Jamestown Colony

October 1, 2007
Gr 7 Up-This ambitiously titled compendium brings together many facets of the settlements history in a format that is accessible to younger report writers as well as to serious researchers. An extensive introductory essay details the 16th- and 17th-century political and economic factors that affected the establishment of Jamestown and its subsequent history. The first half of the book is devoted to encyclopedia-style entries on a variety of topics, including people, places, and significant events. The other half, Selected Writings, contains excerpts from primary-source materials (snippets of which are also scattered throughout the text as sidebars). The problem of the one-sided nature of many accounts of the settlement is addressed by the inclusion of cross-references and further-reading suggestions after each entry. These are especially valuable when looking up a specific topic. The writing style is more conversational than that in many reference books (on the construction of Civil War trenches: One cringes at the thought of what was lost during the building of those fortifications). Native peoples are discussed primarily in terms of their interactions with the Europeans; however, the authors carefully differentiate between the various tribal groups within the area and include information about their present-day status. Black-and-white engravings, drawings, paintings, and a few maps and contemporary photographs appear throughout the encyclopedia section. This volume should prove useful as it brings together many sources that may not be readily available in smaller collections."Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christophers School, Richmond, VA"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2007
In the spring of 1607, after a miserable voyage, threeships carrying 105 settlers and 55 crewmen entered Chesapeake Bay and selected a site for James Town, the firstsuccessful Englishcolony in the New World. The 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown is being marked by a variety of events and publications, including this encyclopedia. Following a lengthy introduction that describes the colonys history, some 250 entries provide information on individuals and groups(Rolfe, John; French Huguenots); places(Hog Island, Martins Hundred); enterprises (Falling Creek Ironworks, Fur trade); and other topics (Archaeology, Cannibalism, Massacre of 1622). No criteria for the selection of topics are provided, but the authorsseem to have made a point being broadly inclusive. Especially noteworthy are the many entries related to the Native Americans the settlers encountered (for example, Pamunkey Indians, Pocahantas, Powhatan) and the five-and-a half-page entry on Slavery. Each entry concludes with cross-references and further-reading suggestions. Complementing the entries are numerous sidebars, many containing excerpts from primary accounts. The fact that each sidebar is listed in the table of contents and also indicated by italics in the index is helpful; sidebar material is often easy to miss. More than 50 Selected Writingsinclude important official documents and firsthand accounts. Among the appendixes area chronology, a list of Tribes of the Powhatan Confederacy, a list of Virginias Chief Executives, 16071699, and more. Rounding out the volume are a bibliography and detailed index.Black-and-white illustrationsenhance the work and contribute to the handsome design. Based on current scholarship, this work will have value long after the anniversary observances are over, and academic and large public libraries will want to acquire it. For moreinformation on the colonysearly settlers, seeour review of Genealogical Publishings Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 16071635: A Biographical Dictionary, in Reference Books in Brief (p.122). For curriculum-oriented Web sites, see Reference on the Web, on p.120.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)