Thomas Hoobler & Dorothy Hoobler 
Captain John Smith 
Jamestown and the Birth of the American Dream

’America was the place Smith had dreamed of his whole life.There, his character, determination, and ambition had propelled him to the top of society. He spent the rest of his life trying to return. Though he failed, he pointed the way for others, who were drawn by the dream that opportunity was here for anyone who dared seize it . . . Smith founded more than a colony. He gave birth to the American dream.’

–from Captain John Smith


Captain John Smith tells the real story behind the swashbuckling character who founded the Jamestown colony, wrote the first book in English in America, and cheated death many times by a mere hairbreadth. Based on rich primary sources, including Smith’s own writings and newly discovered material, this enlightening book explores Smith’s early days, his forceful leadership at Jamestown that was so critical to its survival, and his efforts upon his return to England to continue settlements in America. This unique volume also reveals the truth behind Smith’s relationship with Pocahontas, a tale that history has greatly distorted. Bringing to life heroic deeds and dramatic escapes as well as moments of great suffering and hardship, Captain John Smith serves as a great testament to this important historical figure.

Innehållsförteckning

Acknowledgments.

Prologue.

1. Dreams of Glory.

2. “To Conquer Is to Live.”

3. Voyagers West.

4. The “First Mover” of Jamestown.

5. A Charge of Mutiny.

6. Disease, Dissension, and Death.

7. The Great American Myth.

8. Conflicting Agendas.

9. Seeking the Future.

10. Smith vs. Newport.

11. Smith vs. Powhatan.

12. Smith Takes Charge.

13. “My Hands Have Been My Lands.”

14. The Dream Survives the Man.

Notes.

For Further Reading.

Index.

Om författaren

Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler are the authors of the ten-volume series The American Family Albums, which was acclaimed by the New York Times.Their novel In Darkness, Death won a 2005 Edgar Award for young adult fiction.