Just think. If the Vikings had made just that little extra effort to stay on in America when they first arrived just over 1000 years ago then the modern history of not only North America but the whole continent might have started 500 years earlier in 992AD rather than 1492AD.
And that would have meant there would be an extra 500 years of this enthalling history to read; and an extra 500 years of the American dream to follow.
They couldn't have been too far from staying - after all they had already started permanent settlements on both Iceland and Greenland and surely North America must have seemed a pretty attractive proposition compared to either of those cold, inhospitable, barren lands.
Even their own records, their sagas, are full of vivid descriptions of the amazing landscapes across what is nowadays New England, with the sandy beaches, wooded hills and fast-flowing torrents; not to mention the plentiful supplies of salmon, game and wild grapes and the endless forests of timber. And don't forget these were the very same tough, formidable warriors who had already conquered much of England, Ireland and northern France. They were certainly no weaklings!
No, something must have put them off big time, because although both their sagas and modern archaeology confirm that they definitely DID reach North America, by 1002AD, a mere 10 years after their first sighting of the previously unknown land, they had loaded their longships with their possesions and livestock and headed back to Greenland for the last time.
Surely the distance didn't put them off, and the climate would have been much kinder than they were accustomed too in Greenland, Iceland or their native Scandinavia, and we know they had plenty of food and resources.
No, it must have been the Skraelings (the Viking name for the natives - meaning savages) who ended their dream. The very same AmerIndians who were to give the English settlers such a torrid time over 600 years later and who all but spelt the end of English colonization of North America too. It was the Skraelings who forced them to retreat and even put them off any further attempts to return to the great lands to the west.
The Vikings were just too few in numbers and too unprepared to tackle such a ferocious onslaught. They retreated wisely, reasoning that they would be better off as live Vikngs on freezing Greenland than dead Vikings in warm and pleasant America.
Things might have been different, but then..... .
This excerpt is from Discovery - The Story of America by Anthony Treasure. This book is already published in the UK (listed on Amazon.co.uk) and is due to be published in the US at a later date. For now it is published as an ebook and as a SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER Discovery Part One is available to download COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE. Three further titles - Discovery Part Two, Colonization Part One and Colonization Part Two are also out as ebooks and can be bought and downloaded from the website. To claim your free ebook today simply visit http://www.farawaybooks.com
Twin Falls Economic Report done by me; Twin Falls, ID... Read More
Moon Child by Simone Maroney is a larger sized adventure,... Read More
Create Your Own Future: How to Master 12 Critical Factors... Read More
Title: Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely... Read More
The Joy Of Dating Again is designed to be a... Read More
Since the 1950's, Coin Magic by J.B. Bobo has been... Read More
There has been a lot of publicity lately centered on... Read More
Betty Woodrum released her first book of poetry entitled Shattered... Read More
Jack Welsh, the recently retired CEO of General Electric, presents... Read More
The author of Be the Leader: Make the Difference, a... Read More
Dr. Frankel clearly identifies the common mistakes ?101 in all-that... Read More
Based on a mammoth research study conducted by the Gallup... Read More
"Jason Seeley's War" is centered in the heart of a... Read More
"Within the first few pages, I was engrossed and deeply... Read More
Marone Memoirs ? An immigrant Story by author Sarah E.... Read More
EMPOWERING TEENAGERSFrom a new book: "Adolescence is a difficult period,... Read More
Local Atlanta Pastor known for his charity work such as... Read More
Unfortunately, I have seen too many of even the most... Read More
Retired police captain, Marshall Frank, has written another excellent read... Read More
Blue's Clues for Success: The 8 Secrets Behind A Phenomenal... Read More
Title: Critical Condition: How Health Care In America Became Big... Read More
Award winning author John Roynesdal, is a retired English teacher... Read More
Her Backyard by Doreen Lewis is an adventure, romance novel... Read More
Primal leadership takes center stage in this book. This concept... Read More
The Power of 2: Win Big with People in Your... Read More
Kiss, Bow, Or Shake Hands: How To Do Business In... Read More
Everything an individual or company does or produces contributes to... Read More
Please Don't Just Do What I Tell You, Do What... Read More
Now add ten more car wash trucks, with the corresponding... Read More
In a profound and provocative work of scholarly detection, best-selling... Read More
The Seventh Jewel is a fantasy-adventure fiction geared for youth... Read More
You're Fired is a book that tackles the real stories... Read More
I dreamed since I was fourteen years old to spend... Read More
What Color is Your Parachute? Reviewed by: Matt Keegan ©... Read More
The other day I was surfing the net looking for... Read More
Twin Falls Economic Report done by me; Twin Falls, ID... Read More
If you think you've seen and heard everything there is... Read More
Jack Welsh, the recently retired CEO of General Electric, presents... Read More
"Bright colored sheets just inside the sturdy book cover certainly... Read More
Award winning author John Roynesdal, is a retired English teacher... Read More
In his book, "Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a... Read More
We are all "self-employed" now.Today there is absolutely no job... Read More
Local Atlanta Pastor known for his charity work such as... Read More
The "Rich Jerk" has created quite a stir on the... Read More
IntroductionRusty Miles never had a real identity. I was that... Read More
The Surgeon grabbed me and kept me reading. The suspense... Read More
For me, poetry is often too obtuse and difficult for... Read More
This very fun, exciting, fast-paced, warm novella - Bob the... Read More
Don't panic. Jack Mitchell, the author of Hug Your Customers:... Read More
Author Joseph Yakel presents his own blend of humor and... Read More
Loosely based on the graphic novel Hellraiser, Constantine follows the... Read More
"Silent Lies is an action romance saga, that takes the... Read More
HARD CANDY: Nobody Ever Flies over the Cuckoo's Nest; Written... Read More
Excerpted from the book "Your Right to Be Beautiful: How... Read More
May-Day!The school bus had long since disappeared over the last... Read More
"Dawn Josephson, author of 14 books, has written a fantastic... Read More
Kiss, Bow, Or Shake Hands: How To Do Business In... Read More
I dreamed since I was fourteen years old to spend... Read More
"Now this could definitely be a movie! Dark Autumn is... Read More
A missionary and his family were forced to camp outside... Read More
I've reviewed a number of eBooks recently, and none of... Read More
You look at the salesletter and the price tag ($8.95... Read More
The Legend of Juggin' Joe is a fiction based on... Read More
Over the years, several books and countless magazine and newspaper... Read More
Title: Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely... Read More
Joyce Meyers has been inspiring Christians for decades with the... Read More
Book Reviews |