Mourt's Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Written by the Pilgrims themselves, during their first year at Plymouth, Mourt's Relation is an excellent, easy-reading book that describes the many adventures and explorations made by the Pilgrims from November, 1620 until December, 1621, spanning the time from their arrival until the First Thanksgiving. This is a book every Mayflower descendant should own.
Of Plymouth Plantation, by William Bradford, also in paperback Written by Plymouth Colony governor William Bradford from about 1630 until 1654, Of Plymouth Plantation is a history of the Pilgrims in England, Holland, and America. This is a very important book to American history and is required reading in many high school and college American Literature courses.
Three Visitors to Early Plymouth. A collection of letters written by John Pory (1622), Emmanuel Althem (1624), and Isaack de Rasieres (1628), talking about their visits to early Plymouth. These are some of the only descriptions of early Plymouth made by individuals who were not themselves Pilgrims. This work includes several letters not yet included on this web page.
Good Newes from New England, by Edward Winslow. Written by Mayflower passenger Edward Winslow and published in 1624, it describes the events at Plymouth in 1622 and 1623, especially focusing on Indian relations. It essentially continues the narrative begun in Mourt's Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth for an additional two years.
William Bradford's Letter Book. This is a collection of letters, mostly business related, written by Plymouth Colony's governor, William Bradford.
NEW (available November 2002): Mayflower Bastard: A Stranger Among the Pilgrims, by David Lindsay. A very interesting biography of Mayflower passenger Richard More.
The Times of their Lives: Life, Love, and Death in the Plymouth Colony, by James and Patricia Scott Deetz. An interesting book that combines both archaeological and ethnographic information with court records to piece together information on what life, love and death in the Plymouth Colony was like.
Plymouth Colony: Its History and Its People, 1620-1691, by Eugene Aubrey Stratton. Simply the best book available on Plymouth Colony--perfect for genealogists and historians alike. Contains a solid, well researched history, as well as extremely well documented genealogical information about most all early Plymouth emigrants.
The Mayflower Pilgrims: Roots of Puritan, Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Baptist Heritage, by David Beale. Basic history of the Pilgrims and the Mayflower with emphasis on church history.
In Small Things Forgotten: An Archaeology of Early American Life, by James Deetz. A study of early American life based on archaeological evidence. Very interesting information about the material culture and everyday objects that were integral parts of the Pilgrims' lives.
Land Ho!-1620. A Seaman's Story of the Mayflower, Her Construction, Her Navigation and Her First Landfall, by W. Sears Nickerson. This book, written by an expert in sailing and navigation, accurately traces the Mayflower's route in the New World using tide and sunrise tables, and discusses how the Mayflower was constructed and what it looked like. Measurements are given in enough detail that a model of the Mayflower could be reconstructed.
Patterns of Fashion: The Cut and Construction of Clothes for Men And Women c1560-1620, by Janet Arnold. About 80 illustrations and 300 photographs showing the clothing styles worn by English men and women during the Pilgrims time period, with about 50 graph paper scale-drawings for use in designing patterns.
A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony, by John Demos. This book describes housing, furnishings, clothing, family relationships (husband-wife, parents-children), how children were raised from childhood to adolescence, and more.
Pilgrim: A Biography of William Brewster, by Mary B. Sherwood. The best biography of William Brewster that has been written. Covers his life from youth at Scrooby Manor, attendence at Cambridge, employement by William Davison a diplomat for Queen Elizabeth, employment as postmaster of Scrooby, flight to Amsterdam and then to Leiden, and his life in Plymouth Colony.
Geneva Bible: New Testament, 1602 Edition. This is a facimilie reprint of the annotated New Testament of the 1602 Geneva Bible--the version of the Bible used by most of the Pilgrims and early Puritans. The annotations and commentary of the 1602 edition also gives a good insight into how certain Bible passages were interpreted by the Puritans.
The Courtship of Miles Standish. FICTION. This is the famous poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It is a work of fiction, but descendants of Myles Standish or John Alden-Priscilla Mullins will enjoy having a copy of this literary classic in their library.
