Rating: 
Summary: Painless History
Review: A fun read! Most books concerned with this period of history usually separate Roanoke and the Lost Colony from Jamestown and focus on one or the other. This is a valuable contribution to an overall understanding of the entire era of English colonization. Milton begins at the beginning with the initial voyages of Sir Humphrey Gilbert ("Savages among the Icebergs") and describes the unfolding saga of ill-luck tempered with arrogance. While the scope of the book is limited to the American adventure, the reader can sense the excitement of the Elizabethan age. Shakespeare,Marlowe, John Dee, Phillip II and the Great Armada are just beyond the covers of the book. I also liked Milton's description of the cultural shock James I cast upon the story-"He was so malcoorinated at the table that it was said to be possible to identify every meal he had eaten for seven years by studying the scraps of dried food stuck to his clothes." One can sense the impending gloom of the Puritan future and the end of the Elizabethan party. Morris also connects Ralegh with the Virginia Company in an advisory capacity and alleges that Ralegh finally met Mrs.John Rolfe aka Pocahontas in his final years. (Another historical mystery!) Having celebrated the Roanoke Voyages in 1984-97 and with the upcoming 400th anniversary of Jamestown in 2007 (of which we North Carolinians will never hear the end), Big Chief Elizabeth will be a valuable work linking the Roanoke enterprise as the First English settlement in America to the First Permenant English settlement. A final footnote: There is a fascinating chapter in "Marking Time:The Epic Quest To Invent The Perfect Calendar" by Duncan Steele (John Wiley,2000) relating to "The Perfect Christian Calendar and God's Longitude" and English attempts to locate their claims both at Roanoke and Jamestown in accordance with calendrical and political motives-the meridian seventy-seven degrees west of Greenwich-"God's Longitude"
Rating:
Summary: Painless History
Review: A fun read! Most books this period of history usually separate the Lost Colony from Jamestown and focus on one or the other. This is a valuable contribution to an overall understanding of the entire era of English colonization as Milton begins at the beginning with the initial voyages of Sir Humphrey Gilbert ("Savages among the Icebergs")and developes the unfolding saga of ill-luck and arrogance. While the book focuses on America one can sense through the narration the excitement of the Elizabethan age-Shakespeare,Marlowe,John Dee,Phillip II and the Great Armada just beyond the covers. I also liked his description of the cultural shock James I cast upon the story- "He was so malcoordinated at the table that it was said to be possible to identify every meal he had eaten for seven years by studying the scraps of dried food stuck to his clothes." Morris also connects Ralegh with the Virginia Company and alleges that Raleigh finally met Mrs.John Rolfe aka Pocahontas in his final years.(Another historical mystery!) Having celebrated the Roanoke Voyages in l984-87 and with the upcoming 400th anniversary of Jamestown approaching in 2007 (which those of us in North Carolina will never hear the end of), Big Chief Elizabeth will be a valuable work in linking the Roanoke project as the First English settlement in America to the First Permenant English settlement. Final footnote:There is a fascinating chapter in "Marking Time:The Epic Quest to Invent The Perfect Calendar" by Duncan Steel, John Wiley,2000 relating to "The Perfect Christian Calendar and God's Longitude" and English attempts to locate their claims both at Roanoke and Jamestown in accordance with calendrical and political motives.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: After Nathaniel's Nutmeg, I was expecting more in the same vein, but I was a little disappointed.
There is not the same thread running through the book to give it cohesion, rather, it feels a bit 'cobbled-together'.That is not saying that it is un-entertaining ... it is FULL of hidden historical details, dark deeds, commercial chicanery, political intrigue, backstabbing and downright incompetence. It also raises certain people to their rightful place in history, such as Heriot; although eclipsed by the bold Sir Walter, he proved to be the man whose foresight gained what little successes the early colony had. And it shows Elizabeth R. to be both tight-fisted and a spendthrift, depending on who was petitioning or what was the object in view. What comes across loud & clear is the crass ineptitude of the explorers, planners and the colonists ... they picked possibly the worst place on the Eastern seaboard for their first settlement; had barely enough supplies to set themselves up; ignored the example of the natives; were abandoned for years; etc.
Ultimately, the book is a compilation of stupid mistakes, misplaced trust, unheeded advice, and lack of forethought - all driven by greed for land, wealth and fame. I enjoyed it, but it would have been better with a central theme binding it all together.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reading!
