700's, it is no wonder that they are not 'perfectly' glossy. They are very real. Those unfamiliar with the printing process may not understand that ink will fade over the centuries. All the originals have been reproduced exactly as they appeared in the dusty, salvaged volumes in the Irish Archives. Many appear nowhere else in print. Some novices may like arms that have been redrawn by a modern 'artist' in modern colors- this book includes over a hundred of those, but also includes hundreds of orginals that are found in no other work today- which makes it very unique
In addition - genealogy notes which appear nowhere else in print appear in several hundred entries. They name the holder of the arms, the name of father or descendant, and the SOURCE from which the information is taken, i.e. the Peerage of Ireland, The Irish Compendium, etc...dating back to 1722 a.d.. It is, bar none, the largest collection of Irish arms with commentary.
In short, any serious student of Irish heraldry will appreciate this work and its historical context.
Home printing at its worst.......2001-10-18
If you are thinking of buying this book, save your money. Neither the research into this subject nor the quality of the printing is worth it. The book appears to be a cut-and-paste collection of images that appeared in antique books. The quality is so poor that many of the black-and-white images are blurry (low resolution on computer scanner?)and show black lines at the edges like a poor photocopy. Nor is the book comprehensive. All in all this book seems to have been published at home....
Really Good.......2001-08-17
This book taught me alot. Nothing else explains the old Irish and also the families that settled in Ireland from Scotland, England and Wales etc... It includes the Roll of Arms for Irish septs..circa 1690 and also 300 years of Arms issued in Ireland under the British. Lots more to read, genaology notes can run from one sentence to serveral detailed paragraphs. I recommend it!
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German Settlers of Iowa: Their Descendants, and European Ancestors
Margaret Krug Palen
Manufacturer: Heritage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1556139810 |
Book Description
Book Three focuses on Karl Oskar and Kristina as they adapt to their new homeland and struggle to survive on their new farm.
Customer Reviews:
THE SWEDISH STATE OF MINNESOTA..........2004-01-02
This is an epic work by its Swedish author, who is considered to be one of Sweden's greatest writers. Translated from Swedish into English, this beautifully written book of historical fiction was first published in 1956. It is the third part of a four part opus, the first two of which are "The Emigrants" and "Unto a Good Land". The last book is aptly titled "Last Letter Home".
In the first volume, "The Emigrants", the author detailed the emigration of a Swedish family to the New World, grounding it in the reasons for the exodus of so many Swedes from their mother country in the middle of the 19th century. The focus of the first book in this four part opus is on the family, relatives, and friends of Karl Oscar Nilsson, a peasant farmer who unceasingly worked his farm, only to find that, no matter what he did, he could not progress and would continue to live on the cusp of total poverty. The focus of the first book is on their life in Sweden. Gathering up family and friends of the family, the Nilssons decide to take the monumental step of making a fresh start by emigrating to the new world, specifically the United States of America.
The second volume, "Unto a Good Land", focuses on the arrival of the Nilsson family and friends in the United States of America. It details their journey from New York, a journey that was to take them across the Midwest by rail, steamer, and foot, to arrive in the wilds of what would one day be the State of Minnesota. It is in this wilderness that the Nilsson family and friends would homestead and struggle to make a new home. The author regales the reader with the travails this hardy group of settlers would encounter in their efforts to create by the sweat of their brow a new home in the wilderness. The early struggles of the Nilsson family to succeed in what was an unknown frontier is engagingly chronicled.
In "The Settlers", the author continues the story of the Nilsson family and friends. It is the story of a family who struggled to prevail in Minnesota, an alien land of harsh, inhospitable winters and scorching summers. The book continues to chronicle their lives and their adaptation to the adopted country that they would forever call home. It tells the story of the divided Nilsson brothers, each of whom would forge a path alien to the other. The author hones in on the fact that the early settlers were subject to being taken advantage of by the unscrupulous. He highlights the mass migration of disaffected Swedes to Minnesota and details their contribution to the prosperity of that part of the country. The author shows how these early Swedish settlers consolidated themselves into a thriving, bustling community, despite the obstacles and hardships that were to be their lot in the early years of their struggle to make the new land yield to their will.
I have enjoyed the first, second, and third volumes so much that I look forward to continuing this journey with the Nilssons by reading the last remaining volume. Well-written and vibrant with period detail, this is a book that those who enjoy historical fiction will appreciate.
Excellent.......2001-04-09
The Settlers follows the experiences of Karl Oskar Nilsson, and his wife Kristina, from 1853 to 1860. In 1853 Karl Oskar is surprised to find something new in the woods around his homestead - a neighbor. The mass migration of Swedes has begun, and soon there is a community, with a schoolhouse and a church. Karl Oskar's younger brother Robert returns from the California gold rush, seemingly broken in health and spirit, and reluctant to say what happened to him. It is a bittersweet time of change, a time of gaining and a time of losing.
This book is the third in the Emigrants quadrilogy, and continues to demonstrate the same excellence shown by the others. Vilhelm Moberg was a great writer, and these books are amongst the best that I have ever read. The characters are powerfully written, seeming quite real; this was one of the authors many strengths. This is a wonderful introduction to the settler experience, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
[For those of you with young children, I would like to recommend the Kirsten books in the American Girls series. Written for young readers (primarily girls), it tells the story of a Swedish family that immigrates to Minnesota in 1854.]
Settle into a Good Read!.......2000-03-26
This is the third book in a series by the talented author, Vilhelm Moberg. It follows the story of the struggling Swedish family of Kristina and Karl Oskar, who are trying to survive and make a better life for themselves and their children in America. I would reccommend reading the first two books in the exciting saga before reading The Settlers, so you'll know how and why Karl Oskar and his wife came to America in the first place. I really enjoyed reading all three of these books, but I especially liked this one because of the vivid descriptions and the overall story of their hardships and how they overcome them. I would definitely suggest that you get your hands on a copy of The Settlers as soon as possible! This is absolutely a two thumbs up read!
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