About this item
A fresh and revealing history of one of the most seminal events in American history as seen through fourteen diverse and dynamic figures. Leading into the 400th anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower, Martyn Whittock examines the lives of the "saints" (members of the Separatist puritan congregations) and "strangers" (economic migrants) on the original ship. Collectively, these people would become known to history as "the Pilgrims." The story of the Pilgrims has taken on a life of its own as one of our founding national myths -- their escape from religious persecution, the dangerous transatlantic journey, that brutal first winter. Throughout the narrative, we meet characters already familiar to us through Thanksgiving folklore -- Captain Jones, Myles Standish, and Tisquantum (Squanto) -- as well as new ones.
About the Author
I graduated in Politics from Bristol University in 1980, where my degree special studies were in radical Christian politics and theology of the seventeenth century & also the development of the Soviet State. I taught history for thirty-five years (as Head of History & Director of Humanities Faculty at a number of secondary schools in the UK) . Latterly I was curriculum leader for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education at a secondary comprehensive school in the UK. During this time I developed an interest in early medieval history (especially Anglo-Saxons and Vikings) , as well as continuing my interests in radical Christian millenarianism and also Soviet history. I have acted as an historical consultant to the National Trust, the BBC and English Heritage. I am a Licensed Lay Minister, in the Church of England, with an active interest in theology. I retired from teaching in 2016 to devote more time to writing, historical & political commenting & guest blogging. I am the author or co-author of fifty-three books. These include school history textbooks and adult history books. The latter are written with the aim of making historical themes both engaging and accessible to adult readers.
