Mayflower

With Thanksgiving approaching, I figured I'd review a book with a Turkey-Day-esque feel to it. Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War, by Nathaniel Philbrick, is an excellent read this time of year if you like reading about history or war, or if you're from the Bay State. I've been unable to read anything except non-fiction for a few years now, and this book is one of the better ones I've come across.

The book chronicles the original 102 Pilgrims who made the journey from England to Holland and finally to the New World on board the Mayflower. The book really starts getting interesting once they spot land. The reader follows along as the Pilgrims attempt to build a small town in modern-day Plymouth center, communicate and trade with the several much more powerful native tribes, organize themselves into a pure democratic government, and deal with incredible loss as more than half of the original Pilgrims fail to live through the first bitter New England winter. We also learn about individuals without whom America would not exist - the forefathers to our forefathers - such as the military general Miles Standish, who brutally attacks a tribe of natives to make the English appear stronger than they are, Governor William Bradford, whose steady and sound leadership make our current crop of politicians look like children playing politics, and Massassoit, the sachem of the Pokanokets, who befriended the English and protected them during the infancy of their colony.

Mayflower was meticulously researched and is complete with so much factual information and so many characters that it is sometimes dry. However, it also comes replete with maps, pictures, and old photographs that serve to put things into perspective and assist the reader in keeping a clear understanding of the events as they unfold. As I was reading, I was often flipping back to see which tribes lived where along the New England coast or to see where the forts were built in relation to where the tribes lived. We celebrate the birth of our country on the Fourth of July, so this Thanksgiving check out this book and celebrate our country's conception.

You can read better reviews from professionals here and you can buy the paperback for about $10 here.