The title is somewhat of a misnomer as the "Mayflower" exits early in the book. Instead, it is a history of the Pilgrims, from England to Holland to New England, up until King Phillip's war. The narrative of the initial events leading to the voyage of the boat and the start of Plymouth colony are fairly well detailed in the book. Then the next 50 years are quickly passed, and the narrative switches to that of the war against the Indians (King Phillip's war). The war narrative is more difficult to follow, jumping from a number of different events, happening at different times in different places. Attention seems to be paid to players where more information is known (with Benjamin Church getting a lot of positive coverage).
This book would have perhaps been best split into two separate tomes. The initial book could cover the Pilgrims and their voyage to the new world, with a the second one focusing on the early "war on terror" against the native Americans. While together they do serve to dispel the "pilgrim myth", they each make more convincing narratives on their own.
Why should we read Moby Dick? Nathaniel Philbrick gives us a number of reasons in this short book. It serves as a nice intro, giving us background in Mellville's life and times as well as the book itself. When it was published, Moby Dick was not very successful. However, after the civil war, and especially after the great world wars, the novel increased in popularity due to its timeless themes. Melville was also a stickler for details giving the novel additional value as a history of a bygone era and profession. Moby book is a long book, and Philbrick acknowledges you can get plenty out of abridgments and other versions. Now, I want to read it.
