William Bradford: Plymouth's Rock

Heroes of History #28

by Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

Growing up in a small town in England, William Bradford lived during a time of upheaval and opportunity. Together with a group of Separatists, William escaped England to establish a new life in Holland and finally set out on the Mayflower on a perilous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

The New World beckoned as a land of freedom and possibility. Yet wild waters, icy winters, Indian attacks, starvation, and treason threatened the European settlers’ very existence. Through William’s vision and steadfast leadership, the people of Plymouth Colony would endure, their future descendants forming the cornerstone of a great nation (1590-1657).

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Christian, Childrens

200 pages, Paperback

Published October 30, 2015

About the author

Janet and Geoff Benge are a husband and wife writing team with twenty years of writing experience. They are best known for the books in the two series Christian Heroes: Then & Now series and Heroes of History. Janet is a former elementary school teacher. Geoff holds a degree in history. Together they have a passion to make history come alive for a new generation. Originally from New Zealand, the Benges make their home in the Orlando, Florida, area.

Reviews

[Daniel Ray (Vacation Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about the Mayflower voyage and the settlement of Plymouth. Bradford was elected the second governor of Plymouth and held the position for over 30 years.

[JD' · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these mini biography books 📚 well written, good lessons to be learned in life and well spoken audio books.
Bradford was a separatist who was disenchanted with England, arrived on the Mayflower, was governor, didn't celebrate Christmas and wrote a book on their adventures in America.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good biography.
There are so many things I didn’t know about the pilgrims to Plymouth. Things I didn't know, teachings that were corrected, and things I was reminded of from elementary lessons.
An easy to read, thorough biography of a man who truly loved God and people, who longed to do right by everyone around him. He failed, but in general he always strove to do what was right.

[Hank Pharis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have very much enjoyed all of these brief biographies by the Benges. And of course Bradford's story is special. Rising from being an English orphan to the Governor of Plymouth he had to lead the Plymouth Colony through all sorts of crises.

(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really well done! I learned a lot about the Pilgrims I never knew before, and loved all the little details and the written drama. This was my first book in this series and want to listen to more it was so well done and a great one to listen with the kids. Feel a new connection to Richard Warren, my 10th great grandpa who was a Pilgrim in the Mayflower though only mentioned once in this book. I loved Bradford's forgiveness and patience time and again.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s amazing the amount of American history I’ve forgotten. We read this aloud together and enjoyed discovering Plymouth.

[Jeninne G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my son. It was a little above his (4th grade) level but he liked it. I liked it too and learned the origins of some things I knew, but not necessarily their origin(s).

[Tisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read about the colonists that came to America aboard The Mayflower. It gives the right amount of detail.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good history of this man and his struggling as a "dissadent" or Puritan. This volume is a good primer to this man.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So helpful for me to understand the founding of Plymouth, the history and influence of England and how the Christian faith is woven throughout. This will be used in our history curriculum.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting details about colonial life.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was hard to get into at first but we really liked it by the end.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* Audio

Good, but it reads like a history book

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting account

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one I am reading to my oldest boy. Good as a child's way to get Bradford's inspiring tale of the Plymouth settlement.

Liked it.

[Melissa Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much about the Pilgrims life I had no idea about. William Bradford was a self-sacrificing and humble man.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book originally to read aloud to my elementary age children, but took to reading it by myself. I’d rather read this than Bradford’s of Plymouth Plantation (although they did use his book in compiling this one) and would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning the history of the separatists from England and a backstory on the origins of Thanksgiving, the unique story of Squanto, and what the journey on the Mayflower was like. These were all topics I was introduced to as a child and didn’t really know/remember much beyond that. I admit I could have read something “heavier” but seeing as how I’m a busy mom with not much free time, this fit the bill.