Mayflower

A Story of Courage, Community, and War

By: Nathaniel Philbrick

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

From the perilous ocean crossing to the shared bounty of the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrim settlement of New England has become enshrined as our most sacred national myth. Yet, as best-selling author Nathaniel Philbrick reveals in his spellbinding new book, the true story of the Pilgrims is much more than the well-known tale of piety and sacrifice; it is a 55-year epic that is at once tragic, heroic, exhilarating, and profound.

The Mayflower's religious refugees arrived in Plymouth Harbor during a period of crisis for Native Americans as disease spread by European fishermen devastated their populations. Initially the two groups, the Wampanoags, under the charismatic and calculating chief Massasoit, and the Pilgrims, whose pugnacious military officer Miles Standish was barely five feet tall, maintained a fragile working relationship. But within decades, New England would erupt into King Philip's War, a savagely bloody conflict that nearly wiped out English colonists and natives alike and forever altered the face of the fledgling colonies and the country that would grow from them.

With towering figures like William Bradford and the distinctly American hero Benjamin Church at the center of his narrative, Philbrick has fashioned a fresh and compelling portrait of the dawn of American history, a history dominated right from the start by issues of race, violence, and religion.

©2006 Nathaniel Philbrick (P)2006 Penguin Audio, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., and Recorded Books, LLC. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Impeccably researched and expertly rendered, Philbrick's account brings the Plymouth Colony and its leaders...vividly to life. More importantly, he brings into focus a gruesome period in early American history." (Publishers Weekly)

"Startling [and] fascinating." (The New York Times)

a side of the pilgrims you never learned about

read this at the thanksgiving table. horrific details about native American and pilgrim battles. sobering.

Another Philbrick Classic

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Though not quite as good as "In the Heart of the Sea", Mayflower was captivating and interesting on it's own. I read this book years ago and found the Audible version just as good. I'm fascinated by history and learning the history on how the country was inhabited and then the facts behind the first Thanksgiving is captivating.

Some parts seem a bit slow but not for lack of detail or character background and development. I'm glad I took the time to re-read, or rather re-hear this story.

fellow highschoolers: RIP

good luck to all the tortured highschool students forced to slog through this book like the early Americans struggling through swamps, holding their muskets above their heads. possible more suitable for the true American history enthusiast.

Interesting read. But also kind of boring

I feel such a relief to have finally gotten through this. Very little of the book deals with the Mayflower or the landing at and settling of Plymouth.

King Philips War?

Covers about a century from 1610 forward. The actual "pilgrims" and the initial settlement is only a small to medium part of the book. Much of it focuses on King Philips War between 2nd generation pilgrims and next generation of native american leaders.

Interesting History of the Pilgrims

We only think we know the story of the Pilgrims and the Indians. Great book that deals with the hardships and new beginnings on both sides of the story. I loved the fact that Philbrick went into as much detail about the "politics" of the people who were here first, the feelings not only between tribes, but even within the tribes themselves.
I am fast becoming a huge fan of Nathaniel Philbrick and his books. George Guidell is the perfect narrator. He delivers the material in a manner that keeps you engaged and not in a monotone that would otherwise have me nodding off while listening to some of the longer, more drawn out descriptions of day to day life.

The Beginning

This is a very thorough and well researched account of not only the initial Mayflower experience, but takes one through those early years of the colony as well. If you like history, and if you want to know more about this period of time, this is a very good source and a very good read.

Intriguing, History Documented, Well-Researched

NARRATOR is superb. What we were told in school about American History was written by the Winners. Get the Real Deal here.

This book sets the record straight with the untold story of the conflicts and trumpets of the early settlers and the Indians

This book is enlightening and troubling. A must read if you really want to understand the beginning of this nation and it’s people.

Excellent

Great information, clear and well presented. Thank you for all the research that had to have gone into this. 🙏🏼