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 Magnificent Telling!

Nathanial Philbrick is a national treasure, and who better than George Guidall to read this tale that not only takes us from the Pilgrims’ pre-New World beginnings but through the voyage and early colonization AND through the bloody and important King Philips’s War.

As with Philbrick’s other books, there’s not a piece of the story or important person or persons left out; this is America’s history written beautifully for ALL of us.

I read this excellent book when it first was published, but with weakening eyes decided to listen to it recently for another reliving of that period. A major lacking in listening is the absence of a book’s maps; a cartographic pdf would be a REAL benefit if added.

But this time around, having the maps in the hardbound to consult as Guidall made his perfect narration — what better way to imbibe our history??

Facinating little known history!

What an amazing account. I had no idea about the historical King Phillip's war existence!

Pilgrims and Native Americans

What a great piece. I can't wait to read more on this subject and author.

Great account

I'm no history expert, so I can't opine on historical clarity, accuracy, etc, but I found the book to be excellent - unlike other reviewers, I enjoyed the "hopping" to and fro among decades - it was necessary to make the point that the author was working on. Fascinating material - brings a to home the harsh reality of the second generation's cold treatment of the natives that were so accommodating to their fathers and mothers - seems like history repeats itself, in this respect, even now in America.
Also, I don't agree with other reviewers about the narrator - I really enjoyed his skill in narration - no offense to Mr. Philbrick, but his voice sounds a bit old and weathered - perfect for the context of the material. I'm looking forward to hear more of his narrations.

finally, the truth about our first Thanksgiving

Any additional comments?

Hmmm...just finished "The Mayflower" and am left wondering what might have been, had different decisions been made some 400 years ago. This is a thought-provoking read. Start it mid-November and you'll be the hit of conversation at your Thanksgiving dinner. I've always wondered about the real first Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims. I knew enough to be heartsick over the treatment of the Native Americans but also assumed them be an intelligent people, not easily tricked into giving everything away. Besides, how could peaceful, religious-freedom seeking, sweet Pilgrims turn into blood-thirsty Indian-fighters. It never quite added up. This book revealed so much about what actually happened, then took time in the Epilogue to explain the inception of our modern day myths of our Nation's origin. In short, the first generation of Europeans to arrive on the Mayflower managed to create a peaceful way of life with the Indians (if still not quite a Hallmark card Thanksgiving.) This was in spite of horrendous treatment of the Indians by the French in their recent past. It was the next generation of both the settlers and Indians who initiated mass bloodshed and intolerance one for the other. PS. Commercial slave trade in North America began with the export of Native Americans: sad truth.

interesting subject matter but a bit too long

This is an important subject because people need to acknowledge what we did to the indigenous peoples of this nation (and then make reparations), but the book was so long and felt repetitive it was hard to listen to at times. There is also multiple graphic descriptions of violence, which I expected due to the content of the story, but it should still have a disclaimer. The narrator has a good voice though.

Interesting History

This book connected several dots of history between the Jamestown settlement and the arrival of the pilgrims at Plymouth. It makes me look at their effort from a different perspective. While they were dedicated, pious and hard working, they weren't very smart or honorable... from preparing for their departure from Europe through their arrival and next sixty years of survival. I found little to be proud of, especially in their relations with the indigenous indian population. The end result is that this is a good book, but it made me sad and a little ashamed.

Essential

I read the book some years ago. After listening to Jamestown Brides a couldn’t resist consuming it again. It’s funny. I visited Plimouth Plantation some years ago. Struck up a chat with one of the interpretive/actors. I asked him who he was. When he said Billingsly , I said to him”oh my, you got hanged!”

Third time through

Thank you Nathaniel Philbrick! Every American should read/listen to this at least once. This is my third time through and I learn so much each time. Factual, balanced, fascinating and engaging.

Great Read

Wish I would have had a map and chart of people and tribes in front of me. A little hard to follow all the details through an audio version.