Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America (1989)

Being descended from two groups of settlers from the British Isles and having researched the lives of a third, I find the differences between the groups at the time of settlement fascinating and the facts and data in the book illuminating. Four different regions of our country, settled by inhabitants of different regions of the mother country, became even more divergent as the years went by. This is not a book to be finished off in one or two sittings, but is more like finding a never-ending feast, to be enjoyed a little at each sitting over a long period of time so that everything can be sampled and fully digested. This monumental work has primary documentation, studies, and carefully considered conclusions that will stand the test of time long after the author is gone. This is an excellent resource for understanding the people and cultures of various regions of our country. In spite of the hefty size and price, I felt it was an important investment in my library and something I will enjoy a page at a time for a long time to come. ( )

This book is 899 pages and I read every one of them. Yes, I am highly impressed with myself. But really, it is a testament to how interesting this book is. I had come across a mention of it in one of Malcolm Gladwell's books. If you are at all interested in the cultural history of America, I highly recommend it. It is both thoroughly researched and readable. ( )

The book explores the culture of four different waves of immigration to the US: puritans to New England, cavaliers and tenant farmers to the Chesapeake Bay, Quakers to the Delaware, and borderers to the backcountry. He then proposes that the different cultures that they established have and still do influence US character and conflicts. It's a very interesting book. ( )

Helps you understand US history as an outgrowth of England's. Something we Americans (at least ones of a certain age) were taught to reject. ( )

Wish he would finish the second volume of this book. What a masterpiece. The more things change, the more we as people stay the same as our ancestors. A powerful force is on us, Everything he writes is beautiful! ( )