44 books like Francis Johnson and the English Separatist Influence

By Scott Culpepper,

Here are 44 books that Francis Johnson and the English Separatist Influence fans have personally recommended if you like Francis Johnson and the English Separatist Influence. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Strangers and Pilgrims, Travellers and Sojourners: Leiden and the foundations of Plymouth Plantation

John G. Turner Author Of They Knew They Were Pilgrims: Plymouth Colony and the Contest for American Liberty

From my list on the Mayflower Pilgrims and their beliefs, practices, and habits.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write about the often contentious role of religion in U.S. history, from modern evangelicals to nineteenth-century Latter-day Saints to the Pilgrims of the Mayflower. In many history books these religious men and women function either as saints or sinners. Instead of resorting to caricatures, it’s worth taking the time to get to know people of the past in all the marvelous strangeness of their beliefs, practices, and habits. I am a professor of Religious Studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

John's book list on the Mayflower Pilgrims and their beliefs, practices, and habits

John G. Turner Why did John love this book?

Bangs is the dean of Pilgrim history. Strangers and Pilgrims is a hard-to-find book these days, but if you want to go far deeper than most portraits of the Pilgrims do, it’s worth the search. Bangs focuses on the experience of the separatist Pilgrims in the Dutch city of Leiden (many of the Pilgrims went there around 1608, before traveling on the Mayflower in 1620) and shows how those years in the Dutch Republic shaped what followed. This is a richly illustrated, carefully researched, and cogent analysis of English separatists who made new lives for themselves in a strange land not just once, but twice.

By Jeremy Dupertuis Bangs,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Strangers and Pilgrims, Travellers and Sojourners as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"In this incredible work Jeremy Bangs rips away nearly four centuries of encrusted knowledge about the Pilgrims. Not content to rely on received knowledge about this separatist community, Bangs has spent a lifetime searching them out in archives--Dutch, English and American. The result is an extraordinary reassessment of these people. Never mincing works (Bangs is refreshingly direct), his scholarship is the starting line for any historian interested in the Pilgrim story or early American history writ large..." William M. Fowler, Professor of History, Northeastern University.


Book cover of The Puritans in the Diocese of Peterborough

Derek Wilson Author Of The Mayflower Pilgrims: Sifting Fact from Fable

From my list on the background of the Pilgrim fathers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I developed my passion for the Reformation while studying History and Theology at Cambridge. Now, several years and a dozen books on 16th -17th-century history later, my obsession has not waned for what was the most formative period in the development, not only of our religious and political life, but also of our culture. I like to think that, through my books, journal articles, and lectures (and the occasional historical novel) I have made a useful contribution to our understanding of that culture.

Derek's book list on the background of the Pilgrim fathers

Derek Wilson Why did Derek love this book?

This excellent local history survey enables us to step back to the period immediately before the migration to the Netherlands to see the kind of life the future Pilgrims were leading in their home shires. The East Midlands had long been a home of religious radicalism. Some of the men and women destined to take the historical transatlantic journey grew up listening to Puritan preachers berate the clergy of the established church for not being sufficiently reformed. Under the microscope of Sheils' research, we can see the emergence of ever more extreme separatism and the emergence of groups of impatient, intolerant 'saints' meeting clandestinely and contemplating leaving their homeland in search of the perfect church.

Book cover of Reformation Unbound: Protestant Visions of Reform in England, 1525–1590

Derek Wilson Author Of The Mayflower Pilgrims: Sifting Fact from Fable

From my list on the background of the Pilgrim fathers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I developed my passion for the Reformation while studying History and Theology at Cambridge. Now, several years and a dozen books on 16th -17th-century history later, my obsession has not waned for what was the most formative period in the development, not only of our religious and political life, but also of our culture. I like to think that, through my books, journal articles, and lectures (and the occasional historical novel) I have made a useful contribution to our understanding of that culture.

Derek's book list on the background of the Pilgrim fathers

Derek Wilson Why did Derek love this book?

