The Wordy Shipmates

In this New York Times bestseller, the author of Lafayette in the Somewhat United States "brings the Puritan] era wickedly to life" (Washington Post).

To this day, America views itself as a Puritan nation, but Sarah Vowell investigates what that means-and what it should mean. What she discovers is something far different from what their uptight shoebuckles- and-corn reputation might suggest-a highly literate, deeply principled, and surprisingly feisty people, whose story is filled with pamphlet feuds, witty courtroom dramas, and bloody vengeance.

Vowell 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.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Published: 10/06/2009
ISBN: 9781594484001
Pages: 254
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.50w x 0.69d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 11/01/2009 pg. 20