Half Moon

In Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage that Redrew the Map of the New World, author Douglas Hunter retells the voyage that launched Henry Hudson into the history books. Running a rebellious expedition, Hudson took his crew across the Atlantic in hopes of discovering a direct route to the Orient. His trip to North America included exploring the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, greater New York area, and an extended trip up the Hudson River, all the way to present day Albany. While he never found a direct route to Asia, Hudson’s observations on the area of present day New York proved a catalyst for European traders to send more expeditions, ultimately leading to a permanent settlement.

Hunter does a fine job in researching and recounting Hudson’s expedition. Much of the primary materials have been lost to time, and most of the surviving secondary material is skewed to the point of propaganda. Through all this, Hunter weeds through the different interpretations and revisions to Hudson’s history to present a more accurate recount of the Half Moon expedition.

At times the book is unpolished; the author will briefly mention an event, pursue an unrelated tangent, and then fully describe the event later. It is evident that Hunter has done painstaking research into all aspects of 17th century sailing and exploration, which shows in the detailed excursus throughout the book. However, these sections seem to be spiced into the narrative at will, often with weak tie-ins, thus taking away from the main story.

Rating: 5/10

[Based on a review copy from Bloomsbury Press]