Book Review: The Lost Colony and Hatteras Island by Scott Davis Dawson

“For over 400 years, the mystery of Roanoke’s “Lost Colony” has puzzled historians and spawned conspiracies–until now. New discoveries link the lost colony of Roanoke to Hatteras Island.”

Goodreads blurb for The Lost Colony and Hatteras Island

Review:

I’ve become moderately interested in the Lost Colony of Roanoke in the past year and found a couple of audiobooks on the subject. I haven’t looked deeply beyond that format, but I was surprised that not much was coming up on Audible. I was excited to dive into this one, but I was disappointed to discover that it doesn’t delve deeply into the topic, rather, it regurgitates basic facts that can be found with a search, often with repetition. 

In the 1500s, an English colony settled on an island off the coast of North Carolina. When a supply ship returned after a delay, the colony was gone. The only hint left behind was a carving on a tree that read ‘Croatoan’. Their whereabouts and fates have been a topic of speculation for centuries to follow. 

I’d hoped for a deeper dive into the various theories along with archaeological discoveries, especially the ‘Croatoan’ mystery, as the word has been linked to other mysteries. It felt like a narrow account with the author leaving little to no room for further questions to be asked. Given the mystery, I was surprised how little was discussed beyond the basic facts. At the very least, I’d hoped to learn something that I didn’t already know. It’s a decent introduction for someone who doesn’t know anything about the Lost Colony, but people looking for further study are likely to be disappointed. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• A good general introduction to the Lost Colony.

What I didn’t like:

• The writing needed polishing.
• Too short for such an expansive subject.
• Had a tone of condescension.

Afterthoughts:

I hope I’ll be able to come across more in-depth books on this subject. I prefer audiobooks for history, which is why I went to Audible first.

Where to buy the book: