Customer Reviews

Columbus Was Last/from 200,000 B.C. to 1492, a Heretical History of Who Was First

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Patrick Huyghe has put together an interesting book with "Columbus Was Last." Each chapter deals with the possibility that a different civilization made landfall and, in some cases, thorough explorations of North and/or South America prior to Columbus in 1492. Though it is likely that not all of those mentioned did so (there are 17 chapters in the book), it is also likely that at least a few are accurate.

Huyghe provides as much evidence as he can muster for each possibility. And some of it seems to make sense. Pottery connections between different parts of the world, similar cultural practices, similar words for the same object, transplanted flora, etc. I am convinced that a few of the assertions are on the mark. But there are also a few chapters where the evidence seems sketchy at best.

Even so, it was interesting to read about them, whether you're persuaded or not. It stands to reason that there had to be at least a few contacts with either Asia, Europe or Africa before 1492 or even 1000 (Vikings). Which ones you believe in are up to you!

Four stars. Good "revisionist" history!

Patrick Huyghe, the author of this interesting book, demonstrates that numerous visits occurred in the interval between the First Americans (Native Indians) approx. 50,000 years ago and Columbus in 1492.

This book is well written and, although biased toward acceptance of some quite flimsy evidence, presents the arguments on both sides of most exploration claims.

Although I was familiar with some of this material, especially the Vinland settlement and St. Brendan's saga, its nice to have a one book compilation of all the possible (and in some cases probable) explorers to reach America well before Columbus.

Its amazing to the author, and to me, how archaeologists refuse to recognize any of these visits except for the Greenland Norse ....... and even Vinland was considered a fable until 1960 when Ingstad excavated L'Anse aux Meadows and forced the truth down their throats.

Early Japanese in Ecuador (pottery), Polynesians in SA (sweet potato), and Nubian/Egyptians in Mexico (easy drift currents, step pyramids) are shown by Huyghe to be almost certainties.

This is a subject that is constantly being revised as new discoveries are made. An updated revision to this book would be nice ........ its been 12 years and I'm sure evidence and opinions have changed somewhat re many of these early visitors.

Patrick Huyghe pulls together solid scientific material in a book that is easy to read, scholarly, and still ignored by other authors who cover some of the same areas.

Pick up the original...

Great read.

Mr. Reiss's review down there is not to be taken seriously, as you can see by the way he writes. Sarcasm is not a good way to review a book. Especially when you are terribly unknowledgeable about a subject.
There are many books dealing with a pre-Columbus European presence in the Americas. Barry Fell is a prime example. You can interpret the evidence in many ways, but the fact is that the evidence is there. Even for large naval groups. Not navel (belly button) forces.
This book is a good introduction to the material, but someone who has more interest in the subject matter might want to look up Barry Fell.

Patrick Huyghe is somebody who claims, that with this book, he is rebelling against the single most powerful social and political force in the modern world - if you thought that would be the President of the United States, or Organized Crime, or some powerful religious leader, or maybe large business interests such as CEO's of major corporations, than you would be wrong. No, the most powerful force in the modern world, those who weald power like wizards of legend, that can do the most damage to your life, career, family, and standing in modern society are History Professors at Colleges and Universities.

Yep, some low-level flunky history professor at a community college welds more power and sway in the modern world than the President of Russia or Bill Gates. Well, to say the least I was very surprised to find this out.

Huyghe has also written on UFO's, Bigfoot, and Dinosaurs that live in your own backyard. Don't worry, the History professors, in league with top scientists at NASA, have brainwashed you so that you don't see the dinosaurs in your backyard. Which, I must say makes me very thankful. After all, dinosaurs are quite scary looking and I wouldn't want to have to see them.

These same history professors have been weaving a complicated game with history too. They want to keep Columbus in his place as the Grand discoverer of America and the new world. Why? I think it has something to with the coffee futures market... I am not exactly sure. Huyghe never really explains why the evil History Professors are in league with the Devil, the Republican Party and the Wal-Mart Corporation to make sure that he retains this place in the history books.

Okay, I've had some rhetorical fun now. Now, to get serious...

Everybody who knows a little modern history knows that Columbus was not the first white man to "Discover" America or the new world. It is well known that some Dane named Leif Erickson got to his Vineland (a.k.a. Newfoundland) around 1000 A.D., and maybe even some good Irish monk, the Venerable St. Brendan, might have made it to North America in the sixth century A.D. Probably even some Portuguese fishermen doing some fishing in the 13th and 14th centuries.

That all said, Huyghe has more than a few stories of an Irish Monk and a Dane or two, he has whole Chinese navel fleets, African navel forces, a Roman or two, some Welsh dudes, and a whole bunch of others traipsing all over North America, South America, and throughout the Canadian Arctic. You would think that Ireland, China, Japan and Africans would have left a few real traces behind. Heck, one would expect the remains of a large visitors bureau to be found in Arkansas or maybe Colorado where the millions of African, Asian, European and Space Alien visitors would have to check in while during their stay in the New World. After all, lord knows they must have out numbered the locals (the ancestors of those Native Americans), who appear to never notice all these travelers in their land.

All right, I know I'm going for the rhetorical flourish again -- I admit it.

I would be willing to even accept than a few Chinese and Romans wandered around doing... I don't know... exploring or something. But they were not opening Space Ports for Space Alien visitors -- I am sure of that.

Columbus gets the credit for the "Discovery" of the America's not because he discovered much of anything. After all, those Native Americans were and are here. Just that his "Discovery" was remembered and followed upon. All the talk of who was first, second, third or 754th to find their way here, is rather meaningless. The most important thing is who advertised that the New World existed to the rest of the Old World. And that person was Columbus.

The book does have a few good points going for it. It is well written. Even if I don't like what it has to say, I will admit that Huyghe can write. I just wish he would find something worth writing about. Anybody who can get me worked up to denounce something this much must have some good qualities.