Champlain's Dream (Paperback) ~ David Hackett Fischer (Author) Cover Art

Champlain's Dream (Paperback)

By: David Hackett Fischer (Author)

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Review

"...Fischer provides a splendid example not only of historical narration, but also of the ways historians can use stories of 'great men', not as triumphal panegyrics but, rather, as prisms through which much else can be seen."

"A lucid portrait of a man given too little attention in standard textbooks. Fischer's work should make it impossible to ignore Champlain's contributions henceforth."

"With 2008 the 400th anniversary of the foundation of New France, the time is ripe for this outstanding work."

Publisher's note

In this sweeping, enthralling biography, acclaimed historian David Hackett Fischer brings to life the remarkable Samuel de Champlain -- soldier, spy, master mariner, explorer, cartographer, artist, and Father of New France.

Born on France's Atlantic coast, Champlain grew to manhood in a country riven by religious warfare. The historical record is unclear on whether Champlain was baptized Protestant or Catholic, but he fought in France's religious wars for the man who would become Henri IV, one of France's greatest kings, and like Henri, he was religiously tolerant in an age of murderous sectarianism. Champlain was also a brilliant navigator. He went to sea as a boy and over time acquired the skills that allowed him to make twenty-seven Atlantic crossings without losing a ship.

But we remember Champlain mainly as a great explorer. On foot and by ship and canoe, he traveled through what are now six Canadian provinces and five American states. Over more than thirty years he founded, colonized, and administered French settlements in North America. Sailing frequently between France and Canada, he maneuvered through court intrigue in Paris and negotiated among more than a dozen Indian nations in North America to establish New France. Champlain had early support from Henri IV and later Louis XIII, but the Queen Regent Marie de Medici and Cardinal Richelieu opposed his efforts. Despite much resistance and many defeats, Champlain, by his astonishing dedication and stamina, finally established France's New World colony. He tried constantly to maintain peace among Indian nations that were sometimes at war with one another, but when he had to, he took up arms and forcefully imposed a newbalance of power, proving himself a formidable strategist and warrior.

Throughout his three decades in North America, Champlain remained committed to a remarkable vision, a Grand Design for France's colony. He encouraged intermarriage among the French colonists and the natives, and he insisted on tolerance for Protestants. He was a visionary leader, especially when compared to his English and Spanish contemporaries -- a man who dreamed of humanity and peace in a world of cruelty and violence.

This superb biography, the first in decades, is as dramatic and exciting as the life it portrays. Deeply researched, it is illustrated throughout with many contemporary images and maps, including several drawn by Champlain himself.

Annotation

In this biography of the explorer who is credited with founding Quebec, historian David Hackett Fischer portrays Samuel de Champlain as a man of great skill and many achievements in service to the French crown. Fischer examines Champlain's great master plan for Quebec, which was ultimately thwarted by historical events, especially the Seven Years' War. There remains today a strong French culture in Quebec, and it is Champlain who deserves some credit for that. Fischer, an eminent historian, does much to restore the reputation of this important figure. Selected by the New York Times Book Review as a Notable Book of 2008.

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