Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War | 
| Author: Nathaniel Philbrick
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  267 reviews
Sales Rank: 2059
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 480
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 0143111973
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.22
EAN: 9780143111979
ASIN: 0143111973
Publication Date: April 24, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Good shape we thank you for your consideration
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| Also Available In:
| • | Audio CD - Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War | | • | Audio Download - Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War (Unabridged) | | • | Audio CD - Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War | | • | Hardcover - Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War | | • | Hardcover - Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War | | • | Unknown Binding - Mayflower | | • | Paperback - Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War | | • | Unknown Binding - Mayflower | | • | Audio Download - Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War | | • | Kindle Edition - Mayflower | | • | Unknown Binding - Mayflower |
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Product Description
Nathaniel Philbrick became an internationally renowned author with his National Book Award winning In the Heart of the Sea, hailed as spellbinding by Time magazine. In Mayflower, Philbrick casts his spell once again, giving us a fresh and extraordinarily vivid account of our most sacred national myth: the voyage of the Mayflower and the settlement of Plymouth Colony. From the Mayflowers arduous Atlantic crossing to the eruption of King Philips War between colonists and natives decades later, Philbrick reveals in this electrifying history of the Pilgrims a fifty-five-year epic, at once tragic and heroic, that still resonates with us today.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 262 more reviews...
 large print book for my father July 13, 2008
I can't actually review the book itself, since it was a gift, and I haven't read it. I ordered it specifically for my dad who is having difficulty reading while awaiting cataract surgery. The book did arrive quickly and safely.
 Bad title, great book, does he really not use Native Oral history June 24, 2008
Okay, I moved to Plymouth 3 years ago and well I got tired of not knowing what really happened. Of course, trying to find out has been very difficult. I was so happy to see this book, maybe a bit naive, but I thought it would clear things up for me. And it did! I felt it gave a balanced approach and a much more believable account of what really happened. The romantic Thanksgiving story is so worn out. Human nature, being what it is, also does not account for the story that all the White people wanted was Native annihilation. The documentation of the research Philbrick did was impressive and comforting too. In an effort to fact check, I went to Plimoth Plantation and talked with the Native Americans about their feelings about the book. I was told that Philbrick only accepted written accounts for his research. Is that really true? Without having a written language, the only way the Native American's could pass along their information was through oral history. If Philbrick did not accept this history than it makes this story very one-sided. While I agree, oral history would make his job more difficult, he would have a responsibility to let us, the readers, know that he did not accept oral history. He does mention this very briefly and vaguely on page 360-361, which in my opinion is buried. When I went to the gift shop to look at the books they recommended, suspicioulsy missing was this very book. Just know if you purchase this book, some vital Native information may be missing. Check out the blogs at Plimoth Plantation and ask the Native American Representatives yourself.
The title of this book is wrong and yes, misleading. I didn't realize the book would cover 80 years of history. While initially disappointed, in the end I very much appreciated it. This book explains clearly what is confusing to so many. How did they even survive? How did this historically anti-social group become friendly with the Natives. The details revealed in the book not only explain how these things happen but make a great deal of sense. Philbrick suggests that Massassoit may have believed the Pilgrims has the ability to unleash the plague at-will. As so many of his tribe had recently been desimated by the plague it makes sense that he would have treaded a bit lighly around the Pilgrims. It also makes sense to me that with reduced warriors and with other Native enemies at his door-step that Massassoit would partner with the Pilgrims. That they made a mutually supportive arrangement is not a surprise. But what happens next is more telling about American's and our history. In a story repeated throughout every generation and every people's is the saga about not learning from the previous generation. The Pilgrims spawn forgot about religion and embraced property. Greed, not a new tale, is repeated on a grand scale. With the loss of great leadership and an inability to band together, the Natives have difficulty fighting back. Philbrick also talks about the Natives own attraction to English ways, baubles, and conveniences. This rings true to me and while Natives might not like it, allows for some of the future confusion. The author seems balanced to me. I especially appreciated Philbrick's note on how, when white people were at war around the world, their documented atrocities were more brutal than the "savages" in the new world. He also talks about the relationships that some of the Natives made with the Pilgrims that caused them to support the Pilgrims instead of the Natives. It is very believable that conflicts were not strickly race related. The coverage of all of these years, gave me a much more thorough appreciation for what happened here in Plymouth.
As mentioned by other readers, the account in the story about Church is very unbelievable and reads more like a comic book hero. At the Plantation, they told me a lot of Philbrick's information about Church was written by Church's son and not the man himself. I do not know if this is true or not, but it would account for Church's superhero stories. In fact, as I was reading, I very much enjoyed those very stories. I couldn't believe Hollywood hadn't rolled out many movies, as so many of Church's accounts could produce multiple blockbuster action films that I would LOVE to see. Maybe not true, but definetly entertaining! The story about being pinned down and outnumbered by Natives, Church survives by sending his men, two at a time, by canoe out to a waiting shalloop. He then forgets his belongings, so makes a return trip, retrieves this things and escapes back to the boat. Indiana Jones anyone? Did I mention he had no ammunition? Or that no one was hurt? This was supposedly under constant fire from the Natives. It is hard to believe.
Yes, lots of characters sometimes hard to follow. Yes, very little info on the trip over. Great info on why they came in the first place. However, even with more questions, I do love this book. It has led me to read other first account books and continue my search for what really happened. If you read this book and take it as 100% factual, I think it is a 3. If you read this book for great insight, mostly accurate, and it leads you to other research, I give it a 5. In fact, I am going to read it again!
 Great, Great Book! June 3, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Being from the Boston area, one cannot escape the legend that is the Mayflower. Yet, Mr. Philbrick's narrative brings the reader close-up to the struggles these brave people faced, not only when they crossed the North Atlantic, but the problems they faced when they came ashore.
As an American History Teacher, this is probably the best book on the subject I have read. A terrific read!
Just another Old World disease? May 29, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
It was interesting to learn how the Pilgrims filled the population vacuum created by previous diseases of lesser lifeform. I came away from the book thinking that the European settlers represented just another wave of disease to the indigenous species. On recent travels to New England, I couldn't help thinking that the cancer had seriously metastasized and it is difficult to envision an evolutionary path out of the mess. It is not difficult to imagine a future population vacuum once again created by some wave of disease leaving bleached bones scattered about as similarly witnessed by the Pilgrims when they arrived. The book could have used a better analysis of the psychology of the early settlers. Leiden sounded good. What possessed them to go somewhere where 50% of them were dead after the first year?
Nathaniel Philbrick: Mayflower May 18, 2008
Philbrick's book provides an outstanding narrative of the difficulties that New England colonists faced upon their settlement at Plymouth. This book is perfect for historians, academics, and anyone who would like deeper insight into the roots of colonial society.
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