The Mayflower Families series of genealogy books is published by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, and genealogically traces the first five generations (male and female lines both) of the Mayflower passenger, providing all known birth, death, and marriage dates and places, as well as discussing wills, property transactions, and other pieces of information about each individual. Complete source citations are provided. These are the most accurate genealogy books on Mayflower passengers ever published, and are researched by some of the best professional genealogists in the nation.
Mayflower Increasings, by Susan Roser. This book genealogically traces the first three generations of the descendants of all Mayflower passengers that have descendants. Reliable, and cites sources.
Also available by Susan Roser are source records on Mayflower descendants: Mayflower Births and Deaths (2 volumes) and Mayflower Deeds and Probates.
Samuel Eaton's Day, (also in hardback) by Russ Kendel and Kate Waters. Age 4-8. Samuel Eaton came on the Mayflower as a "sucking child", and his mother Sarah died the first winter.
Sarah Morton's Day, (also in hardback) by Russ Kendel and Kate Waters. Age 4-8. Similar to the book above, but from a girl's perspective. Sarah Morton came on the ship Anne in 1623.
Tapenum's Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times, by Kate Waters. Age 9-12. Akin to the "Samuel Eaton's Day", and "Sarah Morton's Day", this time from the Native American perspective in 1627. The book is supplimented with pictures from the Plimoth Plantation museum.
The First Thanksgiving, (also in hardback) by Jean Craighead George. Age 5+.
Three Young Pilgrims, by Cheryl Harness. Age 6-9. Follows the life of Isaac and Mary Allerton's children Bartholomew, Remember and Mary.
If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620, by Ann McGovern. Age 4-8. Answers a variety of questions relating to the Pilgrims and their voyage on the Mayflower.
The Wampanoag, by Laurie Weinstein-Farson. Age 9-12.
Indian New England Before the Mayflower, by Howard S. Russell. A reference work on New England Indians covering all aspects of their lifeways.
New England Indians, by C. Keith Wilbur. Heavily illustrated and covering New England Indians for the past 10,000 years, primarily focusing on material culture such as clothing, tools, food, and housing.
The Name of War: King Philip's War and the Origins of American Identity, by Jill Lepore. Covers the history of King Philip's War of 1675-1676.
Clambake: A Wampanoag Tradition, by Russell M. Peters. Part of the We are Still Here: Native Americans Today series. "Steven Peters, a twelve-year-old Wampanoag Indian in Massachusetts, learns from his grandfather how to prepare a clambake in the tradition of his people."
Indian Handcrafts, by C. Keith Wilbur. Illustrates and describes numerous Indian handicrafts and their construction using traditional techniques.
Ancestors: A Beginner's Guide to Family History and Genealogy, by Jim Willard. Published by Houghton-Mifflin in March 1997, a "how-to" guide for those interested in family history and genealogy.
The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy, by Loretto Dennis Szucs.
A Student's Guide to Native American Genealogy, by E. Barrie Kavasch. An excellent source for those interested in tracing their Native American ancestors. Includes color photographs and tribal maps, and a thorough discussions of Native-American related genealogy issues.
Do People Grow on Family Trees? Genealogy for Kids, by Ira Wolfman.
For All Time: A Complete Guide to Writing your Family History, by Charlie Kempthorne.
Family Pride: The Complete Guide to Tracing African-American Genealogy, by Donna Beasley.
New English Cannan, by Thomas Morton. First published in 1637, this quite amusing work was written by Thomas Morton, the ultimate thorn-in-the-side of the Plymouth Colony. His "wild" antics get him regularly in trouble with the Plymouth authorities, whom Morton believes have no authority over him. Anyone looking for negative and humorous opinions about Plymouth will find this book quite interesting.
The English Housewife, by Gervase Markham. This book was published many times between the years 1630 and 1755, and was meant to be a guide for English women on proper household maintanence. The book covers everything from "the inward virtues which ought to be in every housewife", to "the housewife's skill in cookery", to the secrets of distilling beer and dying cloth.
