THE WAY OF THE PILGRIMS: The latest effort from National Book Award-winning author Nathaniel Philbrick is a rich and resonant retelling of how in the 17th century, a small group of English Christians fled from their homes to embark on a journey to a New World. Mayflower: A Story of Community, Courage and War makes it clear that the settlement of Plymouth Colony was hardly the hunky-dory scene we have come to imagine through storybook accounts of history. The settlers did arrive in November (they had planned on arriving in summer), low on supplies, and the Wampanoag Indians were not only excellent hosts, they saved the settlement from certain destruction. There was a first Thanksgiving and the pilgrims and Indians lived more or less in peace for half a century after it, but all hell broke loose when Philip, heir of Wampanoag chief Massasoit, launched a war on the settlers. More than 5,000 people were killed over 14 months, and the politics of the New World were irrevocably altered. Philbrick will read from and sign copies of his book this Friday during a reception at Brooks Hall on the Samford University campus. The program starts at 6 p.m. For more information, call 870-4242 or visit www.alabamabooksmith.com.
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