Pocahontas Books

The authors of this book felt that this was the time to finally tell the true story of Pocahontas, and I completely agree. It's time people, especially Americans, face the truth that has been shrouded in romantic myth for far too long. It may be difficult for some to think of such historical figures as John Smith, John Rolfe and others to be anything but heroes, but it's far more important to the history of this country that the truth be told. The Mattaponi, Pocahontas's tribe, has kept their secret knowledge of the truth to themselves for 400 years. It is with bravery and no doubt a sense of relief that they finally decided to share it with the world. The time for Disney movies and romaticized stories is over: it is now time for the truth.

Pocahontas's life has reached mythical proportions. How could any book possibly offer new information? The True Story of Pocahontas was written by the Mattaponi, her tribe. After having read many accounts about the legendary woman's life, I tried to interlock the jigsaw puzzle with the pieces never quite fitting. Not only did this book answer my questions, it filled in the gaping holes.

John Smith wrote the stories about Pocahontas saving his life several years after her death. Other texts admit as much, yet most gloss over why this may have been. Few also question why a woman abducted by what must have seemed like an alien culture would immediately dress like her captors, convert to Christianity, and marry within a year of her captivity. All of those facts, plus another side to Pocahontas's death, are revealed with shocking clarity. The True Story of Pocahontas should be required reading for every American history class.

After reading this version of Pocahontas, a lot of things became clearer to me. I could never understand how, when the Natives from the rest of the United States were treated so horribly by the Anglos, that the Natives of Virginia escaped, virtually unscathed, during the time of Powhatan. It was very informative, beautifully written and I am grateful that the truth has been told. My congratulations go out to both Linwood Custalow and Angie Daniels for writing this book. I know that Chief Webster 'Little Eagle' Custalow, from his present vantage point, is very proud of this contribution to history. I only wish that he were here, in person, to tell you this.

Thank you for sharing,
Barbara 'Little Doe' Adkins
Gloucester, Virginia

This is a very important story that should be read by as many people as possible. It is essential that we recognize the value of oral history--and the other side of history that is presented here. We generally know so little about the native people who interacted with the English settlers of Jamestown--their beliefs, their way of life, and their perspective. We are very fortunate that Dr. Custalow was willing to share the story that he knows with the rest of us, particularly as we turn our attention to Jamestown during this "celebration" year. It is beautifully and evocatively written and well worth your time and thought. I know that reading it has affected me, and increased my understanding of this pivotal time in our nation's history. Thank you for your contribution, Dr. Custalow.

The book tells a "new" story to me from the standpoint of the Powhatan Indians of Virginia. I enjoyed learning of Pocahontas from the viewpoint of her ancestors. This oral history of her life was enlightening. It made me rethink how my English ancestors behaved and how they may not have been as truthful and honest to a trusting Powhatan Indian Chief, Pocahontas's father, to gain successful knowledge about planting and growing crops in the "New World." I also never knew that Pocahontas might have been kidnapped by the settlers. To learn in this book that Pocahontas may have been poisoned in England, where she died, it was very sad.
Great read!
Thanks to Dr. Custalow.

This little book provides the reader with a basic history of the Powatan starting with a bit prior to first contact with europeans (ironicly the Spanish) to Jamestown (proving ample insights into the minds of the cultures involved) to the modern age, including their experiences of the racial Jim Crow nonsence of the South. Nothing spectacular just the bare and basic facts. I did find the comparison of how the Powatans fared in comparison to the Tribes of New England most impressive.

Most informative and filling for the mind.

A good book to have for those interested in the region, or just the story of Jamestown and the beginning of America.

As the previous reviewer said, this book does a wonderful job examing the history of the Powhatana Confederation of Virgina through the past four centuries. Often forgotten about by the American public at large the Powhatans (actually several different Algonquian speaking Nations joined together into a single Confederacy) played a major role in US history almost from the beginning. Indeed, as the title suggests, Pocahontas herself was one of their most well known members.

