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The Last Pilgrims (Volume 1) [Paperback]

Michael Bunker
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)

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Book Description

February 2, 2012
Twenty years in the future is five-hundred years in the past.  It is just two decades after the worldwide societal collapse and the Vallenses, an Amish-like "plain people" living and surviving in what was once Central Texas, are under attack by the King of Aztlan and his armies. The pacifistic Vallenses are defended by the shadowy Ghost Militia and their inspiring leader Phillip, a militant freeman who wages a guerilla war with Aztlan.
 
Jonathan Wall and the agrarian community of Vallenses have prospered by living the simple and sustainable ways of the past.  In a massively depopulated world, monarchy is back, and a corrupt kingdom arises, led by a king who cannot abide freemen on lands that he covets.  Just as the Vallenses send off a plea to the benevolent King of the South States, a mysterious assassin misses his target: Jonathan Wall.
 
Phillip "the Ghost" is on a personal mission to save the Vallenses - even if it is against their will, while Jonathan's own son David and his fearless teenage daughter Ruth are led to challenge their pacifistic upbringing and question whether or not the time has come for the Vallenses to fight for the land, the people, and the God they love.
 
During times of instability, trepidation, and even fear, history is often the best light to our feet.  The Last Pilgrims is a modern re-telling of history of the Ancient Waldenses - simple farmers who lived in the valleys of the Alps for hundreds of years despite repeated attempts to annihilate them.  Full of tragedy, adventure, humor, and love, The Last Pilgrims is a rare post-apocalyptic saga that takes history and casts it into the future, while examining that future in light of the errors of both the present and the past.

Frequently Bought Together

The Last Pilgrims (Volume 1) + Surviving Off Off-Grid: Decolonizing the Industrial Mind + Born-Again Dirt: Farming to the Glory of God
Price for all three: $44.05

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Give a warm welcome to Michael Bunker, the new Tom Clancy of Post-Apocalyptic fiction" ~ Apocalypticfiction.com


"...if you are looking for some good fiction I definitely recommend getting a copy of The Last Pilgrims.  I can wholeheartedly say the story itself stands on its own as engaging, well-rounded, and well written." ~ NourishingDays.com

...I can tell you, very simply, that the story drew me in and it didn't disappoint me. There is a lot of action, and intrigue, and twists and turns to to the tale. The characters are interesting and, in some cases, very endearing.   All the great themes that you want in a good book are in The Last Pilgrims ~ Herrick Kimball, The Deliberate Agrarian

"...in The Last Pilgrims Michael Bunker brings to the forefront the error in our present-day society's 'normalcy bias' way of thinking... He demonstrates through the Vallenses Community the benefit of education, knowledge and acquired skills for when, not if, a collapse will happen..." ~ SurvivorJane.com

About the Author

Michael Bunker is an off-grid farmer, author, historian, philosopher, iconoclast, husband, and father of four living children. He lives with his family in a "plain" Christian Community in Central Texas where he reads and writes books... and occasionally tilts at windmills. After having great success writing non-fiction, Michael will be releasing his first fiction novel The Last Pilgrims (the first book in The Last Pilgrims saga) on February 24, 2012. His latest book, "Modern Religious Idols" is now available on Kindle and in Paperback. MRI follows up on Michael's national bestseller "Surviving Off Off-Grid" which went to #26 on the Amazon.com Bestseller list, and to #2 on the "Movers and Shakers" list. Michael interacts with his readers at facebook.com/michaelbunker, on Twitter as @mbunker, and can be heard twice a week on his BlogTalkRadio show at blogtalkradio.com/michaelbunker.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 342 pages
  • Publisher: Refugio Publishing (February 2, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0578088894
  • ISBN-13: 978-0578088891
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #337,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Bunker is an off-grid farmer, author, historian, philosopher, iconoclast, husband, and father of four living children. He lives with his family in a "plain" community in Central Texas where he reads and writes books... and occasionally tilts at windmills. Michael's thriller smash series W1CK was launched in late December and has remained a regular on the top 20 charts on Amazon.com in its categories. WICK Part 2, The Charm School, was released in mid-February and joined WICK 1 on the Amazon.com bestsellers list. WICK 3: Exodus, is out and doing well, and the fourth and final part of the WICK series should be available in June. Time-travel / sci-fi thriller FUTURITY has now been released to rave reviews. Zombie/comedy/satire piece #NaNoWri War Z: Hugh Howey Must Die is also in the top 20 in its categories. 99 Cent Short Story REFUSE, the first in the Silo Archipelago Series is (by permission) set in Hugh Howey's World of WOOL. Michael interacts with his readers at facebook.com/michaelbunker, and on Twitter as @mbunker

Customer Reviews

Good characters, lots of twists, turns, suspense, and action. Mr Adams  |  15 reviewers made a similar statement
After reading this I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out. Patricia J  |  13 reviewers made a similar statement
Michael Bunker has a way of weaving in truisms in the context of great story telling. N. Benavidez  |  13 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars good all around February 27, 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm not much of a fiction reader - I'd rather curl up with a how-to or historical tome most days. I was lucky enough to win a copy of this title from the author. Since I very much enjoyed the perspective from which he wrote Surviving Off Off-Grid, I gave it a try.

