Rating: 
Summary: Best hypothosis of the Lost Colony's fate
Review: Having read a number of histories on the Lost Colony, I find Miller's argument of what happened to the group to be the most plausible. I enjoyed the style and pace of the book as well. It was the first book on Roanoke that I've read in some time that had something new to say about one of America's favorite mysteries. I highly recommend it. For your kids that are interested in the Lost Colony, there is a young adult novel called, simply, "Roanoke" by Levitan. For lovers of fiction, "Roanoke" by Angela Elwell Hunt is excellent. Could be fun for family discussions or background for a vacation to the area.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable Story - Not too "heavy"
Review: I enjoy reading history but I'm not a "historian". This book was a great read, the author laid out the sequence of events and the facts very well and it was easy to follow.
I would recommend this book because it was very informative, revealing much about Elizabethan England, and things that were going on culturally right before the English colonization of North America.
All in all, this was an awesome book and I would recommend it to anyone remotely interested in history or this time period.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling, Conclusive.......Indisputable?
Review: I found Miller's work to be remarkable. With an assorted cast of individuals spanning race, belief, social class and geographical barrier, Miller has assembled scattered fragments into a cohesive portrait of surprising detail. She has taken a fascinating and very speculative chapter of early American history and effectively transformed it into a living, breathing tale. Her craft employs thoughtful consideration and exploration where general history has often paid but a few dry paragraphs.
Are there holes in her conclusions? I think that's hard to say with certainty. But even though the author, herself, allows for dispute, Miller reveals understanding through clear logic and vastly informed (at times quite granular) detail.
But why only four stars? Perhaps for nothing more than giving small credence to the harsh criticisms found among a number of these related reviews, to offer fair balance to the brazen judgement of our pedantic reviewers.
Sure, I can understand why readers may complain about less than perfect syntax. My thoughts, however, are that Miller may have been intending to apply a more natural or casual flow of speech than one tends to see in historical writing, producing a book that in style befits the contents: MYSTERY.
Guess what....I think she pulled it off. Is it perfect? Who knows? Miller is mixing vast differences between content and style. You can be the judge of whether or not that works. But as for me, I have observed the odious and torpid styles of certain historians acclaimed for years for doing nothing more than reciting boring facts, dates and names. History is so much MORE than that!
I say "bravo!" to Miller for walking off the beaten path.
Rating:
Summary: A cozy history mystery
Review: Lee Miller as armchair detective sets about solving a case of 200-plus missing persons from four hundred years ago. While her writing style (full of too many of her own fragments and far too many italics citing the original documentation) is a little bumpy, she outlines the crime scene, gives you the suspects, and goes as far as telling you where all those missing people ended up.
I personally love books that solve unsolvable mysteries (The Burmuda Triangle Mystery: Solved!, Severed: the true story of the Black Dahlia, etc.), even when I don't fully agree with the solution. It's great fun following Lee's trail of logic.
Rating:
Summary: Case Closed
Review: Most Americans are probably familiar with the bare outlines of the story of Raleigh's colony at Roanoke. Many will, like me, remember history text pictures of the stunned John White staring in awestruck perplexity at that awful word, CROATOAN. Few will, like me, have mothers who explained that the Croatians came for them.The basic story is familiar. Miller presents us with the entire story, from the Spanish pressure on England that led to privateering, to the court intrigues. We learn about the social and political situation in England, with much interesting detail that helps us understand how these people lived. Lane's dealings with the Native Americans, killing and burning for a wretched silver cup, are sickening. The poor Indians must have felt that unwonted doom had descended on them out of a clear blue sky. Miller's research is highly impressive. All the pieces slide into place, even the preposterous Welsh Indians. I know nothing about American languages, so I cannot comment authoritatively on her conclusions there, but if this stands up to peer review, it should settle the case. If nothing else, she has convinced me. (Samuel Morison's Oxford History of the American People says the Lumbee Indians believe the blood of Raleigh's colonists runs in their veins. I wonder what Miller says about that.) The case should be settled, but the melodramatic writing style has caused comment. A writing gimmick, used sparingly, is clever, often repeated becomes distracting, obnoxious, and causes you to wonder about the writer. Her health. Her qi. She can barely build up the steam to write a complete sentence. Fragments. Almost the whole book. She's okay when she's concentrating on scholarly evidence, and oh how she piles on the footnotes! But when she's telling a story, you want to stand by her desk and cheer, Take a deep breath, Lee, push that pen! All the way to the end! You can do it, you can do it! Push that pen! Rah rah rah! If you can muck your way through all those fragments, you will find a superb story, nailed down with meticulous scholarship. One thought will not leave my mind. The lost colonists who survived must have heard that their countrymen were searching in the region, but as slaves they were unable to meet them. Pity their despair!
