Fischer's biography of Champlain is a great read and provides further knowledge and insight into the life of this early French explorer. Having spent time in Upstate New York and other New England states as a child, a recognized many of the places described in the book and I enjoyed adding to my historical knowledge of places I've been. I knew little of Champlain prior to reading the book, and I now view him as not only an explorer of lands, but more importantly as an ambassador to a new world. According to Fischer, unlike many of his contemporaries, Champlain went to the new world, and its inhabitants, with open arms, interested in building relationships, not war. There is much we can learn from Champlain and apply to our lives today.The audio version is narrated by Edward Hermann, and it is an excellent listen. Another excellent read by David Hackett Fischer. Fischer brings Champlain to life like never before (at least to me and probably most people). Samuel Champlain was a complex man of many talents, titles, and roles and was certainly much more than just another explorer. French history, European history, North American history, Native American history... This book has it all! The book itself is well written with the content having been exhaustively researched as evident by the massive collection of notes, appendices, and historiography compiled by DHF in the back of the book (one of the best parts of DHF's books in my mind and a great way to know that the historian has done his homework in effort to present a masterful tome on his/her subject matter). Fischer can be a little too repetitive at times while making his arguments, but that doesn't really bother me at all. As I recall, this is the first of his books published by Simon & Schuster which may explain why some passages seem poorly edited as if the only editor was a computer spell check.I approached this book having an idea that it was going to be good, but this volume actually exceeded my expectations. I learned allot about the behind the scenes workings behind New France and the roadblocks that colonization efforts face. I also learned allot about the European environment that fostered Champlain's dream and led others to attempt colonization in the new world. I especially liked chapters 22-24 which focus on the folkways of french Canada and the french influence in North America. The writing and subject matter of these chapters reminded me of Albion's Seed. Overall a great book which I recommend to all that may be interested.
What do You think about Le Rêve De Champlain (2011)?
I did not expect to learn anything important from this book, I was wrong...fvp
—jmalkire
Amazing details about the formation of Canada and 17th century France .
—ashlyn
The life of Champlain in book form. Solid.
—lm2394
