MayflowerMayflower
Score Modern
What it's about
In 1620, the Mayflower brought a hundred English settlers to New England, where they would have starved without the help of the Wampanoag people and their leader, Massasoit. Nathaniel Philbrick tells the story of that first alliance, the first Thanksgiving, and the next fifty years, as relations soured and ended in King Philip's War, one of the bloodiest wars in American history.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Pulitzer finalist. It goes beyond the myths to tell a gripping, often dark, true story.
You'll love it if you liked
1776
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American WestGood to know
The second half, about the war, is brutal.
By the numbers
- Readers24 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller17 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #191 of the 198 history books we rank
- #1370 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2508 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Adventurous
More by Nathaniel Philbrick
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Between the World and Me
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Educated: A Memoir
All the Light We Cannot See
The Book Thief
AmericanahExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Mayflower worth reading?
Yes. It was a Pulitzer finalist. It ranks #2,508 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 58.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Mayflower about?
In 1620, the Mayflower brought a hundred English settlers to New England, where they would have starved without the help of the Wampanoag people and their leader, Massasoit. Nathaniel Philbrick tells the story of that first alliance, the first Thanksgiving, and the next fifty years, as relations soured and ended in King Philip's War, one of the bloodiest wars in American history.
How long does it take to read Mayflower?
About 12 hours (480 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Mayflower?
If you liked it, try 1776 by David McCullough, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick or Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown.