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Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage that Redrew the Map of the New World
A bold new account of explorer Henry Hudson and the discovery that changed the course of history.
The year 2009 marks the four-hundredth anniversary of Henry Hudson's discovery of the majestic river that bears his name. Just in time for this milestone, Douglas Hunter, sailor, scholar, and storyteller, has written the first book-length history of the 1609 adventure that put New York on the map.
Hudson was commissioned by the mighty Dutch East India Company to find a northeastern passage over Russia to the lucrative ports of China. But the inscrutable Hudson, defying his orders, turned his ship around and instead headed west― far west―to the largely unexplored coastline between Spanish Florida and the Grand Banks.
Once there, Hudson began a seemingly aimless cruise―perhaps to conduct an espionage mission for his native England―but eventually dropped anchor off Coney Island. Hudson and his crew were the first Europeans to visit New York in more than eighty years, and soon went off the map into unexplored waters.
Hudson's discoveries reshaped the history of the new world, and laid the foundation for New York to become a global capital. Hunter has shed new light on this rogue voyage with unprecedented research. Painstakingly reconstructing the course of the Half Moon from logbooks and diaries, Hunter offers an entirely new timeline of Hudson's passage based on innovative forensic navigation, as well as original insights into his motivations.
Half Moon offers a rich narrative of adventure and exploration, filled with international intrigue, backstage business drama, and Hudson's own unstoppable urge to discover. This brisk tale re-creates the espionage, economics, and politics that drove men to the edge of the known world and beyond.
The year 2009 marks the four-hundredth anniversary of Henry Hudson's discovery of the majestic river that bears his name. Just in time for this milestone, Douglas Hunter, sailor, scholar, and storyteller, has written the first book-length history of the 1609 adventure that put New York on the map.
Hudson was commissioned by the mighty Dutch East India Company to find a northeastern passage over Russia to the lucrative ports of China. But the inscrutable Hudson, defying his orders, turned his ship around and instead headed west― far west―to the largely unexplored coastline between Spanish Florida and the Grand Banks.
Once there, Hudson began a seemingly aimless cruise―perhaps to conduct an espionage mission for his native England―but eventually dropped anchor off Coney Island. Hudson and his crew were the first Europeans to visit New York in more than eighty years, and soon went off the map into unexplored waters.
Hudson's discoveries reshaped the history of the new world, and laid the foundation for New York to become a global capital. Hunter has shed new light on this rogue voyage with unprecedented research. Painstakingly reconstructing the course of the Half Moon from logbooks and diaries, Hunter offers an entirely new timeline of Hudson's passage based on innovative forensic navigation, as well as original insights into his motivations.
Half Moon offers a rich narrative of adventure and exploration, filled with international intrigue, backstage business drama, and Hudson's own unstoppable urge to discover. This brisk tale re-creates the espionage, economics, and politics that drove men to the edge of the known world and beyond.
329 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2009
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255 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Hunter
17 books28 followersGo to my website to learn more about my work.
In addition to being a writer and graphic artist, I hold a PhD in history (2015) from York University. I'm currently completing a book on the early career of Canadian landscape artist A.Y. Jackson, covering his formative years leading to the founding of the Group of Seven and his experiences as a soldier and war artist in the First World War. Hopefully, it will be out in 2021.
In addition to being a writer and graphic artist, I hold a PhD in history (2015) from York University. I'm currently completing a book on the early career of Canadian landscape artist A.Y. Jackson, covering his formative years leading to the founding of the Group of Seven and his experiences as a soldier and war artist in the First World War. Hopefully, it will be out in 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
May 11, 2011
I tried and tried, because I knew that I'd be blacklisting myself from ever winning another first reads book by quitting on this one, but I am throwing in the towel. On the one hand I can truly appreciate the research that Hunter did for this book, but on the other hand, part of being a good writer is parsing your research, packaging it in a way that is useful and interesting, and knowing which bits don't add value. Hunter couldn't let go of any single fact, even if it didn't advance the narrative or even relate to the voyage. Saying that a certain map was published in England in the same spring that Hudson was passing through London, and so therefore it is possible that Hudson may have seen it even though there's no evidence that he did see it, and if he did see it that means that he had a slightly better understanding of a particular peninsula, but if he didn't see it, which we have no reason to believe that he did (but he might have, possibly), then that peninsula was more of a mystery to him ... I think you get my point.
The weird flipside to the complete and total flood of trivia in terms of publications and sailors' wages at the time and that kind of thing was (what seemed to me, at least [though I'm admittedly a landlubber]) a presumption of a lot of basic nautical knowledge on the reader's part. I was alternately completely adrift (pun intended) and slogging painfully against a tide of irrelevant minutiae (I'll stop now, I promise).
The weird flipside to the complete and total flood of trivia in terms of publications and sailors' wages at the time and that kind of thing was (what seemed to me, at least [though I'm admittedly a landlubber]) a presumption of a lot of basic nautical knowledge on the reader's part. I was alternately completely adrift (pun intended) and slogging painfully against a tide of irrelevant minutiae (I'll stop now, I promise).
January 21, 2010
In
Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage that Redrew the Map of the New World
, author Douglas Hunter richly details Henry Hudson’s third and penultimate voyage of discovery, the 1609 expedition aboard the Half Moon.
In the first several chapters, Hunter sets the stage for the Half Moon expedition by describing the explorers, voyages, financiers, and financial interests that shaped the maritime geopolitical landscape in the early 17th century. We see how Hudson, an Englishman, was commissioned by the Dutch East India Company to search for and secure a northeast passage to Asia. When this attempt failed (as others previously had, and as Hudson himself supposed it would) near the Arctic islands of Novaya Zemlya to the north of Russia, Hudson reversed course, in violation of his contract, and sailed the Half Moon for North America in search of a northwest passage above Canada or a transcontinental portage route to the Orient.
In narrating the voyage, Hunter mostly draws upon the journal of Hudson’s first mate, Robert Juet. After a stormy crossing of the Atlantic, the Half Moon spends considerable time probing several North American coastal waterways, including the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, before finally arriving in theretofore uncharted New York Harbor. Along the way, Hunter gives us an appreciation of the art and science that skilled navigators needed to master while exploring uncharted waters - most interestingly to this reader the soundings, wind behaviors, tidal patterns, and water salinities that were observed and recorded throughout the voyage.
