Sam White (1)

A good look at the various attempts by France, Spain, and England (don't forget Portugal) to colonize North America and the effect of weather during the late 1500s to early 1600s. I do have some issues with how the author interprets proxy data and states his conclusions as incontrovertible facts (such as tree ring data that only show summer* but interprets as telling exact information for winter) but still a good read. Especially if your knowledge of North American history jumps from the conquistadors in 1521 to the Pilgrims in 1620.

*I don't personally know how tree rings are read and calculated beyond the physical counting of rings to tell years but am going off what the author states. The author states that tree ring data are proxy data (a proxy is not direct but something that stands in place of something else) that are imperfect for data analysis but then states his analysis and interpretation are true, accurate, and unquestionable facts about winter weather. He mentions only once that proxy data are imperfect but then goes on to take that data as if it were direct data.… (más)

All in all this is a very fine examination of the impact of climate, and of climate knowledge (or the lack thereof), on the Early Modern efforts of the European nations to gain a foothold in what is now Canada and the United States. If the impact of the Little Ice Age (and of assorted major volcanic eruptions) wasn't enough of a barrier to European efforts to create overseas footholds, White spends much time dealing with the European misconceptions regarding the climactic conditions they were going to be subjected to. For too long they thought they would encounter relatively mild conditions, instead of the "continental" climate with its relative extremes of winter and summer. To a large degree it was only sheer stubbornness and a bit of dumb luck that allowed early settlements at Jamestown, Quebec, St. Augustine and Santa Fe to survive until adaptation to the new reality could take place (the French being the possible exception). Highly recommended.… (más)