Mayflower Lives, Martyn Whittock
Mayflower Lives, Martyn Whittock
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Mayflower Lives
Pilgrims in a New World and the Early American Experience

Author: Martyn Whittock

Narrator: James Cameron Stewart

Unabridged: 11 hr 59 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/06/2019


Synopsis

Leading into the 400th anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower, Martyn Whittock examines the lives of the "saints" (members of the Separatist puritan congregations) and "strangers" (economic migrants) on the original ship. Collectively, these people would become known to history as "the Pilgrims."

The story of the Pilgrims has taken on a life of its own as one of our founding national myths—their escape from religious persecution, the dangerous transatlantic journey, that brutal first winter. Throughout the narrative, we meet characters already familiar to us through Thanksgiving folklore—Captain Jones, Myles Standish, and Tisquantum (Squanto)—as well as new ones.

There is Mary Chilton, the first woman to set foot on shore, and asylum seeker William Bradford. We meet fur trapper John Howland and little Mary More, who was brought as an indentured servant. Then there is Stephen Hopkins, who had already survived one shipwreck and was the only Mayflower passenger with any prior American experience. Decidedly un-puritanical, he kept a tavern and was frequently chastised for allowing drinking on Sundays. Epic and intimate, Mayflower Lives is a rich and rewarding book that promises to enthrall anyone with an interest in early American history.

About Martyn Whittock

Martyn Whittock has written numerous educational and history books, including titles on Viking and Anglo-Saxon history. He has been a consultant for the BBC, English Heritage, and the National Trust and has written for Medieval History magazine and other archaeological journals. He lives in Oxford, U.K.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Moonkiszt on December 15, 2020

Jumping in with both feet into the Thanksgiving of the 2020 Pandemic (See creative celebratory feasts over Zoom), instead of games with family I read and wanted to stay with the theme. This book was perfect for that - a one-at-a-time consideration of the key persons on the boat Mayflower and the fat......more

Goodreads review by Janilyn on June 24, 2019

Whittock provides a fresh facet to the original people who sailed to North America on the Mayflower. He focuses on their individual stories and how they fit within the broader spectrum of colonization. I thoroughly enjoyed his research. Reading the early Court records was more salacious than a trash......more

Goodreads review by Tex on July 08, 2019

Many books about the Pilgrims voyaging over on the Mayflower speak of them as a collective group. The research provided by the author is divided into sections devoted to one of the settlers, whether it be the more well-known Stephen Hopkins, William Brewster, or lesser-mentioned poor little Mary Mor......more

Goodreads review by Christopher on February 03, 2024

Saints, strangers, sinners, and servants. A fine collection of mini-biographies of selected original Mayflower passengers. Whittock's 2019 "Mayflower Lives" is a nice and easy little bit of "pop" history ("pop" in the sense of being a popular broader survey). This collection of 16 mini-bios of Mayfl......more

Goodreads review by Chelsea on December 28, 2019

I was surprised by how much I liked this book. The writer's choice to focus in depth each chapter on a particular life while tying them to other people created a unique foundation that brought history and storytelling together. It was never boring, but always educational. He also made sure to includ......more