As we enter New York Harbor about halfway through the book, we discover it as it once was. Hunter admits that a major challenge in deciphering the events of the Half Moon voyage is the fact that the geographic features have changed enormously in four centuries, as shorelines around metropolitan New York have been aggressively re-engineered. Hunter notes the irony that the Dutch, who would launch the development of this mercantile center a little more than a decade after Hudson’s voyage, now account for less than 4% of its trade tonnage today. While China on the other hand, the country Hudson was trying to reach by finding a way either through or around North America, now accounts for about one quarter of it! But the heart and soul of this work is the adventure narrative describing Hudson’s exploration up and down the great river that today bears his name.
I selected this book because I am an avid reader of historical narrative. However, I found it at times to read more like historical reference rather than narrative, particularly in the chapters preceeding the Half Moon's arrival in New York Harbor. Although I greatly enjoyed Hunter's work, and appreciate the tremendous amount of time and effort he undoubtedly invested into his research, especially in light of the scarcity of available records, I would recommend it only to a reader with a keen interest in this topic, rather than to the reader of general historical narrative.
In the first several chapters, Hunter sets the stage for the Half Moon expedition by describing the explorers, voyages, financiers, and financial interests that shaped the maritime geopolitical landscape in the early 17th century. We see how Hudson, an Englishman, was commissioned by the Dutch East India Company to search for and secure a northeast passage to Asia. When this attempt failed (as others previously had, and as Hudson himself supposed it would) near the Arctic islands of Novaya Zemlya to the north of Russia, Hudson reversed course, in violation of his contract, and sailed the Half Moon for North America in search of a northwest passage above Canada or a transcontinental portage route to the Orient.
In narrating the voyage, Hunter mostly draws upon the journal of Hudson’s first mate, Robert Juet. After a stormy crossing of the Atlantic, the Half Moon spends considerable time probing several North American coastal waterways, including the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, before finally arriving in theretofore uncharted New York Harbor. Along the way, Hunter gives us an appreciation of the art and science that skilled navigators needed to master while exploring uncharted waters - most interestingly to this reader the soundings, wind behaviors, tidal patterns, and water salinities that were observed and recorded throughout the voyage.
As we enter New York Harbor about halfway through the book, we discover it as it once was. Hunter admits that a major challenge in deciphering the events of the Half Moon voyage is the fact that the geographic features have changed enormously in four centuries, as shorelines around metropolitan New York have been aggressively re-engineered. Hunter notes the irony that the Dutch, who would launch the development of this mercantile center a little more than a decade after Hudson’s voyage, now account for less than 4% of its trade tonnage today. While China on the other hand, the country Hudson was trying to reach by finding a way either through or around North America, now accounts for about one quarter of it! But the heart and soul of this work is the adventure narrative describing Hudson’s exploration up and down the great river that today bears his name.
I selected this book because I am an avid reader of historical narrative. However, I found it at times to read more like historical reference rather than narrative, particularly in the chapters preceeding the Half Moon's arrival in New York Harbor. Although I greatly enjoyed Hunter's work, and appreciate the tremendous amount of time and effort he undoubtedly invested into his research, especially in light of the scarcity of available records, I would recommend it only to a reader with a keen interest in this topic, rather than to the reader of general historical narrative.
January 14, 2014
I sure wouldn't have wanted Henry Hudson as an employee -- or a boss for that matter. He managed to disregard his explicit sailing instructions from the Dutch East India Company, hijack the company ship and crew and sail to North America in search of the nonexisting easy northwest passage to the orient. It was a little more complicated than that and he faced a nearly mutinous crew most of the time. He was English and the crew was Dutch and they barely understood each other. They managed to discover New York's bay and the Hudson River and lived to tell about it...all but one.
This all happeened 400 years ago and documentation is mostly missing or second and third hand. Much of the book is built on layers of speculation about Hudson's motives and possible coniving connections to English and Dutch power-brokers. I pretty much knew the general story. The back-story is interesting but still speculative. I was actually unaware of the large number of Europeans running up and down the east coast of North America as early as 1600. Who actually discovered what is based on who managed to survive the trip and get to a publisher.
Hudson's next and final voyage -- for the English, this time -- ended with a mutiny and his death along with several crew members, including his son. The crew finally had enough after being stranded in Hudson's Bay over the winter when they were supposd to be home in their beds many months earlier.
This all happeened 400 years ago and documentation is mostly missing or second and third hand. Much of the book is built on layers of speculation about Hudson's motives and possible coniving connections to English and Dutch power-brokers. I pretty much knew the general story. The back-story is interesting but still speculative. I was actually unaware of the large number of Europeans running up and down the east coast of North America as early as 1600. Who actually discovered what is based on who managed to survive the trip and get to a publisher.
Hudson's next and final voyage -- for the English, this time -- ended with a mutiny and his death along with several crew members, including his son. The crew finally had enough after being stranded in Hudson's Bay over the winter when they were supposd to be home in their beds many months earlier.
September 6, 2009
There are a lot of fascinating little tidbits in this book, but it took me awhile to work through it. I think this is because I was so unfamiliar with the shipping terms and because of the sheer amount of names and places that were thrown out rapid-fire by the author that I had so little previous knowledge. Occasionally there were really great, vivid moments that the author was able to bring to life, like the ultimate mutiny against Hudson, but all too often those moments were over quickly and I felt mired in shipping terms again.
May 20, 2017
How many people who live along the mighty Hudson River know anything about the man the river is named after? Henry Hudson was the European explorer who sailed up the river--looking for China. As others were doing, he was looking for a Passage through the Americas to reach the Pacific and the "Orient." The story is a fascinating one told by Canadian sailor Douglas Hunter--a man who knows sailing. He has also done his research and offers a new perspective on Hudson's 1609 voyage of "discovery." Of course, discovery for the Europeans meant tragedy for the Native peoples...
December 19, 2023
When I was just starting out, I lived in a Hudson Valley town and was commissioned to provide a painting of Henry Hudson's ship, the Half Moon, as part of the town's tercentennial. To be honest I wasn't that much interested in Henry Hudson or his voyage. But a buck is a buck.
Little did I know how interesting the story of this voyage really was. Hudson was originally commissioned to take the Half Moon to explore a possible passage from Amsterdam to China by sailing north (!) over Russia. Knowing how crazy that idea actually was, Hudson just ignored the Dutch company's orders and instead took the ship thousands of miles in an entirely different direction returning to England instead of Holland seven months later with a story about a large new harbor and 150 mile long river he had traversed. Along the way his mostly Dutch crew committed murder, theft, double dealing and kidnapping, unfortunately common crimes in the Age of Exploration. He suffered the loss of just one crewman, John Colman, with an arrow to the throat, burying him in the sand of what is now known as Coney Island (the name of the island may in fact be derived from this man's name but opinions differ on that).
