"Mayflower" by Nathaniel Philbrick

One of the joys of retirement is time to read historical works that captures some of what I missed in my younger days.

"Mayflower" has been well received by many. Suffice now for me to share those little points that represent "new" knowledge for me:

1. I was impressed with the number of different Indian tribes that were present when the Pilgrims settled in Plymouth.
2. It was interesting that the Indian and English was unable during the first several decades to learn how to catch the plentiful fish in the ocean. The Indians did better catching fish that migrated in rivers.
3. I was impressed that many Indians learned English.
4. If not for land issues, the lengthy period of positive relations between the English and Indians would have continued. It was only because the Indians "sold" so much land that they felt forced to fight the English to regain some land. It is hard to imagine that such "scarcity" of land with so few people. But the difficulties of farming, e.g., fertility of land was short-lived, much land was wooded and not easily amenable to farming.
5. It appears that the English were more brutal in conflict than the Indians, or at least, they surely provided incentive to counter the cruelty they experienced.
6. The religious leader of the Pilgrims warned the settlers that violence begets violence. What the Pilgrims did not recognize, subsequent generations also failed to recognize. As experienced in Iraq and Afghanistan, violence begets violence.
7. It was amazing to think about the distances that they traveled, whether by foot or horse.