Review: After reading Samurai William, I wasn't too impressed with Giles Milton but I was totally delighted with this book. Big Chief Elizabeth proves to be very well written and interesting book about the early effort of English coloniziation of the North America and their disappointing fate until Jamestown. There are a lot of histoy here but its all very readable and easy to digest. The author obviously in this case, knows his material and his interesting explanation on the infamous lost colony of Roanke proves to be quite interesting. One of the better books written on this subject, almost anyone would enjoyed this book as entertaining as the characters and stories goes.
Rating:
Summary: Rocky start, bright finish
Review: After traveling to the Outer Banks last summer on vacation and actually walking over the territory that the first colonists lived on, I had to learn more. If, like me, you have been to this remote area of N. Carolina and you want to learn more, start with this book. What is most useful about this book, and there are many usefull qualities, is that it does give a fair amount of background to the political and social scene of the late 1500's. After reading this book, I realised that our astronauts have a far, far easier time than these earlier exploerers. Modern American minds have come to expect in our minds that England has always been the preiminant power in Western Europe. How different that perception would have been had not these intrepid explorers arrived on our shores with no knowledge of the area, no food, no shelter and no allies. What Milton does best is to give the characters of his story a balanced hearing. The natives are neither entirely naive nor entirely innocent, the English are neither entirely gospel and adventure loving or entirely cruel and conquering. Too often in the books I have read on the "Lost Colony" (and Miles presents a very plausible explanation about where White's colonists ended up), the colonists are placed out of context even for the contemporary Jamestown colony. Here Miles shows why this early colony became strategically unimportant (why the English politicians did not care what happened to them) and important for what they taught about how to start a colony. The only complaint I have about the book is that it tends to not flow very easily. The back and forth of Virginia and England tends to get a little hurried sometimes and makes it a bit hard to read in a few points. I do appreciate Miles stepping out and making conclusions about the events. Overall, this is a FUN history book with sound scholarship backing it. The pages turn quickly. The book really does show the philosophical beginnings of the idea of English North America and why and where our ideas of law and commerce come from.
Rating:
Summary: Milton Does It Again
Review: As with Nathaniel's Nutmeg, Giles Milton has offered an important and highly entertaining work of history.
Big Chief Elizabeth follows early British efforts to colonize America. The book is chock full of stories, characters and relevations. Readers will experience Queen Elizabeth's court, hang out with Sir Walter Raliegh and wonder at the fate of the Lost Colony of Roanake.
Milton is a superb story teller benefiting from his own copious research efforts. Milton has so many details and factoids at his disposal that he can afford to be sparing with them.
Big Chief Elizabeth is an enlightening study of how the English came to colonize the New World. One develops an appreciation for what a giant leap it was from exploration to settlement.
Rating:
Summary: Very Readable and Interesting History
Review: Captain John Smith, Pocahontas, John Rolfe, Powhatan, and Sir Walter Ralegh are all characters we learned about during our school days. Author Milton has done a great job in bringing these characters to life in a way our school history books did not. An interesting tidbit is that Ralegh's name was spelled a number of different ways during his day, but never the way we see it spelled as "Raleigh". A very interesting reason is given for the lost colony at Roanoke as given by Captain John Smith. However, it is my understanding, not mentioned in the book, that Smith was one to stray from the truth and I do have some doubts about accepting his version. Also, was he actually saved from death by Pocahontas? Perhaps! Author Milton also states the reason for the stop in hostilities between Indians and settlers was the marriage between Pocohontas and John Rolfe. The growing of tobacco as a cash crop was the saving grace of Jamestown. The relationship between Queen Elizabeth and her favorite, Sir Walter Ralegh, is dealt with in interesting detail and is Ralegh's relationship King James VI of Scotland who had no use for Ralegh. This book is history at its best.
Rating:
Summary: Pure story telling.
