The Mayflower & the Pilgrims' New World Review
Nathaniel Philbrick is the winner of the National Book Award for his nonfiction work on The Mayflower and earned an impressive fourteen Best Books accolades in 2006 for the same. /The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World/ is an adaptation of that original work for young readers.
He successfully took our simple understanding of the original voyage on the Mayflower and the first Thanksgiving, and turned it into a colorfully woven tapestry illustrated for the enjoyment of any age reader. He blends the challenges the Pilgrims endured, and their adventures with the Natives, into a textbook culture of their times unfolding a story of courage, intrigue, deception, and greed. He took fact-finding to whole new level by telling a story from actual archives of history. I would have enjoyed history much more in school with his definitive work.
His story spans from early 1608 to the fall of 1676 setting the tone for us to view the human lives; strengths and frailties, that our fore-fathers suffered and fought. They gave up so much just for the promise of a new life, new government and freedom for their religion. Nathaniel depicts the truths, and spotlights the flaws in our perception of the period back then. He is true to history and culture while portraying real human emotions. This is a book I would recommend to readers of all ages, genres and teachers alike!
Reviewed by M. Chris Johnson
The Mayflower & the Pilgrims' New World Overview
In stunning prose, Nathaniel Philbrick evokes the drama of the voyage of the Mayflower and the eerie emptiness of coastal Massachusetts that greeted the Pilgrims. He tells how the settlers were able to gain the friendship of many powerful Native American leaders, including the charismatic Massasoit, and how they worked together to maintain peace. But the promise of the First Thanksgiving was broken with the next generation of leaders. Fifty-six years after the Mayflower’s landing, a horrifying conflict, known today as King Philip’s war, nearly wiped out the colonists and Natives alike, and forever altered the new country.
The Mayflower and the Pilgrims’ New World is the perfect introduction for young readers to this epic story, at once tragic and heroic. Adapted specially for middle-grade readers, this book features a wealth of supplemental materials such as new maps and photographs, a time line, and a list of characters for added comprehension and accessibility.
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Customer Reviews
Opening my eyes to the history in my own back yard... - Christopher P. Obert - Massachusetts
The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World is a very well written book that I enjoyed immensely. Much of the information contained in this book I did not know and I found it exciting as well as informative. Being a born New Englander with immigrant as well as Native American blood, I am a little ashamed that I did not already know the true story of the Pilgrims and their adventures. This book is not a book that paints a flowery picture of colonial life but a harsh and sometime tragic tale. I am now bitten by the bug to know even more of the rich history of both the New World settlers and the original native peoples. Thank you Nathaniel for opening my eyes to the history in my own back yard...
Engaging! - Sandra N. Helliwell -
An engaging journey with the Pilgrims. Having read this makes a visit to Cape Cod so much more meaningful. This book puts people and places in perspective.
A VERY readable history book! - C. Jones - Tallahassee, FL USA
I love the writing style of this book that was "adapted for young people" from the "adult" version of "Mayflower".
It is a captivating account of the settling of the Plymouth Colony and know that I was happier reading this version (I have several post graduate degrees by the way) than I would have been reading the "adult" version. Five stars and it is no wonder Nathaniel Philbrick won the National Book Award.
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