W2A. Great Heart: The Exploration of Labrador
History & World Affairs | Registration opens 1/1/2025 9:00 AM
Description: In 1903, an aspiring journalist named Leonidas Hubbard set out with two companions to canoe across Labrador, an unforgiving wilderness of mosquito-infested barrens and lakes without names. Only two out of three men survived the ordeal. The ensuing controversy sparked two expeditions, led by bitter rivals, racing to complete the unfinished mission. Historian James West Davidson’s slide lecture will show how he and his paddling partner retraced the routes, unearthed the original diaries, and recreated the saga in Great Heart: The History of a Labrador Adventure. The book was hailed by the National Geographic Society as one of the 100 Best Adventure Books of All Time.
- Photo courtesy of the Presenter
James Davidson
Presenter
James West Davidson is a historian (PhD, Yale University) and wilderness canoeist. He and his paddling partner John Rugge wrote The Complete Wilderness Paddler, a how-to guide to canoeing and camping (“A classic”—Outside magazine). Davidson has written numerous college, high school, and middle grades texts, including (with Mark Lytle) After the Fact: the Art of Historical Detection. His most recent book is A Little History of the United States (Yale University Press).