The James is America's river. It witnessed the birth of English-speaking America in 1607 and the 'new birth of freedom' ushered in by Union victory in the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln's dramatic visit to the fallen Confederate capital of Richmond on April 4, 1865. Bob Deans' eloquent narrative does full justice to the story both tragic and majestic of ... Read morethis historic river.
James M. McPherson, Princeton University A beautifully written, brilliant book, The River Where America Began is history the way it should be told. An inspiring story of America and its unique struggle to become a great nation.
Helen Thomas, Dean, White House Press Corps, Hearst Columnist The James River was America's first waterway and may still be its most historic. With the eye of a fine journalist and the heart of a native Virginian, Bob Deans has made an engaging human drama of the great river's history, from Pocahontas and John Smith to Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln. It's a compelling read.
Doyle McManus, Washington Bureau Chief, Los Angeles Times A waterway that runs through Virginia also runs through—and nourishes—our identity as a nation. This book is the work of a superb journalist, and also a masterful storyteller. In Bob Deans' unsparing and riveting narrative, we really get to know characters like Captain John Smith and Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, and understand why we wouldn't be who we are if they hadn't been who they were.
Time Magazine
Deans has written an account of our history that is at once lively, surprising and deeply insightful, a powerful book that reveals much about who Americans are and where we came from.
New Orleans Times-Picayune
Deans roves far beyond Jamestown's first couple of decades. . . . His succession of stories brims with drama and vignettes of famous and not-so-famous people. Local Virginia collections may be interested in Deans' work.
Library Journal
Anyone with an interest in early American history should appreciate Deans's mix of natural and cultural perspectives.
Publishers Weekly
Deans' interlineal commentary reflects the zeitgeist's critical stance toward America's origin story, while his fast-moving presentation successfully engages interest in an overview of Jamestown and its aftermath.
Booklist
The genuine attempt to include native sources, including the views of twenty-first century natives, is laudable. For historians of the United States or of Virginia specifically, this book should be readable and entertaining.
American Studies
Heartfelt and engaging. . . . Persons rooted in or who live near the shores of the Hudson and James Rivers will treasure this volume.
Journal Of The American Republic
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