Rating:
Summary: Good read, not great but a good read
Review: The book was interesting and presented an interesting argument on the causes of the "Lost Colony", however the writing style seemd pedantic at times. It should be noted that if someone chose to read this tome, we aren't dealing with the average reader of say People Magazine, so I don't think that it is a huge issue. Worth the purchase though! Cheers
Rating: 
Summary: Unreadable
Review: The writing is terrible! The author uses italics within practically every sentence to indicate the inclusion of phrases from primary sources. The phrases add nothing to the story except constant distraction. Primary sources are great, but a real researcher knows how to paraphrase at times. Worse yet, there are big gaps in logic. Ms. Miller draws conclusions that aren't supported by the evidence--at least, she doesn't show the reader how she got from A to B. She fills much of the book asking questions like "Who is this person?" "Why are they here?" "Why did they disappear?" Instead of coming up with any convincing explanations, she just lets the questions hang there, as if the reader is expected to tell her! After reading as much as I could stand of "Solving the Mystery of the Lost Colony," it is more unclear than ever.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of Detailed Information
Review: The writing style is a bit choppy and takes some getting used to. But the extra effort is well worth it. Since the story is presented as a mystery, important clues can appear anywhere so that a very careful reading is necessary at all times and you may have to reread many paragraphs to follow the logic. Most impressive is the level of detail provided...you will not forget the main characters(White,Lane, Fernandez,Raleigh etc..)
The story is presented in a sort of reverse order..beginning with the last roanoke voyage, and then giving us a detailed account of the second and first voyages and how they set the stage for the final tragedy. If this is the first book a reader should choose for this subject, it could be a bit confusing.
The use of italics for exact quotes is initially jarring...but is put to better use as the book progresses and when examining the motives of the English players involved. Also, the author does not take journal entries at face value but takes into account their motives.
The author is of Indian heritage and her insights into English politics and London living conditions is also extremely informative and detailed. The final chapter 'Who are the Mandoag' was a bit unneccesarily detailed, but the author makes a case for her theory.
Overall, the book gets off to a choppy start...seems to ask a lot of questions, but once underway, answers and insights are provided. I give it 5 stars for the exceptional detail and the entertaining method of presentation.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of Detailed Information
Review: The writing style is a bit choppy and takes some getting used to. But the extra effort is well worth it. Since the story is presented as a mystery, important clues can appear anywhere so that a very careful reading is necessary at all times and you may have to reread many paragraphs to follow the logic. Most impressive is the level of detail provided...you will not forget the main characters(White,Lane, Fernandez,Raleigh etc..)
The story is presented in a sort of reverse order..beginning with the last roanoke voyage, and then giving us a detailed account of the second and first voyages and how they set the stage for the final tragedy. If this is the first book a reader should choose for this subject, it could be a bit confusing.
The use of italics for exact quotes is initially jarring...but is put to better use as the book progresses and when examining the motives of the English players involved. Also, the author does not take journal entries at face value but takes into account their motives.
The author is of Indian heritage and her insights into English politics and London living conditions is also extremely informative and detailed. The final chapter 'Who are the Mandoag' was a bit unneccesarily detailed, but the author makes a case for her theory.
Overall, the book gets off to a choppy start...seems to ask a lot of questions, but once underway, answers and insights are provided. I give it 5 stars for the exceptional detail and the entertaining method of presentation.
Rating: 
Summary: Major Disappointment
Review: There are a wide range of opinions on this book, but for me it was a disappointment. It was, in my opinion, poorly written and poorly organized. I was looking for something a little more academic. Perhaps a good editor could have made a difference.
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