Quotes
“Lively…an entertaining romp through kaleidoscopic images of colonists coping with the shock of the new while clinging to the older verities of their origins….Readers can delight in Mr. Gaskill’s winning narration of the old certainties in a new style.” Wall Street Journal
“This book is not meant to be a history of seventeenth century America, though it succeeds rather well in that regard. Gaskill instead seeks to chart the development of a distinctive American identity in the new world. He succeeds quite brilliantly.” Times (London)
“The conversion of English adventurers into American pioneers emerges, beautifully and brutally.” New Yorker
“Gaskill is good at demonstrating how little effort the Crown invested in nurturing and managing the colonies…Fascinating.” Virginian-Pilot
“Gaskill, a professor of early modern history at
the University of East Anglia, offers an in-depth look at the
experiences of the first three generations of English settlers on the
American continent that examines their slow transformation into a new
culture…Meticulously researched and drawing on a
plenitude of original source material, Gaskill’s study provides an
underrepresented view of early American history.” Publishers Weekly
“Gaskill studies the effects of seventeenth-century
colonization on three generations of English in both England and America…A comprehensive history of America’s colonists, who
struggled to separate while remaining English, and the English, who just wanted
a cash cow.” Kirkus Reviews
”Gildart Jackson’s narration conveys a lot of information with just enough emotion and drama to hold the listener’s attention throughout this comprehensive look at the 1600s and the lessons learned by early British colonists. His voice blends passages from the period with a modern awareness. That skill hits home when Gaskell writes about harsh British attitudes toward Native Americans. Jackson also sharpens the contrast between utopian writings meant to encourage migration and the realities of colonial life.” AudioFile