A decent enough exploration and synopsis of the various aspects of the Roanoke colony history, myths, legends, &c. ( )

I loved that he went into the racial dynamics, including a long history of castaways and ex-pats, beyond Virginia Dare and these Roanoke folks, who melted into indigenous tribes. The local legends have been aided by cutting edge DNA to explore the true multi-ethnic flavor of the long resident people. These stories were sidelined during the slavery and Jim Crow years, but it's time to accept all our ancestors, which is more fascinating than some boring white-bread fantasy. ( )

An interesting account of the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. While the author advances some new theories and facts the mystery still remains unsolved. Enjoyed reading the book and a lot of research went into the story. ( )

The Secret Token refers to the carving CRO on a tree on Roanoke Island. It was the last sign left with John White when he finally returned with supplies to find everyone in the settlement missing.
Mr. Lawler has compiled an intriguing book about one of American history's most compelling mysteries. He starts with various expeditions along the American coast, most of which I wasn't familiar with (I know more about New England early history). There's history about the settling of Roanoke, first by Raleigh's men, then by those who became the Lost Colonists.
I was surprised to learn that no one really looked for them for over two centuries, but then they became an obsession, something the author explores diligently. There were various archeological expeditions, most of which found very little, both in the Outer Banks and also further inland at likely sites. Archives in Europe and the Americas have been searched for relevant documents. Finally, DNA testing has been done on likely candidates to determine if later generations of the Lost Colonists survived after mingling with Indian tribes.
There's a nice section on Virginia Dare, the first white baby born in the Americas, about whom very little is know besides her birth and christening dates. She evolved into a symbol of white America, and Mr. Lawler traces her notoriety as a symbol of anti-immigration policies and groups.
I never heard of the Dare Stone which is a possible relic from the Colony, and found the information about the other hoaxes enjoyable. I hoped for more information about the DNA studies; I've read some other information that seemed to add more to the story than was contained here.
All in all, I found The Secret Toke informative and a good read. While what happened to the colony is still somewhat of a mystery, Mr. Lawler provides some convincing hypotheses. And provides more reasons, if you need them, for not watching The History Channel. ( )

An interesting book on one of the great mysteries of colonial America. In 1587 the boats sailed away, leaving 115 colonists on the shore of an island on North Carolina's coast. Delayed in returning by the Spanish Armada and threats to England, only later were ships with new supplies sent back, and the colony had disappeared, leaving only a word "Croatan", carved on a post. A "Secret token" of a cross was supposed to have been placed beneath any message to show an emergency. The secret token was missing. No evidence of the fate of the colonists was ever found, including the fate of two children known to have been born in North Carolina. Subsequent searches were infrequent, uncoordinated and curiously ineffective.

The mystery has not been solved in the years since, but various different groups and individuals have tried. Some intriguing clues have been found, but the significance of the clues or what they mean are still unknown. A patch over the figure of a fort on a contemporary map may show where the English went for protection, but nothing so far has been found at the site. The names and places of other sites have been eroded away, changed or disappeared. Suggestions that hidden or lost archives exist don't pan out. Mysterious stones with English engravings appear, some are found to be forgeries, others not. Perhaps. Who were some of the people involved, what were their private agendas, and did they or did they not include slaves captured by the Spanish, then captured by the English? What were the relations of the colonists with the Indians, one of whom, Manteo, was made an English lord, while the other, Wanchese, disappeared back to the interior when returned to America.

Much of this book also covers the use of the Lost Colony mystery in literature, racial politics, tourism, wine sales and endless speculation afterwards. How the mystery is entwined in American lore is examined, but many strings from this entwinement remain entangled. Where are the colonist's bodies and metal goods? What happened to them? The question remains unresolved today.

An interesting book that goes down many different paths, but again, comes away from the mystery without a solution. Archaeology, DNA analysis, historical research, oral traditions, all remain inconclusive to the accurate fate of these people. The only ting that has remained constant is that people do not like unresolved mysteries, and the Lost Colony is like an itch that needs to be scratched, but which lasts over generations.

The book is recommended. ( )