This incisive account of the development of Protestant extremism reveals that the beliefs of the Pilgrims were not novel. Dr Gunther traces their development back to the early years of the Reformation. When the religion of images and priests was replaced by the religion of words and preachers the implications for the English church could only be extensive and devastating. When the Bible was translated into the vernacular and increasing numbers of Christians read it for themselves it is clear (though only in hindsight) that the centre could not hold. People were driven by conscience to oppose, not only their bishops, but also their sovereign. This book is valuable for weaving the separatist vision into the weft and warp of Tudor society.

By Karl Gunther,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Reformation Unbound as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fundamentally revising our understanding of the nature and intellectual contours of early English Protestantism, Karl Gunther argues that sixteenth-century English evangelicals were calling for reforms and envisioning godly life in ways that were far more radical than have hitherto been appreciated. Typically such ideas have been seen as later historical developments, associated especially with radical Puritanism, but Gunther's work draws attention to their development in the earliest decades of the English Reformation. Along the way, the book offers new interpretations of central episodes in this period of England's history, such as the 'Troubles at Frankfurt' under Mary and the Elizabethan…


Book cover of A Land As God Made It: Jamestown and the Birth of America

Derek Wilson Author Of The Mayflower Pilgrims: Sifting Fact from Fable

From my list on the background of the Pilgrim fathers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I developed my passion for the Reformation while studying History and Theology at Cambridge. Now, several years and a dozen books on 16th -17th-century history later, my obsession has not waned for what was the most formative period in the development, not only of our religious and political life, but also of our culture. I like to think that, through my books, journal articles, and lectures (and the occasional historical novel) I have made a useful contribution to our understanding of that culture.

Derek's book list on the background of the Pilgrim fathers

Derek Wilson Why did Derek love this book?

This book describes the colonising element which was the background to the final movement of the Pilgrims from Leiden to America. That move would not have taken place without (a) the pioneering attempts of Elizabethan adventurers to settle the North American seaboard, (b) the mercenary (and unscrupulous) determination of businessmen to exploit the land and people of the region, and (c) The desire of English monarchs to enhance their prestige and wealth. Horn tells in graphic detail the story of early troubled attempts to make a settlement at the mouth of the James River. By the time that the Pilgrims were seriously contemplating moving on from Leiden, the leaders of the Virginia Company were becoming desperate to recruit potential colonists. The result was a muddled, stop-go venture driven by mixed motives. As one of the Pilgrims exclaimed, 'If ever we make a plantation it will be because God works a…

By James Horn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Land As God Made It as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Although it was the first permanent English settlement in North America, Jamestown is too often overlooked in the writing of American history. Founded thirteen years before the Mayflower sailed, Jamestown's courageous settlers have been overshadowed ever since by the pilgrims of Plymouth. But as historian James Horn demonstrates in this vivid and meticulously researched account, Jamestown-not Plymouth-was the true crucible of American history. Jamestown introduced slavery into English-speaking North America; it became the first of England's colonies to adopt a representative government; and it was the site of the first white-Indian clashes over territorial expansion. As we approach the four-hundredth…


Book cover of Of Plymouth Plantation

Craig Lancto Author Of All Is Still And Quiet

From my list on to reveal the truth about the Pilgrims.

Why am I passionate about this?

In researching the next book in my Kindred Spirit series I intended to tell the story of the “Angel of Hadley,” which occurred in my hometown. As I researched the topic, I fell into more, and more convoluted rabbit holes. For example, the Indian who led King Philip's War was Metacom, son of the great sachem Massasoit who signed the mutual defense treaty with Governor Carver of Plymouth Plantation when they first met in 1621. The rapid descent from 40 years of peace into the proportionally bloodiest war to take place in what is now America, was spellbinding. And my research continues.

Craig's book list on to reveal the truth about the Pilgrims

Craig Lancto Why did Craig love this book?

The best source of information about the Pilgrim journey from their origin as Puritan/Dissenters in Scrooby, England. Bradford, who would serve multiple terms as governor of Plymouth Plantation, gives the lie to many of our commonly held beliefs about the Pilgrims and their experiences fleeing England, living in Holland, and coming to New England. He is detailed, candid, and very readable. Seeing the story from his first-person point of view helped me to see the Pilgrims as flawed individuals, whether appropriating a tribe's entire cache of seed corn on their first day on Cape Cod, Bradford's being upended in a snare set to trap animals, or their first Indian guest entering the settlement and asking for beer, it is not, ironically, the traditional Pilgrim story.

