Winner of the John Lyman Award for Biography
International Bestseller
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
A Globe and Mail Best Book

"Fischer, Pulitzer Prize–winner for Washington's Crossing, has produced the definitive biography of Samuel de Champlain (1567–1635): spy, explorer, courtier, soldier, sailor, ethnologist, mapmaker, and founder and governor of New France (today's Quebec), which he founded in 1608. Fischer once again displays a staggering and wide research, lightly worn. . . . Impressive . . . literary skills and approach. . . . With . . . the 400th anniversary of the foundation of New France, the time is ripe for this outstanding work."
—Publishers Weekly

“David Hackett Fischer is in that ethereal category of biographers who can climb into the soul of his subject, look out of that individual’s eyes and report back on what he sees. . . . [Fischer] delivers a marvellous read with Champlain’s Dream. His research is prodigious, and so is his writing talent. . . . This timely and beautifully written book, published in the 400th anniversary year of the founding of Quebec, is likely to be unsurpassed in its treatment of Champlain for a long time. Fischer has made Champlain wonderfully human—and that is the greatest compliment a biographer can earn.”
—Calgary Herald

“A massive yet accessible biography.”
—Washington Times

“Fischer’s work should make it impossible to ignore Champlain’ s contributions henceforth.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Narrating Champlain’s activities in North America is where Fischer excels, both in his chronicle of events and his analysis of Champlain’s leadership, political and commercial backing, and diplomacy with the native peoples. Fischer’s comprehensive, incisive portrayal will enthrall.”
—Booklist

“Champlain’s Dream is a book every Canadian should own.”
—National Post

“With Fischer’s Champlain’s Dream, all earlier biographies . . . no longer serve any useful purpose. This is a massive, scholarly work, logically organized and clearly written as befits a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian. . . . Fischer goes through the rest of Champlain’s life in admirable detail.”
—The Globe and Mail

“Champlain’s Dream puts flesh and bones on the enigmatic figure who played a seminal role in the development of our half of North America. . . . The delights are in the details. . . . Champlain’s Dream is a worthy addition to [Champlain’s] legacy.”
—Montreal Gazette

“A major new biography of Champlain does full justice, and then some, to the founder of Quebec City. . . . Fischer spins a rich, vivid tale of the soldier, spy, master mariner, explorer, cartographer and artist. . . . This is a terrific book.”
—Toronto Star

“Fischer’s stated goal of writing the definitive story of Champlain’s life has definitely been achieved. . . . This is an incredibly in-depth biography full of rich detail and painstaking research.”
—Quill & Quire

“A book that leaves no stone unturned. . . . [Fischer] succeeds brilliantly in analyzing the man and his motives. . . . A balanced and insightful exploration of the internal geography of a larger-than-life figure.”
—The Chronicle Herald (Halifax)