Review: Milton tells the tale of the first English colony from the perspective of the personalities involved. In riveting fashion, Milton gives flesh and blood portraits of Raleigh, Queen Elizabeth and all the other key players. For Milton, history is the result of what specific people decided to do at specific times. The best feature of the book is that it reads like a novel. By piecing together journals written at the time, Milton gives an almost day by day account of what life was really like in the early, desparate days of Roanoke and Jamestown. I highly recommend this book as well as his prior book about the spice trade, Nathaniel's Nutmeg.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling Tale of Early America
Review: The beginning of America was, of course, more than just pilgrims. Indeed, some scholars suggest that the American infatuation with the story of the Mayflower colony comes not from its role in the birth of the nation, but rather as a consequence of the large proportion of New England academics who founded the Smithsonian institution. Whatever the reason, the story of the creation of England's first North American colony is altogether more darker than the foundation its more famous Massachusetts cousin. Milton captures this complex story very clearly, managing to give robust characerizations of the many individuals who come and go throughout the story. The two main figures, Sir Walter Ralegh and Queen Elizabeth, are clearly conceived despite the fact that Milton avoids the temptation to speculate about matters not covered in the historical record. Given this admirable restraint, Milton's story more than succeeds on its own terms. The historical account is gripping -- and the mysteries contained therein are pursued clearly and rationally. The writing, though remarkably detailed, never gets bogged down in them. Milton manages to give a panorama of the times without ever seeming explicitly engaged in academic history. It is a painless way to learn but still remarkably satisfying. If I have any complaints, they come down to some of his conclusions. He claims, for example, that the ultimate success of Jamestown was a result of the final acceptance of Ralegh's stricture that peace with the natives is essential. I agree that while this is very important, there appears to be no question that the real reason for the success was not merely that peace was achieved (through a marriage) but rather that the growth of the tobacco industry in the new world helped sustain the infusion of capital that made the colony possible. Love didn't create America, money did.
Rating: 
Summary: Readable, entertaining summary -- nothing more
Review: Think of this book as the equivalent of sitting down with a good friend, one who fancies himself an amateur historian, and having him tell you what he knows of the early British attempts at colonization of North America. Your friend is obviously well-read, organizes his thoughts effectively, and most importantly knows how to tell a good story. There is of course no time for footnotes and you're too polite to interrupt with questions like "how do you know that?" Oddly, he's come prepared with more than a few fascinating prints apparently of engravings illustrating various events in his story, but he never finds time to tell you where they're from. A pleasant evening ensues and you get an entertaining, panoramic view of the progression of English forays across the Atlantic from the years 1536 through Sir Walter Raleigh's death on the chopping-block in 1618. Although he begins with "let me tell you the story of Big Chief Elizabeth", the queen herself gets only passing mentions from your friend, and his story lasts well into the reign of James I. When he finishes, you have many questions, but he quickly packs up his engravings, gives you the names of a few books to check out from the library, and departs. You think, maybe I will get those other books. British author Giles Milton begins with the rather comical story of Richard Hore, who financed and led a two-ship adventure to the Labrador coast in 1536. Hore and his compatriots gave no thought beforehand to their route or to how much provisioning they might need for their voyage. Of course, the attempt ends badly. In a foretaste of minor frustrations ahead for the reader, author Milton relates the fate of only one of the ships. A few other faltering attempts to exploit the New World are described, but it's only when Sir Walter Ralegh enters the picture that Milton's story gains its true focus. (Milton chooses the spelling "Ralegh" from among the many alternatives that the courtier himself utilized --- which did not, according to the author, include "Raleigh".) From hereon, the book could be read as a Ralegh biography. The Ralegh-sponsored Roanoke colony, with its fate still cloaked in mystery, is the most compelling part of this story. Milton's approach is to first recount the known facts in as uncomplicated a way as possible. This proves beneficial, as the many books written specifically to solve the mystery of disappearance have too often made it seem only more impenetrable. (See especially the captivating yet maddening "Roanoke: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Colony" by Lee Miller.) Later, in a somewhat dogmatic Epilogue, Milton lays out what he believes happened to those colonists. Although he makes only an abbreviated attempt to cite authorities and to prove his case, I found his explanation consistent with the best-established facts and therefore convincing. But before that Epilogue, Milton continues the story with his version of the Jamestown saga, with attendant profiles of John Smith, Powhatan, Pocahontas, and others. This section is workmanlike, adding neither new insights nor detail to this oft-recounted part of colonial history. There are two maps, acceptable in themselves, but leaving unanswered many questions of geographical detail important to the accounts. This shortcoming, the lack of footnotes, and the rudimentary bibliography relegate the book to one of only passing interest. As a readable introduction to and summary of the history of early English colonization - a place where the best stories of the period are gathered together in an entertaining recounting - the book serves its purpose well. But go elsewhere for a more rigorous study.
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