This is the 20th anniversary of the book, it has held up well. Taylor shows that the 300 years of the 16th to 18th centuries were much more than the 13 colonies. Indians and African slaves were not mere footnotes but central players. Besides the British there are French, Spanish and Russian, not to mention a polyglot of other nations who settled in North America. The geographic range is vast from Alaska to the sugar islands in the Caribbean. When viewed as a whole there is a broad perspective of what happens when an over populated Europe discovers a fertile new continent. The exchange of disease, food and technology were unavoidable outcomes, with disease playing the biggest role killing off 90% of the native population. The narrative is by necessity broad and shallow, but intellectually stimulating. Entire books of material are found in a sentence or two. Those areas I have previously read about I appreciated the reinforcement and context. Those new to me I found the summary at times too brief to leave an impression. Reading history is the work of a lifetime, this is a useful map. I'll probably never think of the word "Colonial" the same, being of such variety and scope. It's the central thesis, and succeeds. ( )

Fascinating, well written history of the colonial period. Taylor does a nice job of evenhandedly describing the various colonist vs native, colonist vs mother country, and white vs. black issues. I learned a lot. It even covers Russia's forays into Alaska, which I didn't know anything about. It was on such a macro-level that it breezed past facinating issues all too quickly, but it did its job as a survey really well.My interest level flagged in the descriptions of religious issues, but that is a matter of personal taste, the effects of religion were certainly important. ( )

One of the best surveys of Colonial American history I've ever read. The scope is comprehensive and sweeping and it is easy to read. Our book group read it in conjunction with Guns, Germs, and Steel, which is a good accompaniment. ( )

A model work of new-style history. Taylor's book isn't a straight narrative, but it has the grip of one thanks to his eye for detail, his better than passable prose (which, in academic history, is... well, that's very high praise), and his even-handedness. The settling of North America was not a pleasant thing. As ever, the test for a work of history is whether it makes you want to read other books on the same topic, and this one did that in spades.

A friend has done an excellent review of this book, so I don't have to say anything else. ( )

With so very many details about the colonial period in North America from such an incredibly different perspective than I got in school, this book helps make sense of some of the attitudes and institutions in place in the United States today. I'm very pleased that I learned about this book (among others) while my children are still in school and while I'm still in charge of choosing their history curriculum. ( )