Mayflower

Author: [US] Nathaniel Philbrick
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: One of The New York Times' Top Ten Books of 2006, authentically recreating the origins of American history. "We like our history sanitized, theme-park-like, and smug, with no blood, anger, or unpleasantness. But if Mayflower has rightly won over a broad readership, perhaps some Americans, moved by it, will be willing to reconsider everything." — Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post "PHILBRICK's Mayflower succeeds in challenging the two myths of American origins with his own sympathy, understanding, and insights. The original Puritans were neither religious patriots nor bloodthirsty conquerors; the Native Americans who befriended them and later betrayed them were more worldly and less peaceful than people generally believe." — Jim Ross, Los Angeles Times
Authenticity — The book portrays the brave Puritans with high religious ideals, praises the grace and generosity of the Native Americans, and depicts the brutal wars and survival wisdom of both sides. The details are vivid and realistic, immersing readers in the true historical context. Objectivity — The book neither presents this history as the "glorious story" of European immigrants nor as the "bloody story" of Native Americans. It maintains an objective stance, revealing the survival wisdom and the arduous efforts of both sides to coexist through the various crises, wars, and responses they encountered. This holds significant relevance for today's increasingly crisis-ridden world. The book has been praised by many domestic historians and writers, and is prefaced by Mr. Liu Suli.
The Mayflower carried a group of European immigrants to the New World. After more than a century of exploration and war, it ultimately gave rise to a nation and a people. However, the 150 years between the first Thanksgiving and the Revolutionary War are not only unfamiliar to Chinese readers but also a "collectively forgotten history" and a "jumped-over history" in the United States. Mayflower vividly recreates this voyage, uncovering the real history behind the Plymouth Colony and a series of American legends. The book attempts to reveal that the birth of the United States and the formation of its spirit were the result of "a series of events," involving both inevitable and factors, making it a grand epic that blends microcosm with macrocosm.
The book traces the origins of the United States. The voyage of the Mayflower and the story of the first European immigrants arriving on the American continent vividly recreate this journey, uncovering the real history behind the Plymouth Colony and a series of American legends.