This vivid, deeply moving book begins in London in 1620 as Pilgrim representatives sign a contract to purchase the freighter Mayflower. We accompany them on their harrowing voyage across the Atlantic, through the rigors of the first New England winter and the threat of Indian attack as they desperately search for the home they eventually find at Plymouth. Once there, they must continue the … struggle against brutal weather and disease.
With masterly skill, New York Times bestselling historian and novelist Thomas Fleming gives us life-size portraits of the Pilgrim leaders. The Pilgrims’ unique achievements — the Mayflower Compact, their tolerance of other faiths, the strict separation of church and state — are discussed in the context of the first year’s anxieties and crises. Fleming writes admiringly of the younger men who emerged in the first year as the real leaders of the colony — William Bradford and Miles Standish. And he provides new insights into the deep humanity and tolerance of the Pilgrims’ spiritual shepherd, Elder William Brewster.
On the first Thanksgiving, already in the Pilgrim mind is a dawning consciousness that they are the forerunners of a great nation. It is implicit in William Bradford’s words, “As one small candle may light a thousand, so the light kindled here has shone until many.…”
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Great book. Learned a lot, especially about the background of the journey and the hardships involved. Good reading as well.
Elder William Brewster is one of my ancestors. I have read other books about the Mayflower saga, but this one made me feel as if I were with this band of Pilgrims in their harrowing voyage and first year.
This insightful book really corrects our misconceptions about the Mayflower passengers and their experiences in America. Every school kid should read this. Easy to read, even if history isn’t your thing.
If you are interested in following the pilgrims from England through their first year it does a good job. Francis Cooke was a great uncle so I had a deep interest in what he and his son went through.
Shed new light on the audacity of the Pilgrim’s project and their determination to succeed in the New World.
Really enjoyed reading about the epic journey and settlement by the Pilgrims. Very informative and easy to read
History written the best way. This book is informative and entertaining without the dry facts that make many history books boring.
Enjoyed learning more of this history and getting a feel of what it would have been like back then.
Very informative about the early years of pilgrims and hardships. Describes the team work and gutsy want to of the people to live free and make their own community!
Well written and engaging. I would liked the book to have focused a bit more on the day-to-day life of the settlers.
Any one interested in the settlement of the American continent will find the tribulations of the pilgrims voyage to America and their first year enthralling. Thomas Fleming is a first historian who never fails to capture and hold readers’ attention.
Completely changed my negative opinion of the pilgrims.
Concise, but thorough history of an iconic part of American history by a repected historian.
This is historical fiction but done very well to keep to the real story. This is about the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock and their first year as a colony. Our history books have some inaccuracies and the author adds some fiction to make the story very readable. But the author also corrects some of our misconceptions. it will make you …
Good overview of the Mayflower and the first year for the pilgrims. Probably not too much that you haven’t heard before but much more detail.
I enjoyed reading about the Pilgrims – some of whom are on my family tree.
In the course of family genealogy studies, I became interested in the families that sailed on the Mayflower. I found this to be a very enjoyable book, with smooth story telling that also incorporated what evidence (letters, documents, etc.) were drawn from to create the telling of this book, without reading like a dissertation. I learned a lot …
I have read several books about the Mayflower, but still found this interesting.
Readable history of preparation for Mayflower sailing, the voyage, and the establishment of Plymouth.
Well written history of the first pilgrims.very interesting and enjoyable.