In providing the background for the voyage, the author does a more than thorough job explaining the complex interplay between the governments and private enterprises who funded these voyages, as well as what was happening at the same time in New France and the Virginia Colony. This can be a slog at times but it's necessary if you want to understand how Hudson ended up where he did.
One fascinating detail is how close two explorers, Hudson and Samuel de Champlain, one English and the other French, came to meeting each other, one traveling up the Hudson River and the other south from the St.Lawrence River. But Hudson stopped at Albany and Champlain stopped at Lake Champlain. Had they each gone a little farther (with portage), they could have met at Lake George. Imagine how surprised they each would have been! Control of that corridor would later become vitally important in the next century during the Seven Years Way and the War of Independence. But as it was, they each stopped just a little short and a few months apart. Neither fully understood what they had found.
Another tidbit is the fate of two Native Americans that Hudson had kidnapped after trading with them in the Rockaway area. The prisoners managed to escape out a porthole while the Half Moon was sailing north up the Hudson River. They swam away and then taunted the crew from the shore. Imagining the frustration of the Dutchmen in the Half Moon having to endure the taunts brought a smile to my face.
Little did I know how interesting the story of this voyage really was. Hudson was originally commissioned to take the Half Moon to explore a possible passage from Amsterdam to China by sailing north (!) over Russia. Knowing how crazy that idea actually was, Hudson just ignored the Dutch company's orders and instead took the ship thousands of miles in an entirely different direction returning to England instead of Holland seven months later with a story about a large new harbor and 150 mile long river he had traversed. Along the way his mostly Dutch crew committed murder, theft, double dealing and kidnapping, unfortunately common crimes in the Age of Exploration. He suffered the loss of just one crewman, John Colman, with an arrow to the throat, burying him in the sand of what is now known as Coney Island (the name of the island may in fact be derived from this man's name but opinions differ on that).
In providing the background for the voyage, the author does a more than thorough job explaining the complex interplay between the governments and private enterprises who funded these voyages, as well as what was happening at the same time in New France and the Virginia Colony. This can be a slog at times but it's necessary if you want to understand how Hudson ended up where he did.
One fascinating detail is how close two explorers, Hudson and Samuel de Champlain, one English and the other French, came to meeting each other, one traveling up the Hudson River and the other south from the St.Lawrence River. But Hudson stopped at Albany and Champlain stopped at Lake Champlain. Had they each gone a little farther (with portage), they could have met at Lake George. Imagine how surprised they each would have been! Control of that corridor would later become vitally important in the next century during the Seven Years Way and the War of Independence. But as it was, they each stopped just a little short and a few months apart. Neither fully understood what they had found.
Another tidbit is the fate of two Native Americans that Hudson had kidnapped after trading with them in the Rockaway area. The prisoners managed to escape out a porthole while the Half Moon was sailing north up the Hudson River. They swam away and then taunted the crew from the shore. Imagining the frustration of the Dutchmen in the Half Moon having to endure the taunts brought a smile to my face.
August 30, 2022
Henry Hudson was an English explorer in service to the Dutch. What could go wrong? Back when the ideas of nationalism were in the early stages of development, it was common for professionals to sell their services to foreign countries. Soldiers who did this were mercenaries. This was also the Age of Discovery as the New World was seen as a shortcut to the Orient and its riches. The early seventeenth century was a time spent looking for not only a Northwest Passage, but also a Northeast Passage. Hudson was hired by a Dutch trading company to look for the Northeast Passage around Russia and Asia. It was obvious to him on his second try that such a route was not viable and so, without permission during the second voyage, he headed for America to look for the Northwest Passage. There were many possibilities such as the Potomac, the James River, the St. Lawrence River, and any number of bays along the American coast. Hudson discovered yet another possibility when he found the Hudson River and explored it as far as Albany.
This book is a very good exposition of this story and the complexities of how explorers of the age figured out what they would explore and where. It does a fair amount of jumping around from the time of Hudson to the present day and between. It adds context to what was going on but requires some effort to keep track of where the story is. And, while there is an extensive bibliography, there are no notes to support the author’s interpretations and sources. Nevertheless, a good, quick, and entertaining read.
This book is a very good exposition of this story and the complexities of how explorers of the age figured out what they would explore and where. It does a fair amount of jumping around from the time of Hudson to the present day and between. It adds context to what was going on but requires some effort to keep track of where the story is. And, while there is an extensive bibliography, there are no notes to support the author’s interpretations and sources. Nevertheless, a good, quick, and entertaining read.
May 2, 2018
Hudson is known these days for his river and his bay...but here is the story of how he got there. This detailed book describes the politics and economics of these early journeys of discovery. Most of these journeys had nothing to do with discovering the western hemisphere--they wanted to zip over or through it and get to China. Hudson was looking for an inlet (the river? the bay?) that would lead traders to China quickly. We know the landmass was much larger than he thought...and the rest is, you know, history.
The author does a good job of describing the politics clearly -- the British and Netherlands vied for this route and it is not clear whether Hudson was working for the Dutch, but acting as a double agent for the British. The author also gives you a sense of place--where the Half Moon was (near the Bronx or Albany). My favorite part was the description of the natives watching this ship (large to them, small to us) from afar and wondering what it was. It is as if a UFO landed in Central Park.
History buffs, pick it up.
The author does a good job of describing the politics clearly -- the British and Netherlands vied for this route and it is not clear whether Hudson was working for the Dutch, but acting as a double agent for the British. The author also gives you a sense of place--where the Half Moon was (near the Bronx or Albany). My favorite part was the description of the natives watching this ship (large to them, small to us) from afar and wondering what it was. It is as if a UFO landed in Central Park.
History buffs, pick it up.
October 28, 2021
I attended Henry Hudson Regional School in Highlands, NJ. There's a water source called Hudson Springs where he sent his men to get water. However, the author dismisses these traditions and writes in his book Half Moon that (although he writes that nobody knows for sure by the readings the ship recorded) they anchored near Rockaway, NY! Ship member John Colman, killed by Indian arrows, was buried at Coney Island, NY (a corruption of his name), instead of the traditional Sandy Hook, or possibly Keansburg, NJ.
The author spends most of a chapter detailing the changes in Rockaway's shoreline, but never considers the changes in Sandy Hook over time, from an island to peninsula and back again several times over the years. In fact, he writes that the first night, they anchored east of Sandy Hook, in the open ocean, rather than the sheltered bay side. It seems unlikely.