By William Bradford,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Of Plymouth Plantation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In August 1620, 102 English Separatists set off in the Mayflower for New England.

These men, women and children, who became known as the Pilgrims, would found the Plymouth Colony.

They had to survive harsh winters, poor harvests, disease and famine in the early years of their new settlement.

These struggles were only exacerbated by conflicts they had with other English settlements, French settlers and against Native Americans.

But they persevered in what has become one of the most iconic periods in the history of the United States.

William Bradford, who was Plymouth Colony Governor five times for a period…


Book cover of The Story of America: From the Very Beginning Up to the Present

Craig Lancto Author Of All Is Still And Quiet

From my list on to reveal the truth about the Pilgrims.

Why am I passionate about this?

In researching the next book in my Kindred Spirit series I intended to tell the story of the “Angel of Hadley,” which occurred in my hometown. As I researched the topic, I fell into more, and more convoluted rabbit holes. For example, the Indian who led King Philip's War was Metacom, son of the great sachem Massasoit who signed the mutual defense treaty with Governor Carver of Plymouth Plantation when they first met in 1621. The rapid descent from 40 years of peace into the proportionally bloodiest war to take place in what is now America, was spellbinding. And my research continues.

Craig's book list on to reveal the truth about the Pilgrims

Craig Lancto Why did Craig love this book?

Not often does a history text make me guffaw. Hendrik van Loons writing is an exception. His scholarship is serious, his delivery casual and delightful. In 1922, Van Loon won the first Newberry Prize for his children's book, The History of Mankind.

The Story of America is not a linear history; it is more like an explanation, of putting it all together, around a campfire. Van Loon assumes the reader's familiarity with the events of history, and he makes value judgments and simplifies the complex with no loss of significance. It is more an explanation of history and motivation than a history of events.

Book cover of The Mayflower and Her Passengers

John G. Turner Author Of They Knew They Were Pilgrims: Plymouth Colony and the Contest for American Liberty

From my list on the Mayflower Pilgrims and their beliefs, practices, and habits.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write about the often contentious role of religion in U.S. history, from modern evangelicals to nineteenth-century Latter-day Saints to the Pilgrims of the Mayflower. In many history books these religious men and women function either as saints or sinners. Instead of resorting to caricatures, it’s worth taking the time to get to know people of the past in all the marvelous strangeness of their beliefs, practices, and habits. I am a professor of Religious Studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

John's book list on the Mayflower Pilgrims and their beliefs, practices, and habits

John G. Turner Why did John love this book?

If you want to know the individual stories of the men, women, and children who traveled on the Mayflower, you won’t find a better short guide than Caleb Johnson. This book is concise and meticulously researched at the same time. Caleb Johnson is a indefatigable researcher whose efforts have brought forth new information about several Pilgrims. In The Mayflower and Her Pilgrims you can read about pious separatists, bastard children, and feisty servants, all in one well-organized and easy-to-digest book.

By Caleb H. Johnson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Mayflower and Her Passengers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When the Mayflower embarked on her famous voyage to America in 1620, she was carrying 102 passengers. To most, they are simply known as "the Pilgrims." Perhaps the name of Governor William Bradford, Elder William Brewster, or Captain Myles Standish are vaguely familiar; but the vast majority of the Mayflower passengers have remained anonymous and nameless. In The Mayflower and Her Passengers, I have attempted to resurrect the unique individuality of each passenger by providing short biographies for each person or family group. Also included is a groundbreaking new biography of the Mayflower ship itself.


Book cover of Saints and Strangers

Craig Lancto Author Of All Is Still And Quiet

From my list on to reveal the truth about the Pilgrims.

Why am I passionate about this?