This is an easy-to-read book. Yes, it's a quick moving story that compels you to read-just-enough-to-know-what-happens-next (fair warning - that won't let up until the last page), but it's also not too demanding on your brain. If you try the author's title Modern Religious Idols, you'll find a *great* deal more thinking is required.

That said, Mr. Bunker very nicely weaves in his beliefs and perspectives about religion, current society, and the future towards which we hurl ourselves.

Other reviews compare The Last Pilgrims with The Hunger Games. Having just recently finished that trilogy at the urging of a friend, I think it's a fair comparison. I can't promise if you like one you'll like the other, but the two tomes have a great deal in common. Honestly, I prefer The Last Pilgrims. It offers a picture of people more like me (I don't think I had much in common with Katniss even when I was a teen) and a future not so much full of promises of happy endings, but rather full of promises of growth borne of values, faith and endurance.

One final note: If you enjoy Amish fiction, you will like this - even if you are *not* a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction.
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24 of 30 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fast-paced Novel of Action and Ideas February 21, 2012
Format:Paperback
Take equal parts of several genres (western, spy novel, military action, suspense, medieval romance and post-apocalyptic), blend them all together into a rousing adventure tale and you have this first novel by Michael Bunker.

It is the story of Jonathan Wall, Pastor to the plain, pacifist people called the Vallenses; Phillip, the friend of his youth, now leader of the Ghost Militia, pledged to protect a people who will not take up arms themselves; Jonathan's son David, torn between loyalty between his father's peaceful ways and his desire to join the militia; Gareth, Crown Prince of Aztlan, son of a tyrant sworn to exterminate the Vallenses, who risks everything to defend the plain people; and many other fascinating characters who live twenty years after our civilization has collapsed.

This is also a novel of ideas, thought-provoking without being preachy. You may reconsider some of the values and priorities of modern culture after reading this book. You will also be fascinated by the details of life in this off-grid future. (As a member of a church that practices exclusive Psalmody, I enjoyed the Psalm-singing before a council meeting.) There are many how-to hints in the novel, not surprising since Mr. Bunker, as a Christian Agrarian lives the life that he writes about.

This fast-paced story of a simple people struggling against enemies without and betrayal within their own ranks is a book that will stay with you long after you finish it. I am already eagerly awaiting Cold Harbor, the next book in the Last Pilgrims saga, due in October 2012.
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21 of 26 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Better than Hunger Games...... February 23, 2012
By cwmfour
Format:Paperback
This story is well written and very exciting. You will be entertained and you might even have your eyes opened. This post-apocalyptic tale deviates greatly from the typical storyline of the genre. It takes the reader back to a way of life that was the norm for thousands of years as opposed to our very brief electrified modernity.

If you liked Hunger Games, then you will thoroughly enjoy this book. I eagerly await the sequel this fantastic book. Perhaps Michael Bunker should be writing a screen play as well. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Decent
Decent plot and writing, but a little ideological (somewhat leftish). I found the storyline a bit "over the top", but not so much so as to make me regret the purchase or... Read more
Published 14 hours ago by Dalton Ellis
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
I enjoyed this story and I think that there are many similarities between The life style of the characters and the author. Read more
Published 19 days ago by MK
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable book with admirable values
I enjoyed this book and it's take on what would happen if our society collapsed back to the days of horses and growing your own food etc. Read more
Published 19 days ago by William J. Powers 111
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Very original, well written, suck you in plot. Loved his wick series so sought out everything else he's written and was not disappointed!
Published 28 days ago by Sharpei Lover
5.0 out of 5 stars A very possible scenario
This book, in the exciting story that it tells, also teaches much about human nature. The fallacy of our thinking now, and the very probable reality of what our reactions would be... Read more
Published 1 month ago by D. Adams
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
I have wanted to read this for some time now. I started it several months ago and then began reading Surviving Off Off-Grid by this author but decided to come back to this and I'm... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Matt B
5.0 out of 5 stars made me think.
I read several books in the same week that shared similar subjects, where or what will we do when the world as we know changes. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Robin
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
I enjoy the post-apocalyptic genre and this one added a different slant- how the remaining created an almost feudal structure to their governments. Read more
Published 2 months ago by ELoeb
5.0 out of 5 stars Michael Bunker's Best
This is the best Michael Bunker that I have read so far. I have read and like Wick and plan on reading the other Wick books. But I really loved The Last Pilgrims. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Judy Durns
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Great book. Bunker is a great author with a brave insight on the future. If you haven't read any of his other books this is a great place to start
Published 2 months ago by Tom Salayer
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