Trials of the Pilgrims
http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6878177
May 4th 2006
From The Economist print edition
Two books on American history: the early colonists, on this page;
America's tale in the context of what was happening elsewhere, on the
next
AN ASTONISHING 35m Americans are reckoned to be descended from
passengers on the Mayflower, the legendary ship that in 1620 ferried
102 people, including many persecuted English Pilgrims, to a new life
in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Nathaniel Philbrick's well-researched
account makes this number seem even more impressive-the odds were
that the Pilgrims would have no descendants at all. Months after
landing, half the colonists were dead. Disease, and the harsh New
England winter, took its toll.
One qualification should be made up front. Readers expecting another
gripping shipboard drama, along the lines of Mr Philbrick's bestselling
"In the Heart of the Sea" (about an ill-fated whaling ship), will
be disappointed. Despite its title, "Mayflower" only briefly
touches on the arduous two-month voyage made by the resolute
travellers. Instead, Mr Philbrick tackles the vast challenge of
settling into a new land. Jamestown, founded in 1607, set an ominous
example: 70 of the 108 settlers there had perished in the first year.
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