This is an interesting book, but it seems to be largely fiction, not nonfiction. I find it hard to believe what else is written because of these errors.
The author spends most of a chapter detailing the changes in Rockaway's shoreline, but never considers the changes in Sandy Hook over time, from an island to peninsula and back again several times over the years. In fact, he writes that the first night, they anchored east of Sandy Hook, in the open ocean, rather than the sheltered bay side. It seems unlikely.
This is an interesting book, but it seems to be largely fiction, not nonfiction. I find it hard to believe what else is written because of these errors.
April 6, 2025
Douglas Hunter offers a detailed and accurate account of Henry Hudson’s voyage aboard the Half Moon as he searched the east coast of North America for a route to the Northwest Passage. Unfortunately, few records of the journey—particularly the exploration itself—survive. As a result, much of the book focuses on aspects I found less engaging, such as financial backing and Anglo-Dutch politics. In contrast, the more compelling elements—Hudson’s thoughts, the sailors’ conflicts, and encounters with native peoples—are sparse and largely speculative, pieced together from scattered accounts often written years later. The writing is thorough and of high quality, but the book seems more suited to readers interested in the early era of the Dutch East India Company than to amateurs seeking an exciting tale of exploration. Thus, my 3.5-star rating reflects unmet expectations rather than a flaw in the book’s execution.
June 29, 2020
A lot of my interest in this book was driven by having grown up near the Hudson valley--I bought it at a bookshop at a Hudson Valley historical sight. With that in mind, it might not work as well for readers unfamiliar with the geography of the area, but I found it fascinating. It did a great job explaining the features of the river--spoiler: it's not really a river!--and how they shaped the early exploration and attempts at trade. I also appreciated its debunking of some of the mythology surrounding Hudson. I found the first encounters with the native Americans in and around NY Harbor to be tragic and enraging, and not ones I was very familiar with.
Thoroughly researched and tied closely to the landscape it describes.
I recommend this especially to anyone in or familiar with the greater New York area or the Hudson Valley.
Thoroughly researched and tied closely to the landscape it describes.
I recommend this especially to anyone in or familiar with the greater New York area or the Hudson Valley.
July 19, 2022
A lot of historical research was incorporated into this book, yet the writing style was very engaging, it felt like I was taken along on the Half Moon's journey. The last few chapters devoted to Hudson's return to Europe provided a very interesting window into the world of explorers, smugglers, pirates, and spies in a world still full of unexplored frontiers. I started to view Hudson almost like a real life Han Solo sort of character.
July 28, 2023
A well-researched account of Hudson's odd journey to America - having essentially stolen a ship from the Dutch East India Company, who told him in no uncertain terms NOT to head West to America. The research seems good and the conclusions seem solid, but . . . there's not a lot of THERE, there, as they say - the book kind of goes nowhere. Your mileage may vary, but I found it kind of boring, which is unusual as I love biographies of this sort. Oh well.
August 26, 2017
Great history of the Hudson River area and the quirkiness of Hudson, the person and explorer. The author did a good job relating the Hudson era with later explorations of the "new world" and the Dutch influences.
August 15, 2021
Too much sailing detail, not enough people detail
November 21, 2023
Rambling at the beginning with a great deal of references to potential circumstantial materials...for better towards the end.
May 7, 2025
Scholarly. Comprehensive.
September 29, 2009
Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage That Redrew the Map of the New World is rather self-explanatory. It’s about Henry Hudson’s 1609 voyage – the one during which he hijacked his Dutch-sponsored ship and instead of sailing to Russia, went to North America and ‘discovered’ and mapped the Chesapeake Bay and the Hudson River.
I don’t think I can offer much more in the way of ‘summary’ than the product description - it really does the book justice. All that’s left is to say what I liked and why, and also offer an abbreviated academic critique (it’s the only way I know to handle historical non-fiction – apologies in advance!).
What I liked: though the source documentation is pretty sketchy for anything except the actual voyage logs (I mean, it WAS 1609, after all!), Hunter’s done a great job of incorporating all of the ‘what ifs’ of the situation. Through intensive period research and investigation of any and all possible players in the situation, combined with an understanding of the political climate of the time and possible Hudson motivations, he’s created a believable narrative. He takes us through the steps of the voyage: pre-voyage commissioning and the goals of the Dutch East India Company, then the day-to-day progress, what it meant in the context of previous information about North America, and then the eventual unraveling of the voyage, even as fresh discoveries and contact with natives escalated. The book does not end with the end of the voyage, however. Hunter instead continues Hudson’s biography and chronicles his eventual demise, the aftereffects of the mutiny that marooned him as a castaway, and then the final remembrances of Hudson through Dutch, English and eventually American imaginings.
Though Hunter is very intentional and methodical throughout the narrative, it’s never boring or dry. Enough variables are at play, enough whispers of hope and slivers of personality visible in the documentation that the reader is kept guessing as to the outcome, Hudson's next act, and the success of the voyage. I thought it a remarkably accessible nautical history. That’s not to say it’s light reading. It’s substantive in content, and it takes concentration and dedication to get through. But it’s going to appeal equally to the informed public audience AND the academic market.
Critiques: After making the claim that Half Moon will appeal to the academic as well as the amateur history buff, I have to qualify the statement. Historians (or at least the ones I trained with) are obsessed with order, with correct documentation, and with full disclosure of that documentation. In other words, they want footnotes. Extensive ones. Citing where and when all information was got, and especially if any of it was translated, and could you just give us the original in the original language please so we can check it ourselves and make sure you got it right? AHEM. So though the research is thorough, the findings qualified and the narrative interesting…there will be those who decry the lack of ‘research notes’ telling them exactly how they may replicate Mr. Hunter’s work. Be assured, they will still read it. And possibly learn something. I know I did, and I used to specialize in the history of the early 17th century Americas myself. That is all for the critique section.
The author, Douglas Hunter, has previously written about Hudson’s earlier voyages and co-authored a book on yacht design. He lives in Ontario, and is an experienced sailor. It fits, I think – sailor/writer interested in Henry Hudson, one of the most influential navigators for North American history.
I recommend this book to anyone who finds themselves watching The History Channel at random times, especially if they like the nautical bits. It’s not light, and it’s not sex or court intrigue, but it IS the fascinating story of the unique motivations and a possible tapestry of events, knowledge and luck that led to the discovery of an important place at an opportune time. History addicts, enjoy!
I don’t think I can offer much more in the way of ‘summary’ than the product description - it really does the book justice. All that’s left is to say what I liked and why, and also offer an abbreviated academic critique (it’s the only way I know to handle historical non-fiction – apologies in advance!).
