In his the European discovery of America: The Northern Voyages, (Oxford University Press, paperback, 1993, $19.95, 712 pp.) the late Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison presents to the reader an eminently readable and scholarly work on the exploits of European explorers of America from 500 A.D. to 1600. Yet Morison not only presents a fascinating and enlightening view of European discoverers, he presents it with a refreshing traditionalist view of events and theories not often seen today. The end result is an utterly wonderful work.
In his preface, Morison makes clear his goal: to write a work "Together with a similar volume on the Southern Voyages to follow (God willing), it should replace John Fiske's classic Discovery of America (2 vols, 1893) and supplement an irreplaceable work, the first four volumes of Justin Winsor's Narrative and Critical History of America, (4 vols, 1884-1889). Does he do so? I would have to venture a yes for an answer. Morison's work is, as of 1971 when written, the only modern work of its' kind. Yet the scope is merely one of many great assets; Morison covers every aspect of the period. He devotes entire chapters to stories of legend, to how seamen really lived, the dangers they faced, and the instruments they used. These, along with Morison's encyclopedic knowledge about sailing and the sea, are what turn a good book into a great one.
Morison begins this first of two volumes that focus on the explots of seemingly every major and many minor exploreres up to 1600 (the second focusing on the Southern Voyages, including of course, that oft-maligned figure Columbus) with two extremely interesting chapters; first, how the Ocean was an object of wonderment and how it was "mysterious" to the Greeks and Romans, and secondly a folk tale from Ireland of St. Brendan the Navigator. According to legend, Morison writes, St. Brendan sailed west and found several islands where, naturally, holy miracles abounded. But did St. Brendan discover America as some feel? No.
In fact, historical questions are extremely important to Morison, as he seems to feel that the truth is there, but sometimes being masked. The question of just who discovered the New World is one that Morison argues with a heartfelt passion, and he also takes great issue with scholarly thinking.opposite to his view. For example, "What nationality was Columbus?". Morison strongly believed that Columbus was Genoese. In both volumes, pages are spent refuting seemingly every other theory (from the plausible to the utterly ridiculous) on these issues, and he does so with devastating accuracy. What is even more appealing is that Morison seemed to feel that he had a duty to present the correct history, and his views against revisionist academics are made clear in his preface and on the pages of his work.
To quote the preface: "All honest efforts to throw light on historical darkness, such as this era, have my enthusiastic support. But it has fallen to my lot, working on this subject, to have read some of the most tiresome historical literature in existance. Young men seeking academic promotion, old men seeking publicity, neither one nor the other knowing the subject in depth, only a particular voyage or a particular map, write worthless articles..." Reading such an invective against other historians causes one to almost wince. Yet Morison refuses to mince words as he continues, "Some of these stem from mere personal conceit; others from racial emotion. Canada and the United States seem to be full of racial groups who wish to capture the Ôreal' discovery for their medieval compatriots. They argue that Columbus and Cabot had so many predecessors as to deserve no more credit than a person who buys a ticket for a cruise at a tourist agency." Ouch. I would submit that Morison was appalled by the spread of liberal multiculturalism among American scholarship. Yet Morison's work is not meant to bash; it's goal is to present history as it happened, and it is a --dare I say fun?--book to read.
Morison fills the pages of his first volume with the voyages of such notable northern explorers as Frobisher, Cabot, Verrazzano, and Cartier along with lesser known explorers such as Davis and Gilbert. Also included in this volume are literally dozens of medieval and modern maps and illustrations, brining an invaluable quality of depth to the work.
With a clear style, richly written prose, a great attention to detail, and a traditionalist (correct) view, I highly reccommend Morison's work(s) for the layman and the specialist in the field as a valuable tool for the study of the period, and as a life preserver for any student who must endure such bunk as being told Phoenicians were the first to discover America. MR