John Winthrop, Oliver Cromwell, and the Land of Promise (Hardcover)

by Marc Aronson (Author) "The Queen liked to dance..." (more)
Key Phrases: New England, John Winthrop, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–Continuing the trilogy he began in Sir Walter Ralegh and the Quest for El Dorado (Clarion, 2000), Aronson points out startling similarities between 21st-century fanatical religious extremists and the zealous religious leaders who sought to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth nearly 400 years earlier. Focusing on the lives of two prominent Puritans, Cromwell in England and Winthrop in New England, the author takes the viewpoint that "we are the heirs of the radicals, not of the established government." He is fair and nonjudgmental in his clear, thorough explanations of the beliefs of the parties involved in the English Civil War and in the establishment of England's American colonies. Because this book is filled with a wealth of detailed historical information and unique analyses of philosophical issues, it will be challenging for readers without prior exposure to U.S. and British history. Sophisticated readers who come to it with a basic grounding in history and current events should find it fascinating and provocative. The author's extensive research is reflected in his multipaged endnotes and bibliography. The numerous illustrations include captioned reproductions of period maps, engravings, political cartoons, and drawings.–Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
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From Booklist
Gr. 7-10. Aronson has many gifts: an ability to take historical events and render them as if they were unfolding before us; a cold eye for the prejudices of partisan contemporary accounts; the wit to untangle the knot of conflicting interpretations. His subject is seventeenth-century Britain and America, and he centers his narrative on John Winthrop, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the Puritan Oliver Cromwell, who deposed a king and became Lord Protector in England. Aronson is masterly at illuminating the reality of religious faith and the cataclysmic clash of beliefs that created fertile ground for ideas about democracy and equality. He doesn't downplay the demonization of Catholics in Britain or Pequots and other First Peoples in what would become America. The topic may not be a first choice for young people, but Aronson closes this interest gap by drawing parallels between the past and the present with the contemporary religious right, terrorism, and theocracy. The notes are a model of lucidity for any student wanting to find out more. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (June 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618181776
• ISBN-13: 978-0618181773
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #949,342 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)