Plot/Summary:
Most Americans have a starry-eyed picture of the first Thanksgiving in 1621. In that mythic version, the newly arrived Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest in complete harmony with their Indian neighbors. Nathaniel Philbrick's well-researched chronicle tells the more realistic story of the Pilgrims' arrival in the New World. He reveals their precarious survival during the first few years, and their uneasy relations with the numerous Indian tribes surrounding them. While their original intent was to be a self-sufficient religious community, circumstances forced them to interact with the Indians and the hundreds of English settlers who followed them to the New World. By the time their children and grandchildren were pushing the boundaries of the Indian settlements 50 years later, the Pilgrims' dream of an isolated religious community had drastically changed, and conflicts with the Indians eventually led to the bloody war known as King Philip's War.  

Comments:
This is a fascinating portrayal of a period of American history that is not well known. Philbrick's book allows the reader to travel back in time and experience life in 17th century Massachusetts through the words of the Pilgrims themselves. Remarkable people such as Captain Miles Standish, William Bradford, Massasoit and Squanto are brought to life, as well as lesser known individuals such as Benjamin Church, one of the first American frontiersmen. As many reviewers have stated, this is a book that belongs on every American's library shelf. The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World, a version for younger readers, has also been released.

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Reviewed by nk, 01/09. Other reviews by nk. Have you read this book? Tell us what you think!