What I liked: though the source documentation is pretty sketchy for anything except the actual voyage logs (I mean, it WAS 1609, after all!), Hunter’s done a great job of incorporating all of the ‘what ifs’ of the situation. Through intensive period research and investigation of any and all possible players in the situation, combined with an understanding of the political climate of the time and possible Hudson motivations, he’s created a believable narrative. He takes us through the steps of the voyage: pre-voyage commissioning and the goals of the Dutch East India Company, then the day-to-day progress, what it meant in the context of previous information about North America, and then the eventual unraveling of the voyage, even as fresh discoveries and contact with natives escalated. The book does not end with the end of the voyage, however. Hunter instead continues Hudson’s biography and chronicles his eventual demise, the aftereffects of the mutiny that marooned him as a castaway, and then the final remembrances of Hudson through Dutch, English and eventually American imaginings.
Though Hunter is very intentional and methodical throughout the narrative, it’s never boring or dry. Enough variables are at play, enough whispers of hope and slivers of personality visible in the documentation that the reader is kept guessing as to the outcome, Hudson's next act, and the success of the voyage. I thought it a remarkably accessible nautical history. That’s not to say it’s light reading. It’s substantive in content, and it takes concentration and dedication to get through. But it’s going to appeal equally to the informed public audience AND the academic market.
Critiques: After making the claim that Half Moon will appeal to the academic as well as the amateur history buff, I have to qualify the statement. Historians (or at least the ones I trained with) are obsessed with order, with correct documentation, and with full disclosure of that documentation. In other words, they want footnotes. Extensive ones. Citing where and when all information was got, and especially if any of it was translated, and could you just give us the original in the original language please so we can check it ourselves and make sure you got it right? AHEM. So though the research is thorough, the findings qualified and the narrative interesting…there will be those who decry the lack of ‘research notes’ telling them exactly how they may replicate Mr. Hunter’s work. Be assured, they will still read it. And possibly learn something. I know I did, and I used to specialize in the history of the early 17th century Americas myself. That is all for the critique section.
The author, Douglas Hunter, has previously written about Hudson’s earlier voyages and co-authored a book on yacht design. He lives in Ontario, and is an experienced sailor. It fits, I think – sailor/writer interested in Henry Hudson, one of the most influential navigators for North American history.
I recommend this book to anyone who finds themselves watching The History Channel at random times, especially if they like the nautical bits. It’s not light, and it’s not sex or court intrigue, but it IS the fascinating story of the unique motivations and a possible tapestry of events, knowledge and luck that led to the discovery of an important place at an opportune time. History addicts, enjoy!
December 7, 2018
I suspect that at the root of it all, Columbus is to blame – not for discovering the New World and beginning the European invasion that push aside whole civilizations – but rather for the confusion over which explorer discovered what, when, and for whom. Of course, this also begs the question of who actually discovered anything since the New World was only new to the Europeans and was very well known to its inhabitants. But Christopher Columbus, who discovered America for Spain, was actually an Italian from Genoa. So it should not come as a great surprise that Henrik Hudson who explored what would be called the Hudson River and secured New Amsterdam for the Dutch was actually an Englishman (and it would be the English who took New Amsterdam and launched it upon the path that would make it New York, New York).
Douglas Hunter has presented us with a new account of Henry Hudson’s explorations that blends history, biography, and travelogue. His account also makes clear that these expeditions were not purely for science, nor merely for adventure, but were at their foundation the most speculative of business investments. As a journalist and historian, Hunter has written about the financial sector, business, sailing, modern professional sports, and other episodes in the history of exploration. This background is reflected in Hunter’s narrative of the decisions made by Henry Hudson, whose voyages were business ventures heading beyond charted waters into the unknown when even his best maps and charts had to be used with care and attention in case by error or by ignorance they turned out to be wrong and perhaps fatally wrong.
Hudson’s story is also about management and leadership. He had to deal with investors, his mostly Dutch crewmen and the senior subordinates on board ship, Native Americans who displayed at times hostility as well as friendly curiosity, and with various outsiders and even rivals who were also seeking the discovery that would make them wealthy and famous. The author does not hide the foreshadowing in his discussion of these issues, noting that Hudson would disappear in 1611 during a subsequent voyage. His crew would mutiny and place Hudson, his teenage son, and eight crewmen in an open boat and leave them in what is today Hudson’s Bay, Canada. The crew was tried and acquitted of murder but the issue of their mutiny was never placed before a judge or jury.
As much as I appreciated the discussion of period exploration and of the how, when, and where the knowledge gained in various explorations was distributed and shared, I was most interested in the actual voyage on the Hudson River. This portion of the book is written with an eye on today’s New York and its surroundings as well as on Hudson’s experiences in and perceptions of the waterways and shoreline that surround the site of the future metropolis. I especially appreciated the charts of the Hudson River that accompany the author’s discussion of that part of the story told here. I am really looking forward now to the opportunity to see this waterway first hand and to compare it with Hudson’s experience of the river now named for him.
Douglas Hunter has presented us with a new account of Henry Hudson’s explorations that blends history, biography, and travelogue. His account also makes clear that these expeditions were not purely for science, nor merely for adventure, but were at their foundation the most speculative of business investments. As a journalist and historian, Hunter has written about the financial sector, business, sailing, modern professional sports, and other episodes in the history of exploration. This background is reflected in Hunter’s narrative of the decisions made by Henry Hudson, whose voyages were business ventures heading beyond charted waters into the unknown when even his best maps and charts had to be used with care and attention in case by error or by ignorance they turned out to be wrong and perhaps fatally wrong.
Hudson’s story is also about management and leadership. He had to deal with investors, his mostly Dutch crewmen and the senior subordinates on board ship, Native Americans who displayed at times hostility as well as friendly curiosity, and with various outsiders and even rivals who were also seeking the discovery that would make them wealthy and famous. The author does not hide the foreshadowing in his discussion of these issues, noting that Hudson would disappear in 1611 during a subsequent voyage. His crew would mutiny and place Hudson, his teenage son, and eight crewmen in an open boat and leave them in what is today Hudson’s Bay, Canada. The crew was tried and acquitted of murder but the issue of their mutiny was never placed before a judge or jury.
As much as I appreciated the discussion of period exploration and of the how, when, and where the knowledge gained in various explorations was distributed and shared, I was most interested in the actual voyage on the Hudson River. This portion of the book is written with an eye on today’s New York and its surroundings as well as on Hudson’s experiences in and perceptions of the waterways and shoreline that surround the site of the future metropolis. I especially appreciated the charts of the Hudson River that accompany the author’s discussion of that part of the story told here. I am really looking forward now to the opportunity to see this waterway first hand and to compare it with Hudson’s experience of the river now named for him.