Captain John Smith: A Select Edition of his Writings. This book contains selections of the writings of Captain John Smith, who was one of the first English captains to map the New England coastline (in 1614). He also was involved in the Virginia colonies, and is famous for having been saved by Pocahontas.
New England's Prospect, by William Wood. This book was first published in 1630, and describes everything about New England, from the land, animals, and plants, to Native Americans and Indian languages.
New England's Rarities Discovered, by John Josselyn. This book was written in 1663 and first published in 1672. It describes the animal and plant life, medicine, Native Americans, and other descriptions and observations made by John Josselyn of early New England.
Institutes of Christian Religion, by John Calvin (1509-1564). Primarily of interest to those studying the Protestant Reformation and the religious origins of Calvinism, Separatism, Puritanism, and Presbyterianism. Required reading for many college courses on the Protestant Reformation. This book was very popular with Puritans, and frequently read and referred to by the Pilgrims. Myles Standish owned this book--it is listed in his estate inventory taken 2 December 1656.
A Delusion of Satan: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials, by Frances Hill.
Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England, by John Demos.
The Unredeemed Captive : A Family Story from Early America, by John Demos. This history recounts a 1704 incident in which Indians captured a Puritan minister and his family, and the aftermath when his daughter refuses to leave her Mohawk captors. This history was nominated for a National Book Award.
Paul Revere and the World He Lived In, by Esther Forbes. An excellent biography of Paul Revere.
Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America, by Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca. In 1528, Alvar Nuñez Cabesa de Vaca became the first European to explore the interior of the American Southwest, "courtesy" of a shipwreck along the Texas coast. Taken captive by Indians, he and three companions (including Esteban, who would be the first person of African origin to see the interior of America) escaped and walked back to Mexico City, visiting Indian tribes and having adventures all the way home. This is his written account of what he and his companions saw and did on their journey, translated into English.
The Conquest of New Spain, by Bernal Diaz. This is the best first-hand account of the famous 1519 expedition of Hernan Cortes, when he conquered the Aztecs and Montezuma. It was written by Bernal Diaz, one of the higher-ranking soldiers who participated. It is very descriptive of the numerous native cultures they encountered on their way to Tenochtitlan, as well as of the landscape and natural environment.
Cavalier in Buckskin: A Biography of George Armstrong Custer, by Robert Utley. Probably the best biography of one of the most controversial American figures, immortalized at "Custer's Last Stand".
Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life, by Robert Utley. This is by far the best, most accurate biography of one of the most famous gunfighters of the American West. It starts with Billy's birth as Henry McCarty in New York City, and follows him as Henry Atrim and William Bonney into Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the 1870s and 1880s. It describes in excellent detail his involvement in the Jesse Evans gang, his cattle rustling, the Lincoln County War between the Dolans and McSweens, his several escapes from jail, up through his final shootout with Pat Garrett.
Vinland Sagas: The Norse Discovery of America, translated and edited by Magnus Magnusson. These are the 12th and 13th century Icelandic sagas describing Eric the Red's discovery and colonizing of Greenland, and of the explorations of the North American coastline, led by Leif Ericsson his son, Freydia his daughter, and Thorvald Korsefni a merchant friend--nearly 500 years before Columbus.
The Epic of Gilgamesh, Penguin Books Classics. A Babylonian Epic from about 3000 BC, it is even older than the Old Testament. It was made famous by one of its chapters, which contains a story nearly identical to the Biblical story of Noah found in Genesis.
Popal Vuh: The Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life, translated by Dennis Tedlock. This is the Maya book of creation, as written down in Maya hieroglypics and later translated into Spanish by the Maya themselves shortly after the 16th century conquest. It is undoubtedly the greatest surviving work of Native American literature from pre-European times.
The Great Explorers: The European Discovery of America, by Samuel Morison. Biographical information and voyage descriptions of all the significant European explorers including Columbus, Cabot, Verrazzano, Cartier, Magellan, Drake, and others.