Lost in the Stacks

A great travellogue/history of the European conquest of the America's between the arrival of Columbus and the Pilgrims. There are some fascinating stories and insights here that weren't taught in school; most of the book, however, is dedicated to Horwitz' retelling of his travels along the routes of the conquitadors, and makes for a good lesson in how the conquest of the continent resonates among Americans (United States-ian and otherwise) today. This book makes an excellent companion volume to Charles Mann's 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, which is probably the best modern history of America before European settlement that I've read.