February 14, 2012
Just in time for the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River, Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage that Redrew the Map of the New World tells the story of Hudson’s second to last voyage on which he discovered the river that would one day bear his name. Hudson had been retained by the Dutch East India Company to find a passage to the Orient across the top of Asia. Hudson was mildly certain this could not be done, so after a short attempt to round the top of Russia he sailed the Half Moon to the east coast of North America, in violation of his contract, in an attempt to find a mid-continental passage to the Pacific. After ranging up and down the east coast, Hudson entered what would later be called New York Bay. He soon discovered the mouth of a river he thought would lead him either to the St. Lawrence River or to the Pacific Ocean. Hudson proceeded up the river as far as it was navigable, then came back down, and set sail for England, not wanting to return to Amsterdam after violating his contract. There are few surviving records from the voyage. The primary source was the journal of Robert Juet, one of Hudson’s officers. In addition to the description of Hudson’s voyage, Mr. Hunter describes previous and concurrent journeys to the New World as well as the European politics of exploration. [return][return]I found it interesting that even though by the time of Hudson’s voyage, multiple trips had been made to North America by different explorers, there was no agreement on the shape of the coast line, the locations (or existence) of islands, or the locations of rivers and bays. This was due, in part, to the imprecise determination of longitude, as well as the inability to determine latitude at all. [return][return]I found Hunter’s portrayal of the trip up the Hudson River interesting and engaging. Unfortunately, the journey up the river doesn’t begin until well past the half way point in the book. Prior to that, Hudson sailed up and down the coast seemingly at random and I had a difficult time maintaining interest in this portion of the journey. While Mr. Hunter is obviously very knowledgeable regarding the tidal patterns, salinity, and currents of the New York Bay and its surrounding waterways, I began to feel my eyes glaze over whenever he began to discuss them. [return][return]There is a lack of source material covering this voyage and Hudson in general. Nothing is known of his life prior to 1607, just two years prior to this voyage. This is obviously not the fault of Mr. Hunter, who made a good effort with what was available. Perhaps the scarcity of source material precluded this subject from being treated in this format. [return][return]Overall I would not recommend Half Moon to the general reader. Anyone who already has an interest in Hudson and his travels might find it of interest. [return][return]I received an ARC of this book from Bloomsbury publishing.
October 31, 2009
The author took on a formidable task in writing this book. Not only did he have to explain the seemingly inexplicable, i.e. why Henry Hudson went west to look for the Northwest passage after only briefly searching for a passage where his contract stipulated - the Northeast. Furthermore, the historical record upon which Mr. Hunter relied was very sparse with almost nothing known of Henry Hudson generally, but little in the way of primary sources for this journey. Given these constraints, I think the author did an admirable job of putting forth a plausible rationale for this odd journey in a readable and often lively manner.
However, the paucity of solid information often resulted in an overabundance of "might have" "could have" etc. which, although often reasonable, led to too many tenuous passages. For example, essentially nothing is known of Henry Hudson prior to his journeys. The author recounts the histories of a number of individuals who might have been related to H. Hudson and who had relevant stories, e.g. in sailing and navigations, but these quickly grew tiresome and I thought they added little to the story. I suppose having nothing firm to rely upon, there is a plausible argument to be made for all of these "maybes" for historical reasons, but to the casual reader they are likely to be excessive.
The one thing I would like to have seen in this book were more maps. A long way passed before the first map of the journey was presented. No doubt part of this was due to the uncertainty of Hudson's path, but even to acquaint the reader with the basic geography, a map would have been very useful. At times, maps are presented that show minor aspects of the trip - likely because these were where the author was more certain of Hudson's path. Rather than a map of a minor leg of the voyage, a map of the Chesapeake Bay for instance would have been very useful.
I also came away from this book without a sense of Henry Hudson which is quite surprising for a book of this type. Again this probably reflects the thinness of the historical record, but it was for me rather disappointing.
All in all, it was an admirable job and an interesting read but the thinness of the historical record probably limited the impact of the book from the beginning.
However, the paucity of solid information often resulted in an overabundance of "might have" "could have" etc. which, although often reasonable, led to too many tenuous passages. For example, essentially nothing is known of Henry Hudson prior to his journeys. The author recounts the histories of a number of individuals who might have been related to H. Hudson and who had relevant stories, e.g. in sailing and navigations, but these quickly grew tiresome and I thought they added little to the story. I suppose having nothing firm to rely upon, there is a plausible argument to be made for all of these "maybes" for historical reasons, but to the casual reader they are likely to be excessive.
The one thing I would like to have seen in this book were more maps. A long way passed before the first map of the journey was presented. No doubt part of this was due to the uncertainty of Hudson's path, but even to acquaint the reader with the basic geography, a map would have been very useful. At times, maps are presented that show minor aspects of the trip - likely because these were where the author was more certain of Hudson's path. Rather than a map of a minor leg of the voyage, a map of the Chesapeake Bay for instance would have been very useful.
I also came away from this book without a sense of Henry Hudson which is quite surprising for a book of this type. Again this probably reflects the thinness of the historical record, but it was for me rather disappointing.
All in all, it was an admirable job and an interesting read but the thinness of the historical record probably limited the impact of the book from the beginning.
October 30, 2009
Henry Hudson was was hired by the Dutch Trading Company in 1609 to find a northeastern passage around Russia to more easily access China. Hudson started his voyage aboard the Half Moon with a mixture of English and Dutch crewmen. Part way into his voyage, he decided to turn his ship around and go west to America where he would discover the Hudson River and other uncharted territories. Hudson found himself with his hands full, wondering if there was mutiny brewing and also wondering how he would be received by the Dutch when he finally decided to back. When he did go back, he found himself on another mission to find a northwestern passage to China. That was his last voyage.
When I closed the book after reading the last paragraph, I had to just sit in thought for a bit. Douglas Hunter, who is a sailor himself, wove such an intricate story of Henry Hudson. The amount of research that went into this book is amazing, and to present it like Hunter did was even more amazing to me. From the start I was drawn in, and felt like I was reading a puzzle with pieces being put together from all different sources, a little at a time, until the picture became clear. Who was Hudson? Where did he come from? Why would he blatantly disregard his orders and sail the opposite way?
