The Wordy Shipmates Audiobook

" I loved this book. Great info about our early ancestors that is still relevant in the politics of today. "

" Enjoyable quick read of a period of American history covered only briefly in our schools. "

" Led me to like and dislike many of the leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. For the same reasons I like and dislike America in general. Vowell empathizes with the characters even while poking jabs at them. "

" The first of Sarah Vowell's books that had me drifting. For a book where the thesis was meant to be that the early Massachusetts settlers were big on education and reading, she abandons that pretty quickly and heads off into 'boy, those guys were kind of jerks' territory. Which, let's be honest, most folks picking this up aren't going to be entirely unaware of just how jerky our early settlers were. When she finally got around to the stuff about the Pequot War and Anne Hutchinson I was more interested, but that's practically the last third of the book. For the most part it functions as a snapshot of a few decades of John Winthrop's (Massachusetts hero, early American dickbag) life more than anything else. Unlike Assassination Vacation, I felt that this book really lacked the charm that Sarah's voice brings, which left the material a little too dry for me. And that's my fault. I'm a product of Generation Rx and there's only so much attention I can pay at any time. But I got a lot out of Assassination Vacation and the Partly Cloudy Patriot. I didn't get nearly that much out of The Wordy Shipmates and I wish I had. "

" library it rather than buy. Pretty funny though "

" Very entertaining and fascinating book on Puritan history and writings. "

" History of my forebears - New England Protestants. Vowell makes it all quite amusing, but it turned out to be a little more than I cared about the subject by the end of the book. "

" Interesting tale of the puritans and the separatists, but there was a lot of death and scalping. I had to put it down for a while and come back to it later. "

" I heard about this on NPR and it proved to be a readable and funny treatment of the Pilgrims and other very articulate early American settlers. It is not very deep but is a quick read and entertaining. "

" This was disappointingly not nearly as good as Assassination Vacation. There was just so much content in the middle of the book that for much of it the author's voice and insights were drowned out by the sheer amount of facts and dates. "

" As ever, Sarah Vowell takes a thorough (and sometimes funny) glance at American history. Here, Vowell gives a look at the Puritans beyond the usual Thanksgiving and Salem Witch Trial stories. Not as interesting as some of her earlier works but, that may just be me. "

" If you have any interest in American history and have a sense of humor, Sarah Vowell is well worth your time. "

" This is a great book. If you are interested in Colonial History or English religious thought you will be in heaven. "

" Not one of Vowell's best works. It felt like a poorly-written thesis at times - the author finds facts more interesting than the average reader. In this case, Vowell spends too much time on character and not on story. "

" I liked Assassination Vacation more but this was still interesting & entertaining "

" Lots of history about the early colonies during the 1630s. "

" You wouldn't think a book about Puritans would be very interesting, but it's cleverly written and she adds quite a bit of humor to keep it going quickly. "

" Sarah Vowell takes on the Pilgrims and the Pilgrims come off none the worse for wear, though she does go deeply into their psyche and their papers to give us their peculiar look on the world. "

" if you want to be entertained and/or you have even a little interest in american history read this book. i think it's sarah vowell's best work "

" I have read two books of Vowell's before, but they were collections of essays and short stories. This book was one continuous story. The premise is following the start of the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the Puritans. It has war, religion, hypocrisy and humor...what more do you need? "

" Not nearly as funny as her other books but I love listening to her voice reading her books. It's have the fun. This one's a bit too long but I marvel at her ability to make 17th century texts understandable in modern terms. And to make Puritans funny at all is a pretty good feat. "

" Sarah Vowell takes on early American History. "

" The audio version is so much fun! The history is densely packed, so I listened twice. I love Sarah's voice, and her deadpan delivery...only she could tell the Pilgrims' real story and make you think you should have paid a cover charge or at least ordered another drink. "

" Another great, thought-provoking, and very funny read from Sarah Vowell. I always like her stuff. "

" Entertaining and got me to actually go out and read more on the subject. Vowell's style of writing makes it feel like more of a conversation than a historical account. "

" Why wasn't Sarah Vowell <em>everyone's</em> history teacher? No one else could entice me to read 250 pages about 17th-century Puritans in the New World. "

" Loved this in audio format. It's made all the more entertaining (to me at any rate) by imagining that the whole thing is an over-long history essay being ready by Violet Parr, from the Incredibles, to her class.<br/><br/>My nerd cup runneth over. "

" My first Sarah Vowell book. I have been aware of her for a few years and I am glad that I finally got to read one of her books. She can write, that's for sure! The topic is one that interests me and she has shed a light on this particular period in human progress. A very good book. "

" Sarah Vowell makes the Puritans sound petty and scandalous. It could be called <em>The Proto-Real Magistrates of Massachusetts Bay</em>. "