Starting with an examination of pre-contact Powhatan life and culture, Rountree goes on to examine the first meetings between the Chickahominies and the Spanish conquistadors, early encounters with the British settlers, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and Indian removal. Especially interesting are the last couple chapters which focus on Indian rights activism in the last century. The Powhatan (like any of the other First Nations) never went away and have had to struggle to gain their own reservation, and even federal recognition. The book ends with a wonderfully long and detailed bibliography.

This book really tells of their struggles and triumphs, and more than anything else I would say that this book gives a wonderful background for understanding where the peoples of the Powhatan Confederation have come from. Anyone with an interest in Native American studies should definately check out this book and the others in the Civilization of the American Indians series.

Being a descendant of the Wicocomico Indian Tribe, a chiefdom of the Powhatan Empire and a 7th great grandson of King William Taptico of the above tribe; Ms Rountree's book took me on a trip back into time and verified much of my previous research into my Native American Heritage.

This was a well written book on a subject that has been neglected for years. It discusses the terrible clash between Colonial America and the Powhatan Empire; a period that set the tone for the treatment of Native Americans in America for years to come and continues today. Considering the poor records that Colonial America maintained, Ms Rountree did an exceptional job in uncovering long lost information and at last brought to light the treatment the Powhatans received at the hands of Colonial America. The period of 1607 thru 1775 was the Powhatans "Wounded Knee". Ms Rountree did an excellent job in bringing to light much of the injustices done to the Powhatans.

For the Powhatan Empire researcher,this is a book that should be on your shelf.

Aluminum Balloons offers nothing less than hard, cold reality. Riddle's honest and angry poems present simple grace and maturity which are able to reach people in every stage of life. Standing on the front lines of feminism, Riddle's words also touch the deepest veins of love - marriage and motherhood. A voice of knowledge and survival whispers with power into the ears of all who are ready to listen. This unerring collection of poems is a must have for all.

Aluminum Balloons offers nothing less than hard, cold reality. Riddle's honest and angry poems present simple grace and maturity which are able to reach people in every stage of life. Standing on the front lines of feminism, Riddle's words also touch the deepest veins of love - marriage and motherhood. A voice of knowledge and survival whispers with power into the ears of all who are ready to listen. This unerring collection of poems is a must have for all.

This book not only tells how and where to find books, but gives a great description of the many interests of the coast!!!

No one else has covered these little shops about the coast. He delightfully comments on the owners and the type of books you will find. Nice to have on the shelf for a book owner and shopper.

Everyone knows the story of Pocahontas - or at least "a" story of Pocahontas. Pocahontas WAS intelligent, capable, curious, and brave, but real life isn't as palatable or black-and-white as the Disney-ized version of the story.

Wendy Lawton continues her "Daughters of Faith" series with "The Captive Princess," a respectful portrayal of Pocahontas and the people of her world, a story that recognizes the ambiguity of life. As the great Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas enjoys both special privilege and responsibility within her family and her tribe. When Englishmen come to the Powhatans' shores, Pocahontas is both curious and wary. She knows there will be eagerness and distrust from both those new and those familiar to the land. She works to bring peace and trust between the two, but is betrayed. As she struggles to come to terms with the "grayness" all she has experienced, Pocahontas learns, in the words of a minister who befriends her, that "we battle between what we long to be and what we fall back into." When Pocahontas learns to accept God's forgiveness, she learns how to forgive herself as well.

The Captive Princess is a must read for fans of the "Daughters of Faith" series and new readers alike. Wendy Lawton's well-researched attention to historic details and her always present glossary of terms make "The Captive Princess" the perfect choice for a fun read or as part of a larger study of American history.

Most of us studied Pocahontas and the Jamestown settlement in American History. I enjoyed going back in time with Wendy Lawton and getting to know the young Pocahontas even better. Lawton does an excellent job bringing the young princess to life and makes learning the customs and language of the Powhatan Indians and the early Jamestown settlers an enjoyable experience. History has never been so fun. Pocahontas' compassion, spirit and faith will inspire you.

In a personal, painstaking and fascinating look back at the music and those who played it, the author has captured the essence, spirit and love for music of a time gone by but whose impact is still being felt today. With the care of someone fulled with the admiration and respect of those who have gone before, Kevin Donleavy's decades-long project identifies over 1,300 players of traditional music from southern Virginia and northern North Carolina, dating from pre-1870 into the 20th century. The text is accompanied by a wealth of rare photographs which add much to the rich narrative. As stated in the introduction: "The collection of anecdotes, stories and utterances came from the musicians as they talked about themselves or about other players with whom they are or were familiar." Besides being a valuable resource for any musicologist, the book chronicles the lives and a musical tradition in danger of being lost were it not for this authoritative and heartfelt tome.

Amazon's Reading Level rating of "Young Adult" for this unusual volume is inaccurate and misleading. While "Strings" will be enjoyed by readers of all ages, it is written for an adult audience. The book explores in elaborate detail a little-known segment of American society: the unsophisticated, gentle and talented musicians of the mountain South. This unique book chronicles and helps to preserve one of the few genuine types of traditional American music through its recording of intimate conversations with these aging musicians, whose way of life and mores are rapidly disappearing under the onslaught of modern American life.

With the inclusion of occasional black-and-white photographic illustrations and featuring a newly reformatted text, "Abiding Appalachia: Where Mountain And Atom Meet" continues to showcase Marilou Awiakta's distinctive and highly recommended poetry which deftly meshes her Cherokee-Appalachian heritage with her experiences growing up in Oak ridge, Tennessee in the newly emerging era of nuclear energy and atomic bombs. `Where Mountain and Atom Meet': Ancient haze lies on the mountain/smoke-blue, strange and still/a presence that eludes the mind and/moves through a deeper kind of knowing./It is nature's breath and more -/an aura from the great I AM/that gathers to its own/spirits that have gone before.//Deep below the valley waters/eerie and hid from view/the atom splits without a sound/its only trace a fine blue glow/rising from the fissioned whole/and at its core/power that commands the will/quiet that strikes the soul./"Be still and know...I AM."

A delightful book to read anywhere!! Inspiration, motivation, and respect were brought on by this collection of memories and anecdotes. It is truly worth it.

For Lynn Kozma, the world is "one huge round poem." And certainly, her imagery is most evocative when she draws on her vision of the ebb and flow of the natural world. "Catching the Light" is a collection divided into five parts. The poems, "The Thousand Rooted Tree" and "Changing" draw on images from the poet's childhood and quite effectively suggest that the self and relationships to others are virtual extensions of the natural processes of life, like the cycle of the seasons or the migrations of Canadian geese. In "Half Life," the imagery becomes flat and harsh as the poet recalls the horrors of her experience as a nurse in Europe during World War II. Kozma's pantheism returns in the later sections, although in imagery that is muted and poignant. Here are the relics of loves found and lost and a sort of hollow-eyed wonder at the phenomena of senescence and death. Quoted from a review by Robert Turner, Jr., Ph.D.

Community Action At Work: TAP's Thirty-Year War On Poverty is a sobering look at the brutal battle against ruthless economic forces and low standards of living, as waged by the organization Total Action Against Poverty (TAP), which is headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia. TAP has endeavored to educate children, feed the homeless, leverage millions of dollars of economic assistance, initiated economic development, and much more to improve the quality of life for countless at-risk people. Community Action At Work is the detailed story of TAP, documenting their 30-year growth under the guidance of Cabell Brand, a businessman from Salem who was not content to earn money just for himself - he actively persuaded local governments to take advantage of federal anti-poverty legislation as early as 1965. Recommended as more than a fascinating history, but also as a model and guide for other charities that seek to actively combat the roots of poverty.