Since there was no journal of Hudson's to go by, many of the notes about the voyage were taken from Robert Juet's journal. Reading some of the thoughts and feelings of an actual crew member was a real treat and very insightful. I had no idea what exploration was like in the 1500 and 1600's besides the basic textbook "stuff" I received in school. I had no idea of the amount of espionage, threats of mutiny, and pirating that went on. Most of all, I had no idea how much history was re-written for gain, both financially and politically. Hudson ended being a totally different man than the explorer that was captain of the Half Moon.
This book was a fascinating read, and now that I'm done, my family will be able to go back to normal dinner banter, instead of listening to me rattle on about what I found was amazing in the book. Both of my teens are now wanting to read Half Moon and I know they'll enjoy it as much as I did!
When I closed the book after reading the last paragraph, I had to just sit in thought for a bit. Douglas Hunter, who is a sailor himself, wove such an intricate story of Henry Hudson. The amount of research that went into this book is amazing, and to present it like Hunter did was even more amazing to me. From the start I was drawn in, and felt like I was reading a puzzle with pieces being put together from all different sources, a little at a time, until the picture became clear. Who was Hudson? Where did he come from? Why would he blatantly disregard his orders and sail the opposite way?
Since there was no journal of Hudson's to go by, many of the notes about the voyage were taken from Robert Juet's journal. Reading some of the thoughts and feelings of an actual crew member was a real treat and very insightful. I had no idea what exploration was like in the 1500 and 1600's besides the basic textbook "stuff" I received in school. I had no idea of the amount of espionage, threats of mutiny, and pirating that went on. Most of all, I had no idea how much history was re-written for gain, both financially and politically. Hudson ended being a totally different man than the explorer that was captain of the Half Moon.
This book was a fascinating read, and now that I'm done, my family will be able to go back to normal dinner banter, instead of listening to me rattle on about what I found was amazing in the book. Both of my teens are now wanting to read Half Moon and I know they'll enjoy it as much as I did!
September 2, 2009
This was an interesting book. I wasn't familiar, before I read it, with the story of Henry Hudson, and I wasn't disappointed with this narrative. The book itself was easy to read, with many things explained for the modern reader's benefit (though sometimes references to modern times and things jerked me out of the feeling of Henry Hudson's time period). Overall, I was pleased with the book.
There were times, though, when the book seemed to get bogged down with almost irrelevant details. Large sections were devoted to telling about people whose charts or journals Hudson might have had. I appreciate that it was a very well researched book, but after a while I got tired of reading about people who may not have even impacted Hudson at all because he might not have had their journals. Unfortunately, a lot of what he had access to is conjecture, and I felt that having so much detail on these extra people made me almost forget about Hudson himself.
The inclusion of the maps in the text itself was helpful.I would have appreciated a map of modern New York along the Hudson as well though. So much of the route down the Hudson was populated with modern place names and references that I felt very excluded because I have never been to New York and had very little clue about what the author meant when he mentioned various places. Maybe it was just me being obtuse, but a map I could reference would have been nice (it also would have illustrated the difference between the Hudson river of 1609 and the Hudson river of 2009). I could have pulled out my encyclopedia or gone on the internet and found a map, but I really don't want to read sitting in front of the computer.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a good introduction to North American exploration for me, and, while not the most exciting exploration account I have ever read, it kept me interested.
There were times, though, when the book seemed to get bogged down with almost irrelevant details. Large sections were devoted to telling about people whose charts or journals Hudson might have had. I appreciate that it was a very well researched book, but after a while I got tired of reading about people who may not have even impacted Hudson at all because he might not have had their journals. Unfortunately, a lot of what he had access to is conjecture, and I felt that having so much detail on these extra people made me almost forget about Hudson himself.
The inclusion of the maps in the text itself was helpful.I would have appreciated a map of modern New York along the Hudson as well though. So much of the route down the Hudson was populated with modern place names and references that I felt very excluded because I have never been to New York and had very little clue about what the author meant when he mentioned various places. Maybe it was just me being obtuse, but a map I could reference would have been nice (it also would have illustrated the difference between the Hudson river of 1609 and the Hudson river of 2009). I could have pulled out my encyclopedia or gone on the internet and found a map, but I really don't want to read sitting in front of the computer.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a good introduction to North American exploration for me, and, while not the most exciting exploration account I have ever read, it kept me interested.
March 19, 2010
This first book-length history of the 1609 adventure, four centuries after the event, re-creates the espionage, economics and politics of an age when discoveries in the New World on the American continent were the passion and obsession of old world merchants, politicians and adventurers alike.
Hunter combines his navigational, research and narrative skills to produce a work that is long on new details of this complex voyage, based on many primary source records, yet moves through the human story smoothly as well. He pulls no punches on the human frailties of the adventurers as they face incredible physical and mental challenges in "uncharted waters."
Hudson was commissioned by the mighty Dutch East India Company to take the Half Moon and its crew on a voyage of discovery to find an arctic passage north of Russia to the lucrative ports of China but instead explored the eastern coast of North America for the entrance to a northwest passage. This book is the story of that adventure, and includes newly created charts and maps, based on new scholarship and interpretations, of the River that eventually bore his name.
The intrigue involving merchants and politicians of the early seventeenth century in Netherlands, England, Spain and France, among others, provides a distinctive backdrop to this nautical adventure.
If these circumstances are of interest to you, I highly recommend this book as a satisfying read.
Hunter combines his navigational, research and narrative skills to produce a work that is long on new details of this complex voyage, based on many primary source records, yet moves through the human story smoothly as well. He pulls no punches on the human frailties of the adventurers as they face incredible physical and mental challenges in "uncharted waters."
Hudson was commissioned by the mighty Dutch East India Company to take the Half Moon and its crew on a voyage of discovery to find an arctic passage north of Russia to the lucrative ports of China but instead explored the eastern coast of North America for the entrance to a northwest passage. This book is the story of that adventure, and includes newly created charts and maps, based on new scholarship and interpretations, of the River that eventually bore his name.
The intrigue involving merchants and politicians of the early seventeenth century in Netherlands, England, Spain and France, among others, provides a distinctive backdrop to this nautical adventure.
If these circumstances are of interest to you, I highly recommend this book as a satisfying read.
June 6, 2016
This book is about Henry Hudson traveling west but then discovers the Hudson River that is a river named after him. The book was okay and it just met my expectations and was pretty well-researched. This book told me a lot of facts about Henry Hudson and all the places he traveled. The Hudson River changed and redrew the new world (U.S.A) and discovered new places like the Hudson Bay. Yep not only the Hudson River but the Hudson Bay. The facts however did not outweigh the propaganda and were pretty basic in my opinion and that's why I rate this as a 4 instead of perhaps a 5. Overall though Hunter had organized information and all the facts were in order.
I am not a harsh critic or a passionate lover of this book. The tone was creative in some ways with quite a bit of similes and metaphors. The authors tone was more inspiring than condemning. On page 228 Hunter writes "With Michaelmas fast approaching, Hudson needed to seize on something-anything-useful, to take home with him and use as leverage in securing another assignment." Another example on page 298 is "Henry Hudson would have appreciated the spectacular view. It would have told him Manhattan was an island." Most people might have been alive but Henry Hudson I suppose is enjoying the views in heaven. The facts and the adventures in this book is quite appealing and that is one reason I would recommend this book.
I am not a harsh critic or a passionate lover of this book. The tone was creative in some ways with quite a bit of similes and metaphors. The authors tone was more inspiring than condemning. On page 228 Hunter writes "With Michaelmas fast approaching, Hudson needed to seize on something-anything-useful, to take home with him and use as leverage in securing another assignment." Another example on page 298 is "Henry Hudson would have appreciated the spectacular view. It would have told him Manhattan was an island." Most people might have been alive but Henry Hudson I suppose is enjoying the views in heaven. The facts and the adventures in this book is quite appealing and that is one reason I would recommend this book.
August 22, 2009
This is an easily read narrative history with Henry Hudson's 1609 voyage in the HALF MOON as the common thread. Incidents of discovery occurring before 1492 are touched upon. Though much of the work deals with the 1609 voyage, the explorations and works of many others are covered. These is some speculation regarding who was first where and it is well known that politics in Europe impelled events in exploration. Many of the financial instruments of today (including trading shares, futures contracts, buy and sell options, and "derivatives" were developed by the Dutch just before the time period covered by Hunter's work and likely helped finance Hudson's voyage. There was a three-way international intrigue regarding the voyage itself. At first the Dutch were not going to finance it, and the French were getting ready to provide the funds. During the negotiations between the Dutch VOC and Hudson, Hudson went to England in mysterious circumstances. The most interesting aspect of Hunter's work is the connections he draws between the various figures and countries involved in the various voyages of discovery and colonization. Unless we take college courses in history we do not hear of individuals e.g. George Waymouth and a host of others one meets in this work.
August 23, 2014
Before I read this book I thought I knew about Henry Hudson. I would have told you he was an Englishman living in Netherlands who was hired by the Dutch East India Company to find a northwest passage to China. Actually, he never spent much time in Amsterdam, he was hired to assess a northeast route, hijacked his own ship, and took it thousands of miles off course. Obviously I needed to read this book.
-Hunter wove a fascinating and incredibly detailed narrative about Hudson's Halfmoon voyage as well as international politics and 17th century exploration. Each chapter introduced more and more information and it was as if a puzzle was being pieced together.
-this was a well researched book that relied on charts, journals and maps not by Hudson but by his contemporaries. The reader is completely immersed in the time period and amazing has meticulously accounted (or conjectured based on evidence that survives) how Hudson spent his three months on Dutch ship he had essentially stolen.
-I could have used more maps in the text to supplement the discussion. I often found myself going to an atlas to try to figure out where Hudson was
-I would recommend this to a reader who already has some knowledge on the time period or topic and not someone looking for a narrative reference.
-Hunter wove a fascinating and incredibly detailed narrative about Hudson's Halfmoon voyage as well as international politics and 17th century exploration. Each chapter introduced more and more information and it was as if a puzzle was being pieced together.
-this was a well researched book that relied on charts, journals and maps not by Hudson but by his contemporaries. The reader is completely immersed in the time period and amazing has meticulously accounted (or conjectured based on evidence that survives) how Hudson spent his three months on Dutch ship he had essentially stolen.
-I could have used more maps in the text to supplement the discussion. I often found myself going to an atlas to try to figure out where Hudson was
-I would recommend this to a reader who already has some knowledge on the time period or topic and not someone looking for a narrative reference.
November 4, 2009
This is a historical account of Henry Hudson's 1609 voyage. He was commissioned by the Dutch East India Company to sail east from Holland to find an easier passage to China. After a somewhat half-hearted attempt at that, he essentially hijacked the ship by sailing west to North America. The author has done extensive research on this voyage and the many personalities involved. I learned a lot about this period in history. However, for the first time since college, I had to carry around a dictionary while I read this book! While many of the unknown words turned out to be nautical terms (for example, astrolabe, shallop, hydrography, pinnace, bight), I couldn't help feeling that he could have communicated more effectively without the "big" words (am I the only reader who did not know hummock, historiographer, necromancy, and cosmographer, for instance?) Other than that little pet peeve, I would recommend this book for anyone who likes thoroughly researched histories.
November 5, 2009
Douglas Hunter, in the scholarly book, Half Moon, Bloomsbury Press 2009, digs deep into the very scanty records of the time period to detail the river voyage, the coastal search, and the subsequent denouement. There probably really was no immediate conclusion to the voyage if I read Hunter correctly. The author ties together intriguing stories of what Hudson and his men saw of the land, of the bays, of the rivers, of the weather, and of the native peoples. He includes detailed descriptions of the actual sailing, of ship structure, of geological features, and of the attitude of the Europeans toward the "Indians." Hunter describes the organization of the European companies and investors who were the ones, not the countries, that organized the voyages of exploration, explotation, and colonization.
August 30, 2009
I enjoyed the read.
I think, though, the writing became weighed down by details in some sections of the book. Part of that is my fault, my own ignorance of certain terms and my own inability to track with the author. However I think the narrative suffered, in places, because the details were focused on. But the several occurrences of this defect did manifest his pursuit of a well-researched book, which I think takes precedence in non-fiction work.
En total the book was a fascinating snapshot, not only of a significant time in Hudson's life, but also of the daily aspects of the sea-faring life in the early 17th century. It was like the Wild West on the open seas.
And all of a sudden I have a new desire to read about the early colonization efforts in the Americas.
I think, though, the writing became weighed down by details in some sections of the book. Part of that is my fault, my own ignorance of certain terms and my own inability to track with the author. However I think the narrative suffered, in places, because the details were focused on. But the several occurrences of this defect did manifest his pursuit of a well-researched book, which I think takes precedence in non-fiction work.
En total the book was a fascinating snapshot, not only of a significant time in Hudson's life, but also of the daily aspects of the sea-faring life in the early 17th century. It was like the Wild West on the open seas.
And all of a sudden I have a new desire to read about the early colonization efforts in the Americas.
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