I was tempted to give this five stars to offset all the negative reviews (many from people whom I suspect have not read this book) but that would not be quite honest. In all fairness, it is not the easiest to read, although Professor Morison's edition certainly is a boon.

In the end, this is an invaluable primary resource on the American colonies. It is interesting, not only for what is mentioned but for what emphasis is placed where. I can't get over how they attempted a communist utopia a la Plato's "Republic", and it failed. I'm positively giddy that I read Plato just a few weeks ago. It's popping up everywhere now! Bradford was a remarkable man. I enjoyed reading his accounts and reasonings.

Note to self: don't let the kids read this until they've had "the talk". I TOTALLY get where Hawthorne was coming from with the Scarlet Letter now (pilgrims vs Puritans is a discussion for another day)