Pilgrims: The True Story Of The Englishmen Who Founded America

by Simon Worrall

The story of the Pilgrim Fathers after they step ashore at Plymouth Rock is well known. But their English origins have received little attention. In this piccaresque travelogue, which combines humour with deep, historical research, critically acclaimed National Geographic writer, Simon Worrall, sets off for the village of Scrooby, in Lincolnshire, to unearth the true story of the Englishmen (and women) who founded America. The result will surprise and entertain you, in equal measure ....

31 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2013

About the author

The author of two highly acclaimed books, THE POET AND THE MURDERER (Dutton & Plume/Penguin Putnam USA, 2002, which William Styron called, “A gripping tale, done with great style and elegance…” and the novelized true story of his mother in World War II, THE VERY WHITE OF LOVE (HarperCollins, 2018), referred to by The Sunday Mirror as “A powerful and tender tale of love and war,” Worrall is a natural storyteller.
Simon was born in Wellington, England in 1951 and spent his childhood in Eritrea, Paris and Singapore. He speaks four languages, including French. He is a regular contributor to National Geographic, and has written for publications all over the world, including the Smithsonian, The London Times and Sunday Times Magazine, The Guardian, Harper’s, The New Yorker, Conde Nast Traveler and the New Statesman.

Reviews

[stephen r. mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pilgrims put down.

The author basically tells you that the Pilgrims were just like any other fractured religious group. I respect his opinion concerning these men and women but they done way more and endured so much for their beliefs. Not many individuals would brave the environment and persecution these days just to have religious freedom.

[Christopher · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I appreciate the author's efforts to travel across the pond to collect data on this period of American History, I feel like this amounted to little more than a travel diary mixed up with some spicy accounts of clandestine acts in 17th Century Holland. If I am reading a "True Story" of the Pilgrims, I do not want to be faced with pictures of brothels and bars. Enough said.