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Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | SCD J 970.01 FRE 2 DISCS | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Historians still agree about the date of Columbus's voyage. But did this European adventurer discover America? We now know that certain explorers from other parts of the globe set foot on American shores long before 1492-and that others may have done so. And "discovery" takes on a different meaning when the new land already has people living in it.
As artifacts are unearthed and analyzed, the story of human presence in the Americas continues to unfold. Looking deeper and deeper into the past, acclaimed nonfiction writer Russell Freedman tells this evolving story, touching on such evidence as Viking runes, Chinese legends, Mayan stonework, and mysterious objects found in New England. Thoroughly researched and impeccably documented, Who Was First? is a compelling account of many discoverers of the Americas
Author Notes
Russell Freedman was born in San Francisco, California on October 11, 1929. He received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley in 1951. After college, he served in the U.S. Counter Intelligence Corps during the Korean War. After his military service, he became a reporter and editor with the Associated Press. In 1956, he took a position at the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson in New York, where he did publicity writing for television. In 1965, he became a full-time writer.
His first book, Teenagers Who Made History, was published in 1961. He went on to publish more than 60 nonfiction titles for young readers including Immigrant Kids, Cowboys of the Old West, Indian Chiefs, Martha Graham: A Dancer's Life, Confucius: The Golden Rule, Because They Marched: The People's Campaign for Voting Rights That Changed America, Vietnam: A History of the War, and The Sinking of the Vasa. He received the Newbery Medal for Lincoln: A Photobiography and three Newbery Honors for Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery, The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane, and The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. He also received the Regina Medal, the May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture Award, the Orbis Pictus Award, the Sibert Medal, a Sibert Honor, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, and the National Humanities Medal. He died on March 16, 2018 at the age of 88.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate, Middle School) "The Americas have always been lands of immigrants," Freedman argues in an attractive volume that demonstrates how these connected continents have been discovered and settled over and over since the Stone Age. In lively, graceful prose, the author invites young readers to ponder a serious historical question, first making Columbus's familiar story suspenseful and then introducing earlier players: Chinese sailors, Viking explorers, Native American civilizations, and prehistoric settlers. His straightforward explanations of various historical theories ("Did China Discover America?") include descriptions of the proponents and evidence for and against. The book's design adds to its appeal, with plenty of color, ample white space, and carefully chosen illustrations ranging from photographs of ancient ruins to a twenty-first-century ship model built from historical records. Captions for the illustrations include identification of their original date; maps accompany each chapter; and the end matter includes source notes for quoted materials, a selected bibliography, acknowledgments, picture credits, and an index. Lauded for his exemplary informational books for young readers, Freedman has done it again, providing a well-organized, lucid, and engaging explanation of an important subject for middle-grade and middle-school readers. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* This well-designed, clearly written book looks at various ideas about the discovery of the Americas, including the famous voyages of Columbus in 1492, the claims that fifteenth-century Chinese explorer Zheng He may have sailed to the Americas, and the now-documented settlement of Vikings in Newfoundland around the year 1000. Next, the discussion turns to Native Americans, from ancient civilizations to the diverse societies that were here shortly before European contact. Freedman describes the long-accepted theory of the earliest inhabitants of North America crossing from Siberia over an ice bridge across the Bering Strait, dismissing it as almost certainly wrong in the light of more recent archaeological evidence. Beyond the very readable presentation of facts and theories, the book's main accomplishment is in showing that history is not a static body of knowledge, but an evolving process of logically interpreted evidence continually questioned, disputed, and revised in the light of new discoveries and theories put forth by obsessed amateurs as well as professional historians. Back matter includes chapter notes identifying the sources of quotes as well as a short discussion, chapter by chapter, of books, articles, and Web sites used in researching the book. The illustrations, many in color, include many excellent maps as well as reproductions of period drawings, paintings, engravings, and photos of people, artifacts, and sites. A well-researched, intelligent account of America's discovery. --Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2007 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-9-With characteristic polish, documentation, and readability, Freedman examines the evidence for determining who first discovered the Americas. Despite traditional historical emphasis on European discoveries, "tens of millions" of Native Americans were living here when these renowned explorers arrived. The author devotes separate chapters to Columbus's New World voyages, Chinese treasure-ship expeditions under Admiral Zheng He, and the "New World" wanderings of Leif Eriksson and the Vikings. But, with well-established Native American civilizations already in America, the bigger question is where they came from and when. Theories of Stone Age migration, DNA links to other cultures, and the location of carbon-dated artifacts provide clues but no definitive proof about the mysterious origins of the first Americans. This focused, investigative presentation will enhance collections that typically feature individual explorer biographies or descriptions of specific ancient Native American civilizations. Freedman conveys the allure of history and research through anecdotes, archaeological evidence, maps and illustrations, different points of view, and unanswered questions. His "Chapter Notes" and annotated "Selected Bibliography" are informative models of style and technique for young researchers. Students will discover fascinating information as well as a fine example of the research process in this thought-provoking work.-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.
Kirkus Review
The Americas have been "discovered" over and over again since the prehistoric past. Not only was Columbus not the first explorer to discover America, he was one of the last, and this presentation of the Americas as lands of immigrants from Stone Age hunters to European explorers is a testament to Freedman's ability to make big subjects accessible to young readers. Drawing on research by scholars and "obsessed amateurs," he tells of Columbus, Zheng He and the giant Chinese treasure ships, Leif Eriksson and the Vikings and the Aztecs, Incas, Mayas and other civilizations of the Americas. The prose is clear and packed with interesting details, and the color photographs, full-page maps and reproductions of engravings, lithographs and drawings add to the lively presentation. The chapter notes and bibliography are solid, emphasizing how new and fresh some discoveries are. This engaging work presents history as a story still being written; maybe the reader will be the next to find an ancient stone tool that "will be a hand reaching out of the past and taking ours." (index) (Nonfiction. 9-14) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
