Books like The complete works of Captain John Smith (1580-1631) by John Smith

Sir Walter Raleigh’s ill‑fated Roanoke colonists and their encounters with Native Americans unfold in Giles Milton’s well‑researched narrative that spans English exploration, the mysterious disappearance of early settlers, and Elizabeth I’s legendary title, "Big Chief."

Raphael explains the central purpose of his "people's history" thusly: "By uncovering the stories of farmers, artisans, and laborers, we discern how plain folk helped create a revolution strong enough to evict the British Empire from the thirteen colonies. And by digging deeper still, we learn how people with no political standing -- women, Native Americans, African Americans -- altered the shape of a war conceived by others." After carefully reconstructing the histories of all these groups, he concludes: "The story of our nation's founding, told so often from the perspective of the 'founding fathers,' will never ring true unless it can take some account of the Massachusetts farmers who closed the courts, the poor men and boys who fought the battles, the women who followed the troops, the loyalists who viewed themselves as rebels, the pacifists who refused to sign oaths of allegiance, the Native Americans who struggled for their own independence, the southern slaves who fled to the British, the northern slaves who negotiated their freedom by joining the Continental Army". Raphael's account rings true: these people made the American Revolution. - Marcus Rediker, University of Pittsburgh.

This book presents an imaginative selection and thematic arrangement of Captain John Smith's most important writings. The goal is to make Smith accessible to scholars, students, and general readers alike. The editor's introductory material and notes clarify Smith's meaning and the context in which he wrote, while the selections are large enough to allow Captain Smith to speak for himself.

A historical overview of the seventeenth century, focusing on Captain John Smith's exploration and settlement of the New World.