Marooned

Jamestown, