Despite All Obstacles: La Salle and the Conquest of the Mississippi (Great Explorers) [Hardcover]

Joan Elizabeth Goodman (Author), Tom McNeely (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Great Explorers

To say that Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle was determined is like saying the sun is warm. La Salle made his way from Eastern Canada to the Great Lakes. Then he traveled by canoe down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. This vast territory was dense unexplored wilderness, controlled by the fierce and powerful Iroquois. To make the merely daunting nearly impossible, La Salle was on his own. His King, Louis X1V, would provide neither protection, men nor money.

Through one setback after another, La Salle kept on going. His men deserted him; he walked a thousand miles, in the middle of the brutal Canadian winter, back to Montreal and organized a new expedition. The Iroquois threatened; he brought together rival tribes, and speaking in their own language, united them into an alliance against the Iroquois. La Salle's ship sunk with a fortune in furs meant to finance his expedition. Again, he walked back to Montreal and found new financial support.

Part adventure, part biography, Despite All Obstacles is the fascinating story of this obstinate and courageous man who had dreams as large as the continent and a will to match those dreams.

(2001)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The latest installment in the Great Explorers series, Despite All Obstacles: La Salle and the Conquest of the Mississippi, by Joan Elizabeth Goodman and illus. by Tom McNeely, traces the life and journeys of the intrepid French explorer Ren-Robert Cavelier, better known as La Salle. McNeely's watercolors effectively evoke the frontier landscape, and a cleverly designed fold-out map allows readers to follow expedition routes alongside each page of text.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grades 3-6--In this smooth, well-written, and fact-filled title, Goodman traces the life of La Salle from his birth in Rouen, France, through his historic adventures down the Mississippi. Excerpts from letters, diaries, and journals of the man and his contemporaries are sprinkled throughout the book and will be a bonus for those who need original documents. While the author acknowledges that "Many of the sources quoted in this book were written by men hired to join La Salle's expedition as chroniclers," there is no bibliography. McNeely's masterly full- and double-page paintings of the participants in the adventure depict the costumes and accoutrements of the era. A clear, easy-to-follow map of La Salle's voyages appears in gatefold form in the beginning of the book; unfortunately, it may be overlooked by some readers. Nonetheless, this attractive picture-book biography would make a good choice for libraries.
Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Mikaya Press (October 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931414017
• ISBN-13: 978-1931414012
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 10.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,195,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book for Children - a review of "Despite All Obstacles", September 28, 2007

By 

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Despite All Obstacles: La Salle and the Conquest of the Mississippi (Great Explorers) (Hardcover)

I just finished reading this book and cannot recommend it highly enough. Goodman has written a concise and accessible history of the great explorer La Salle, and Tom McNeely has done an equally good job in complementing the text with his illustrations.

Beginning with his childhood, Goodman briefly explains La Salle's titles and education before going on to portray his great expeditions and troubles. Written with children in mind, the book lightly touches upon the topic of politics within the court of France, between the great powers of the day -France, Spain, and England-- and amongst the various American Indian tribes and confederations. However, the overall tone is not so academic and the book maintains a quick pacing and a definite sense of adventure and discovery.

Nicely enough, what the author does not do is whitewash peoples or individuals. For example, I particularly like the balance Ms. Goodman maintains between La Salle as 'hero' and La Salle as a 'flawed individual'. Her portrayal of him as a determined man that keeps plugging away, despite adversity, is admirable. So is her point that it was La Salle's natural aloofness and inability to understand the weaknesses of others that inevitably led to his death at the hands of his own men.

One other note -- I would be remiss if I did not point out that there are many facts and issues that Ms. Goodman leaves out and/or glosses over. She does not mention, for example, that some of La Salle's contemporaries thought him mentally ill during the time of his last expedition. Nor does she explain that the men hated La Salle's nephew because he punished them for sleeping with the Indian women. Topics perhaps best left to older children and adults.

Five Stars. Wonderful book. Excellent writing. Good Artwork. Goodman makes history live by touching upon details, such as cannibalism by the Seneca, that tend to engage younger readers. She makes La Salle very accessible by pointing out both his strengths and his weaknesses.

pam t