Mayflower: A story about courage, community, and war

Author: (American) Philbrick, Peter, translated by Li Yuyao, Hu Yaqian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features:
One of The New York Times' Top 10 Books of 2006, authentically recreating the origins of American history. "We like our history sanitized, theme-park-style, and smug, with no blood, anger, or unpleasantness. But if Philbrick's Mayflower has rightly won over a broad readership, perhaps some Americans, moved by it, will want to reconsider everything." — Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post
"Philbrick's Mayflower succeeds because he brings his own sympathy and understanding, challenging two myths of American beginnings with his own 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, The Los Angeles Times
Authenticity — The book portrays the brave Puritans with lofty religious convictions, praises the grace and generosity of Native Americans, and depicts the brutal warfare 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 tale" of European immigrants nor as the "blood and tears" story of Native Americans. It maintains an objective stance, revealing the survival wisdom and the arduous efforts toward coexistence of both sides through the crises, wars, and responses they faced. This holds profound relevance for today's world, where crises are on the rise. The book has been praised by many domestic historians and writers, with Mr. Liu Suli contributing a preface.
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 country. However, the 150 years between the first Thanksgiving and the American Revolution 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 inevitability and chance, and can be considered a grand epic that blends microcosm with macrocosm.
Where is the origin of America? The voyage of the Mayflower and the story of the first European immigrants arriving on the American continent is a grand epic spanning fifty-five years, long buried by history. Renowned author Philbrick vividly recreates this voyage, unveiling the real history behind Plymouth Colony and a series of American legends. The joy of the first Thanksgiving was just the beginning for the new immigrants. From 1620 to 1676, it was the various crises and wars that shaped the blueprint of today's America. The book pays tribute to the courage of the Puritans who would stop at nothing for their faith, praises the grace and generosity of Native Americans, and depicts the wisdom and brutal warfare of both sides.
The descendants of the warring parties only realized years later how terrifying the consequences would be if the two nations had abandoned their arduous efforts toward coexistence. Today, three hundred and eighty years later, in a world that is increasingly complex and rife with crises, the story of the Mayflower holds even greater significance.