I was looking for something to read on the plane to/from DC Fri/Mon (WHOO!) and realized some of the books I have on my "to read(?)" lists I've actually already read, so:
Making Haste from Babylon: the Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World, Nick Bunker, 2010. Really enjoyed this one; had been meaning to read it for a while, and then had to read it for work when we got to the chapter on the Pilgrims. Good stuff. A lot of wandering around in the hedges & stopping to smell the flowers (literally - Bunker loves to set a scene by getting down into the weeds, and giving detailed descriptions of the local flora & fauna), but very informative, and I kind of liked that it was pretty wide-ranging and not super focused. A LOT of information, but not at all scholarly or academic, in a good way - I think it's very accessible for non-historians, although it could be a bit dry, I guess...I didn't think so, but I know I am not the normal non-academic audience either. More English history than American, by far; this is very much about the background in England (and Leiden) of the Pilgrims, and really has nothing much to say about what went on over on this side of the pond. Lots to say about English politics, religious disputes, and social life, though. I'd assign it in an undergrad English history class, only an advanced or grad class on the Pilgrims specifically, if the imaginary class were operating out of an American history department.
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