Vinland : first contact -- 1492 : the hidden half of the globe -- Santo Domingo : the Columbus jinx -- Dominican Republic : you think there are still Indians? -- Gulf coast : naked in the new world -- The Southwest : to the seven cities of stone -- The plains : sea of grass -- The South : De Soto does Dixie -- The Mississippi : conquistador's last stand -- Florida : fountain of youth, river of blood -- Roanoke : lost in the lost colony -- Jamestown : the captain and the naturals -- Plymouth : tale of two rocks

An irresistible blend of history, myth, and misadventure, A Voyage Long and Strange captures the wonder and drama of first contact. Vikings, conquistadors, French voyageurs--these and many others roamed an unknown continent in quest of grapes, gold, converts, even a cure for syphilis. Though most failed, their remarkable exploits left an enduring mark on the land and people encountered by late-arriving English settlers.--From publisher description