In researching the next book in my Kindred Spirit series I intended to tell the story of the “Angel of Hadley,” which occurred in my hometown. As I researched the topic, I fell into more, and more convoluted rabbit holes. For example, the Indian who led King Philip's War was Metacom, son of the great sachem Massasoit who signed the mutual defense treaty with Governor Carver of Plymouth Plantation when they first met in 1621. The rapid descent from 40 years of peace into the proportionally bloodiest war to take place in what is now America, was spellbinding. And my research continues.

Craig's book list on to reveal the truth about the Pilgrims

Craig Lancto Why did Craig love this book?

Historian George Willison has published an account of the Pilgrims, who called themselves Saints (or Saincts) and the Strangers, or non-Puritan workmen who filled out their company, in a conversational style that sets the record straight on many of the Pilgrim “facts” we always have accepted. For example, not only is there no evidence that the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, no one even suggested the idea until the son of a colonist who arrived several years after the original Pilgrims, mentioned it in passing when he was in his 90s. Willison's narrative has the quality of listening to Grandpa telling stories from his childhood and wonderfully complements primary documents. 

By George F. Willison,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Saints and Strangers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Cover and book are very clean, and appear little-used. Pages are bright and unmarked. Ships fast from Northern California.


Book cover of Mourt's Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth

Craig Lancto Author Of All Is Still And Quiet

From my list on to reveal the truth about the Pilgrims.

Why am I passionate about this?

In researching the next book in my Kindred Spirit series I intended to tell the story of the “Angel of Hadley,” which occurred in my hometown. As I researched the topic, I fell into more, and more convoluted rabbit holes. For example, the Indian who led King Philip's War was Metacom, son of the great sachem Massasoit who signed the mutual defense treaty with Governor Carver of Plymouth Plantation when they first met in 1621. The rapid descent from 40 years of peace into the proportionally bloodiest war to take place in what is now America, was spellbinding. And my research continues.

Craig's book list on to reveal the truth about the Pilgrims

Craig Lancto Why did Craig love this book?

Sub-titled “A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth,” this first-person account of the Pilgrims' early years includes detail not found in Bradford's account. As Winslow's purpose was to attract new immigrants to support Plymouth Plantation, he tends to paint a much rosier picture than the more straightforward Bradford. This book's advantage is that it was written contemporaneously.

By Jordan D. Fiore,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mourt's Relation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This great work is in the Second Printing 2006. The first printing was 1985. Mourt's Relation was originally printed in 1622 and is the first-hand published account of the coming of the Pilgrims to the New World. It is an invaluable primary resource for Pilgrim history and provides the first documented report giving an account of the harvest feast that we know as the First Thanksgiving. A must for educators and every home.


Book cover of The Times of Their Lives: Life, Love, and Death in Plymouth Colony

Noelle A. Granger Author Of The Last Pilgrim

From my list on colonial Plymouth.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in Plymouth, MA, I was steeped in the history of the Pilgrims, eventually working as a tour guide at Plimoth-Patuxet.  After I retired as professor emerita from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I wrote and published a series of mysteries. That experience and my New England background buoyed my confidence that I could write about a Pilgrim woman, keeping true to the history of the Plimoth Colony. The story of Mary Allerton Cushman’s life was the result. It was long-listed for the Devon and Cornwall International Novel Prize. 

Noelle's book list on colonial Plymouth

Noelle A. Granger Why did Noelle love this book?

James Deetz was an American anthropologist and his wife, a cultural historian. Their book was the result of studying Plymouth Colony court transcripts, wills, probate listings, and rare firsthand accounts, and then combining the facts with archeological evidence from various sites in Plymouth. This book shows a reality of the Pilgrims and Pilgrim life very different from the straight-laced, nearly mythical images from the 18th and 19th centuries: an all too human group who wore bright clothing, drank, believed in witches, had premarital sex and adulterous affairs, and committed petty and serious crimes. This book is informative and eye-opening.

By James Deetz, Patricia Scott Deetz,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Times of Their Lives as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This title sets out to debunk the longstanding ideas about the life of the Pilgrims who settled at Plymouth Colony. The authors describe the arrival of the English settlers, the early years of the settlement, and the myths which have developed since.


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the pilgrims, Amsterdam, and Massachusetts?

The Pilgrims 14 books
Amsterdam 36 books
Massachusetts 147 books