The Wordy Shipmates is New York Times-bestselling author Sarah Vowell's exploration of the Puritans and their journey to America to become the people of John Winthrop's "city upon a hill"--a shining example, a "city that cannot be hid." To this day, America views itself as a Puritan nation, but Vowell investigates what that means-- and what it should mean. What was this great political enterprise all about? Who were these people who are considered the philosophical, spiritual, and moral ancestors of our nation? What Vowell discovers is something far different from what their uptight shoe-buckles-and- corn reputation might suggest. The people she finds are highly literate, deeply principled, and surprisingly feisty. Their story is filled with pamphlet feuds, witty courtroom dramas, and bloody vengeance. Along the way she asks: * Was Massachusetts Bay Colony governor John Winthrop a communitarian, a Christlike Christian, or conformity's tyrannical enforcer? Answer: Yes! * Was Rhode Island's architect, Roger Williams, America's founding freak or the father of the First Amendment? Same difference. * What does it take to get that jezebel Anne Hutchinson to shut up? A hatchet. * What was the Puritans' pet name for the Pope? The Great Whore of Babylon. Sarah Vowell's special brand of armchair history makes the bizarre and esoteric fascinatingly relevant and fun. She takes us from the modern-day reenactment of an Indian massacre to the Mohegan Sun casino, from old-timey Puritan poetry, where "righteousness" is rhymed with "wilderness," to a Mayflower-themed waterslide. Throughout, The Wordy Shipmates is rich in historical fact, humorous insight, and social commentary by one of America's most celebrated voices. Thou shalt enjoy it.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
A good book from a great writer. I think this one's a little more history buffs. It focuses less on facts and dates and setting the stage for what happened in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and a lot more on the personalities involved. If you know all the facts, this new take is quite refreshing.
Not as engaging as previous works... I think that Sarah Vowell's writing is creative, witting and fascinating. Up until now, I have enjoyed everything written by Sarah Vowell and always look forward to her new books. But I wasn't quite as enthralled with The Wordy Shipmates. Maybe it's me, but I just couldn't get myself as stirred up about the Puritans as Vowell. Vowell claims that "Americans have learned our history from exaggerated popular art for as long as anyone can remember." She attempts to set the record straight "about those... more info
Surprisingly good! So I picked this up because I love Sarah Vowell, but I completely forgot to see what the book was about. That's sad. I popped in the first CD and felt myself dumped back in my junior year of high school, where my U.S. History class took up the chant of the previous AP U.S. History class... damn the Puritans! We hated learning about Puritans and we made sure that our teacher hated teaching us about the Puritans (poor Mr. Zeiner!). I had fairly low expectations for this book once I realized I would be... more info
A Great Multi-tasking Read! I really enjoyed this witty historical perspective. Although unfamiliar with her, I saw an interview promoting this book and put it on my list. I couldn't put it down. I love her cleverness, which made for a humorous read. However, what makes this book great is how it educates the reader on various historical events which are strung together and compared to elicit pause and provoke thought. You learn a bit of history, laugh a lot, and are challenged in your own beliefs. In other words you get a lot of bang... more info
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