Captain John Smith: Jamestown and the Birth of the American Dream

Before listening to a brief lecture on John Smith from The Teaching Company, about all I knew was the Pocahantas story, like 99.99 percent of Americans. Well, let me say that this book does an excellent job of chronicling the "real" adventurous life of John Smith both before, during and (briefly) after Jamestown and the New World. While he had a combative side, he was certainly innovative and persistent and knew how to survive in tough situations. The real story of his meetings with Powhatan is far more interesting than the Disney story and the romantic legend. And you'll be surprised at stories of Smith winning three straight joosting battles to the death and later being enslaved in Turkey and escaping by killing his master. Smith certainly had luck or Divine Providence on his side as this book shows--he came close to dying at the hands of both the Native Americans and his fellow Englishmen on numerous occasions, as his feuds with higher-ranking but less prudent colleagues are detailed here. Indeed, one of the lasting impressions I carried from this book was that Smith never felt appreciated for his efforts to keep early colonies alive.

This book is good and interesting book.I liked the documentation of the events by the author.

I read "Captain John Smith" after reading Price's "Love & Hate in Jamestown". Both books I enjoyed tremendously. What I liked about Captain John Smith, and one could have presumed this by the difference in titles, is that it educates the reader about Smith's life before Jamestown. I was amazed by his encounters with the Turks and shortly thereafter his escape from slavery. We also learn about the relationships Smith built and skills he acquired before boarding the Susan Constant. Smith's adventures before Jamestown give him much more credibility as a leader once he arrives in the New World. As a side note do NOT watch the movie The New World. It will cloud your mind with inaccuracies. I thought the movie was poor enough to turn off part way through.

I had not given Pocahontas much thought, till I had heard that the great Terrance Malick was going to make a movie based on her life. I eventually watched "The New World" and was just knocked out. What a hauntingly beautiful film. I just had to know if this was historically accurate? In the DVD of the film there is a great special section where you see to what lengths Malick went to recreate "Jamestown". The feel and look of authenticity is complete on all levels, so it would seem, except....the actual story. I read through a few web sites that comment on the film; the views of some native American's (quite understandably upset....) put me in touch with the Hoobler book. Took it out from the library and read it. I was knocked out for the second time. What a triumph of hard investigative work. They uncovered material that has not seen the light of day since written, some of which dates to Smith's own hand. The upshot of this is that while "The New World" is a fantastic film, it is alas not historically accurate as far as the relationship between Smith and Pocahontas. This does not detract from the film as such; it is entertainment and not someone's scholarly PhD disseration. Yes, Malick strangely opted to craft the script along the lines of American folklore, which insists that there was some sort of love affair between the two. No, there is not a shred of reliable historical evidence that this ever came about. The best thing to do is to watch the film and then read the Hoobler book. If you accept the reality that the film does a superb job of recreating the look and feel of Jamestown but does not tell the exact story, then the discord between what is entertainment and what is history can be properly framed. An excellent book well recommended to those who are interested in the founding of America.

This is a concise collection of Smith's adventures that is interspersed with Smith's own words. The piece is well organized and written, and most importantly provides insight into the mindset, motive, and philosophy of Smith and the early American settlers. It certainly provides the reader with a greater understanding of how America has become what it has. And how it will continue be the land where individual spirit is rewarded.