socraticgadfly's review against another edition
3.0
A different perspective, but marred
My own take was that this was probably a 3.5 star ... I bumped it down the half-star based on what the two reviewers with relatives of the period said on Amazon.
My own take, in brief?
1. Being written as a British take offers something different from an American version. That alone is good.
2. Showing the back-and-forth between New England and England, especially during the Commonwealth is good.
That said, the book never really grabbed me.
On the negative side, Fraser seems to try to "normalize" English relations toward the American Indians. Yes, not all Englishmen were racist. But, racism was on the rise among all Europeans at this time. Among the English, and directly relevant to the colonies? John Locke.
There's also one other fairly big error (I'll take the one star reviewer on Amazon at their word on genealogy-related ones.)
Fraser says the Spanish were settling LA and San Francisco at the time of Plimouth.
Erm, not at all. That's only wrong by 150 years. (That's why, in turn, I'll accept claims of other errors at face value.)
My own take was that this was probably a 3.5 star ... I bumped it down the half-star based on what the two reviewers with relatives of the period said on Amazon.
My own take, in brief?
1. Being written as a British take offers something different from an American version. That alone is good.
2. Showing the back-and-forth between New England and England, especially during the Commonwealth is good.
That said, the book never really grabbed me.
On the negative side, Fraser seems to try to "normalize" English relations toward the American Indians. Yes, not all Englishmen were racist. But, racism was on the rise among all Europeans at this time. Among the English, and directly relevant to the colonies? John Locke.
There's also one other fairly big error (I'll take the one star reviewer on Amazon at their word on genealogy-related ones.)
Fraser says the Spanish were settling LA and San Francisco at the time of Plimouth.
Erm, not at all. That's only wrong by 150 years. (That's why, in turn, I'll accept claims of other errors at face value.)
mdargusch's review against another edition
4.0
I️ won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. This book is as much about the New England American Indians as it was about the Pilgrims. The author’s comprehensive research provides an intimate look at their lives as they struggled to survive in the untamed areas of the eastern shore. I️ learned so much about the beginning of the United States through her in-depth details. This is the perfect read for the month of November.
camillalice's review against another edition
3.0
The Mayflower aims to tell the story of the families, focusing on the Winslows, that fled to America and founded Plymouth. That’s what the subtitle says (“The Families, the Voyage and the Founding of America”). cover122138-mediumAnd that’s what Rebecca Fraser does for the first half of the book.
The first half of the book is, I believe, excellent. It is extremely detailed and everything is explained: the religious and political situation, why the Pilgrims left, how they got organised, what happened during the journey and how they managed once they arrived in America. It is almost day-to-day history, with details on everyday life and early 17th century ideas.
I think where it got wrong is that after about the halfway mark, Fraser starts explaining what happens later when the colonies are well established. I personally grew a bit bored and skimmed most of the second half. To me, it went beyond the “Founding of America”. While it is relevant to the subject, I think it was way too much. It might just be me, though, as all the other reviews I have read about The Mayflower are 5 stars reviews.
That being said, Rebecca Fraser has obviously done extensive researched and it shows. She knows what she is writing about. I am impressed at how vivid the writing is, which isn’t always the case in non-fiction. I think the book should have been a bit shorter, or maybe we should have had two books. I would have liked some illustrations as well to enliven the text. One thing I particularly appreciated was that the Native Americans were given a voice, it’s not just a one-sided story.
Now, should you check this book out? Absolutely! It is a well-researched, detailed, interesting piece of history writing. Anyone interested in this time period, be in English or American, or even Native American or religious history should have a read. I will definitely look into other books by Rebecca Fraser as a few of them have caught my interest (Charlotte Brontë; The Brontës; Gender, Race and Family in Nineteenth Century America – yes, please!).
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Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews available on my blog.
The first half of the book is, I believe, excellent. It is extremely detailed and everything is explained: the religious and political situation, why the Pilgrims left, how they got organised, what happened during the journey and how they managed once they arrived in America. It is almost day-to-day history, with details on everyday life and early 17th century ideas.
I think where it got wrong is that after about the halfway mark, Fraser starts explaining what happens later when the colonies are well established. I personally grew a bit bored and skimmed most of the second half. To me, it went beyond the “Founding of America”. While it is relevant to the subject, I think it was way too much. It might just be me, though, as all the other reviews I have read about The Mayflower are 5 stars reviews.
That being said, Rebecca Fraser has obviously done extensive researched and it shows. She knows what she is writing about. I am impressed at how vivid the writing is, which isn’t always the case in non-fiction. I think the book should have been a bit shorter, or maybe we should have had two books. I would have liked some illustrations as well to enliven the text. One thing I particularly appreciated was that the Native Americans were given a voice, it’s not just a one-sided story.
Now, should you check this book out? Absolutely! It is a well-researched, detailed, interesting piece of history writing. Anyone interested in this time period, be in English or American, or even Native American or religious history should have a read. I will definitely look into other books by Rebecca Fraser as a few of them have caught my interest (Charlotte Brontë; The Brontës; Gender, Race and Family in Nineteenth Century America – yes, please!).
-----
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews available on my blog.
kelseymangeni's review against another edition
3.0
2019 was my first Thanksgiving in the US in FIVE YEARS! So I thought I’d take it a bit seriously and read up on my history. This is the exact kind of nonfiction I struggle with the most (dense/textbook-like) but I powered through as best I could.
The part I cared about the most was the physical journey across the ocean and unfortunately that chapter was only 10 pages long and not super informative.
Nevertheless, learned some stuff, now I’m ready for turkey!
The part I cared about the most was the physical journey across the ocean and unfortunately that chapter was only 10 pages long and not super informative.
Nevertheless, learned some stuff, now I’m ready for turkey!
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