As I was looking through a list of books available for review a little while ago, They Came for Freedom caught my eye. I have read a lot of books about the Pilgrims, and wasn't sure if this would be worth reading or not, or even if it would be readable or not. So many books like this end up being dry history, especially if they quote a lot from the actual writings of the historical characters. I decided to give it a try anyway—and I'm glad I did.
Jay Milbrandt has told the story of the Pilgrims in a fresh way in this book. He uses the writings of William Bradford and Edward Winslow extensively to relate the account of what happened before, during and after the settlement at New Plymouth, Massachusetts was started, but he has done a superb job of tweaking the quotations just slightly to make the story flow well. As I said before, I have read a number of books about the Pilgrims, and this book lined up with the history I knew—but this book goes a bit deeper than most.
I enjoyed learning about the flight from Scrooby to Holland, as the Separatists first attempted to find a place where they could practice their faith. I hadn't realized that this happened during a short time of religious freedom when there was a truce between Holland and Spain. When the ten or so years of the truce came to an end, the Separatists knew they must find another place to live. Their story is told very clearly here.
This book would be great for any history-lover, or anyone wanting to know more about the real story of the Pilgrims who settled New Plymouth. It's great both as history and as a story.
I received a free ecopy of this book from NetGalley and chose to review it.

This is a fascinating read that is extensive in detail and research .
Milbrandt has a easy-to-read writing style. He shares the history of the Pilgrim's in Europe, the sea voyage as they came over on the Mayflower, their early years and the downfall of their society. From the beginning to the end of the book, I was captured by how true the story is . I am one of the rare remaining families of the Pilgrims so I have studied them extensively. This is one of my favorite works on their journey, struggle and new life in America. This is a very broad scope of work meticulously detailed in nature far beyond the miniaturized version we learned in school.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves to read about the history of early America. The Appendix includes: A Timeline of Events, A List of the Passengers on the Mayflower, The Mayflower Compact, and an in-depth Bibliography. I thank the publisher for the ARC which did not influence my review.

Jay Milbrandt's book examines the real experiences of the Pilgrims, a unique and austere sect of Puritans. I found the book well researched, informative, and easy to read.

They Came For Freedom was an okay read for me. I give it 3 stars.

The author gave a good review of the events that lead up to the sailing of the Mayflower and what transpired once they landed,. he shared the flaws of the those who came to America and was honest about the interaction with the Indians, good and bad. I found the book quite helpful.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for a fair review.

I think this is one of these books written the way that you know you are reading about the old story but you still want know what happened next.
Written in an easy way the story about religious differences, looking for freedom and incredible courage to be ready to go the end of the world to find better life. Only this life was not better at the beginning. It was extremely harsh and the world was not so welcoming. How much determination you need to have to survive and believe in the better future? This is the beginning of America.
We learn in a quick way about the Separatists and Puritans, that the Pilgrims didn’t create Thanksgiving, that The Mayflower arrivals were not the first, that the first newcomers were far from the perfect with bad habits and convictions. The story is not fairy tale. It is a fair report following each events of what happened. But you are reading is a very good novel.
Of someone is interested in a history of America it is great addition to your collection of books you should read. The author made a very detailed research. The appendix includes: a bibliography, The Mayflower Compact, The List of Mayflower Passengers and a timeline of events.

The foundation for a movement was formed when separatists denounced the structure and tradition of the Church of England. This story provides a view of the persecution that was endured and the reasons behind the journey.

We know that during the voyage, to the New World, ships suffered from navigational struggle and naval loss. And even though the Pilgrims were dedicated to the idea of freedom, they struggled with it, and New Plymouth declined. Thus our national day of Thanks was built on the purpose of healing wounds and making our nation tranquil.

Honestly, I have been re-reading this read for awhile as it is heavy in dialogue and details. It's a historical read, made better by the list of Mayflower passengers, Authors note and Prologue.

Nonfiction usually takes me a bit longer to read, but this was worth it. This book was well researched and I learned a lot about the people on the mayflower that I never knew. Our school education is woefully bad when it comes to what really happened. A good read. 4 out of 5 stars.

They Came for Freedom

The Forgotten, Epic Adventure of the Pilgrims

by Jay Milbrandt

Thomas Nelson

History , Nonfiction (Adult)

Pub Date 03 Oct 2017

I am reviewing a copy of They Came For Freedom and Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:

They came because of religious persecution, and economic oppression to what they saw as an untamed land.

In a short period of time many of those who came on the Mayflower succumbed to starvation and sickness.

The story of the Pilgrims is not what we have learned though, it begins with the execution of two pastors who dared to deviate from the Elizabethan Church of England, the Pilgrims story is one of courageous faith and tenuous survival. It is a story of refugees and dreamers who voyaged to the unknown and faced disease, starvation and death.

The Pilgrim Fathers were brave and despite great loss, they build the cornerstone for our nation.

I give They Came For Freedom five out of five stars!

Happy Reading

Plot: history of Plymouth Plantation, beginning from a religious perspective that is not as overt as might be feared from the beginning

historical accuracy: seems to be fairly well researched, although there is a lot of reliance on original memoirs without modern interpretations using current historical models.

what's missing that would have been helpful: names of all the Mayflower people (or a sentence that some of the wives were not named by Bradford (surely these names were recorded elsewhere); the names of the people who died that first year, since we're told they were there and told of the circumstances of some of their deaths;

egregious errors: Alice Southworth is a widow, not a widower! (location 2564)

the switch from the dialogue style at the beginning to a more traditional recital of facts was a little jarring, and frankly I'd have preferred the latter be maintained. I'm assuming, perhaps erroneously, that Milbrandt was copying dialogue recorded in Bradford's or other's memoirs, but if he wasn't, I hate this kind of fake historical record

not a bad addition to the history genre

Interesting read. Not my favorite book talking about the pilgrims

This very easy to read, almost as if it was fiction. Not that it is, but it has that same easy to follow narrative feel. There aren’t many quoted documents, letters or journals. Instead, Milbrandt tells us the story in his own words. The Prologue and the Epilogue are the most highly fictionalized sections.
I’d say it is a secular history. God, prayer, and Bible reading are mentioned, and so are religious disputes, but there really isn’t any religious discussion. You will learn that the Pilgrims didn’t agree with the Church of England, but you won’t learn what they believed in any detail. There are times he comes across as slightly mocking of their faith.
It’s really the story of the most influential figures in the Pilgrim story. He starts with the martyrdom of two Separatists and then follows Scrooby congregation, specifically William Bradford, as they flee to Holland, and eventually to the New World. Woven carefully into that story is Squanto’s story with all of its betrayal and misery. It doesn’t stop with the ‘first Thanksgiving’but follows them all the way to the near abandonment of the settlement they gave so much to found. He doesn't just showcase their good side. He shows the bickering, greed, fear, and treachery they dealt with even in their own congregation.
It was interesting and covered a lot of historical detail very quickly. I enjoyed it. If you are looking for an introduction to the founding of America this would be a very good book.
I received this as a free ARC through NetGalley and Thomas Nelson. No favorable review was required. These are my honest opinions.

The book starts with two men who become good friends, Barrow & Greenwood, and “had become well-known revolutionaries challenging English institutions.” This part has way too much dialogue, making me question if this is history book or historical fiction.

The book continues with different people challenging religious institutions in Europe, creating a picture of upheaval leading to pilgrim migration to the New World.

Then it goes through their journey on Mayflower and encounter with the Indians.

There is nothing unique or grasping about this story, which we all already know. For me this is not an interesting read.