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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 974.0882859
EAN: 9781594489990
ISBN: 1594489998
Label: Riverhead Hardcover
Manufacturer: Riverhead Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Date: October 07, 2008
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover
Studio: Riverhead Hardcover

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
The Wordy Shipmates is New York Times–bestselling author Sarah Vowell’s exploration of the Puritans and their journey to America to become the people of John Winthrop’s “city upon a hill”—a shining example, a “city that cannot be hid.”

To this day, America views itself as a Puritan nation, but Vowell investigates what that means— and what it should mean. What was this great political enterprise all about? Who were these people who are considered the philosophical, spiritual, and moral ancestors of our nation? What Vowell discovers is something far different from what their uptight shoe-buckles-and- corn reputation might suggest. The people she finds are highly literate, deeply principled, and surprisingly feisty. Their story is filled with pamphlet feuds, witty courtroom dramas, and bloody vengeance. Along the way she asks:

* Was Massachusetts Bay Colony governor John Winthrop a communitarian, a Christlike Christian, or conformity’s tyrannical enforcer? Answer: Yes!
* Was Rhode Island’s architect, Roger Williams, America’s founding freak or the father of the First Amendment? Same difference.
* What does it take to get that jezebel Anne Hutchinson to shut up? A hatchet.
* What was the Puritans’ pet name for the Pope? The Great Whore of Babylon.

Sarah Vowell’s special brand of armchair history makes the bizarre and esoteric fascinatingly relevant and fun. She takes us from the modern-day reenactment of an Indian massacre to the Mohegan Sun casino, from old-timey Puritan poetry, where “righteousness” is rhymed with “wilderness,” to a Mayflower-themed waterslide. Throughout, The Wordy Shipmates is rich in historical fact, humorous insight, and social commentary by one of America’s most celebrated voices. Thou shalt enjoy it.




Rating: - Interesting history, but a bit too "wordy"
I've been a longtime fan of Sarah Vowell. Unfortunately, this isn't my favorite book of hers. What I really love about her other books is that I can pick them up, read a chapter or two, put it down and come back to it a couple of weeks or months later and read a little more. The chapters tend to be self-contained little stories. She dives in for a little taste of something, explores it, add some anecdotes and then moves on. This book is different in that it's all one in depth look at the Massachusetts ... Read More

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Rating: - Great for lovers of Vowell, the rest should give her a chance
I have listened to other audiobooks by Sarah Vowell have enjoyed them all. Her voice can be a little jarring for those who have only listened to honey-toned narrators of audiobooks. What makes it so important to hear these books in her voice is the obvious love of her subjects. Vowell's specialty is bringing to life what were previously obscure moments in history. In the Wordy Shipmates she tells the story of 17th century New England Puritans and their battles with themselves and the native Americans. ... Read More

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Rating: - Sarah Vowell Explains It all To You!
By "All" I mean the Puritans, the founding of the Massachussetts Bay Colony, and the subsequent role these events had in the development of the United States and the strange and wonderful notion of "American Exceptionalism."

And she manages to make it funny and interesting, no mean feat in my opinion.

I became interested in this book after seeing her on The Daily Show. I thought she was amusing, and Jon Stewart was clearly smitten with her, so when the opportunity arose for ... Read More

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Rating: - Entertaining History
As a descendant of the Puritans I was glad to see Sarah Vowell follow-up her wildly successful Assassination Vacation with a book about these founding fathers. As a fan of Vowell's work on NPR I knew I'd be in for a fun read. But don't go thinking this is just a narrative history book. If kids could learn American history from books like this, they'd be enthralled and never skip class.

Vowel somehow manages to weave present day rock stars such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling ... Read More

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Rating: - Not my cup of tea, but I appreciate the effort involved
I've seen Sarah Vowell on the Daily Show and thought she was pretty funny. I always planned to buy one of her books but never got around to it. This may have been the wrong choice for me because I am not a history buff at all. But I can totally appreciate the effort and knowledge that went into writing this book. I give her four stars for the work alone.
I found the subject matter pretty boring, and I never would have finished this in book form. But since I could listen to this audiobook on my commute ... Read More

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