Author: Steven Sora Trade Paperback, 273 pages
Publisher: Destiny Books
Publication date: 2004
List: US$16.95, C$24.95
ISBN: 1594770190 Price & More Info: Click Here
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Once again, Steven Sora returns to the connections between the Knights
Templar, the Sinclair family of Scotland, and pre-Columbian explorations of
North America. He began exploring these topics in The Lost Treasure of the
Knights Templar (see my earlier review). This book, however, looks at the
attempt in 1542 (i.e., a mere 50 years after the "official" discovery of
America) to contact the colony planted by Henry Sinclair (in 1398 C.E.).
Mr. Sora makes some assumptions that may raise eyebrows. He cites evidence
which is not necessarily accepted by the entire scientific community (but
what is accepted by the community without dispute, in this day and age?).
Regardless of whether you accept all of his evidence, and the assumptions he
derives from it, you will find this book informative, well-written, and easy
to understand. To my way of thinking that makes it a good book. It is not
necessarily an excellent book; nor need it be "true" and "accurate" in all
things. It may be wrong. It may be only partly accurate. In any case, it
is worth reading.
There are editing glitches in this book, almost all of which are simple
spelling errors and of no real significance. It is all too easy, as I well
know, to read what you meant to write rather than what you actually wrote
while preparing a manuscript. Don't let these minor errors detract from
your enjoyment of this book.
The first 200 or so pages of this book set the background of Verrazano's
reasons for voyaging to North America. Depending upon how familiar you are
with the history of Christian heresies, the Knights Templar, the Crusades,
and assorted topics you may find these introductory chapters either
fascinating or only marginally interesting. Nonetheless, they are important
to the understanding of Verrazano's mission.
Mr. Sora states as givens some things which are, at best, conjectures. But
then, Mr. Sora is not a historian in the strict sense, so far as I know. He
writes on the topic of historical enigmas, which is an altogether different
category.
Reviewed by Mike Gleason
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