Mayflower: A Voyage to War by Nathaniel Philbrick

Title: Mayflower: A Voyage to War

Author: Nathaniel Philbrick

Webpage: Nathaniel Philbrick Publisher: Harper Perennial ISBN: 978-0007151288 Genre: Historical Non-fiction Print Length: 352 pages

Synopsis: Behind the quaint and pious version of the Mayflower story usually taught in American primary schools is a tumultuous and largely untold tale of violence, subterfuge and epic drama.

Nathaniel Philbrick have crafted a fascinating narrative that, if it were a novel would be dripping with beguiling plots of intrigue, greed and cultural clashes. It is said that the truth is stranger than fiction and Mayflower exemplifies this. For a non-fiction book it gallops along at a rate of knots, using a narrative style that keeps the reader wanting to know what happens next. It is a fascinating read which celebrates the early years of co-operation between the Europeans and Native Americans of New England in the early to mid-seventeenth century and is an indictment of the nature of man to succumb to greed and prejudice. It also highlights the importance of leaders in leading us to our destinations, be it to peace and co-operation or death and destruction. Modern leaders could do worse than read Mayfair and reflect on what they can learn from the past. This is a highly recommended read.

What others thought at the time of writing

Amazon.co.uk; 29 reviews, of which 28 were 3* or more, giving an average of 4.2* Amazon.com; 778 reviews, of which 94% were 3* or more, giving an average of 4.4* Goodreads.com; 28,327 ratings (2,201 reviews), with 93% of 3* or more, giving an average of 3.9*

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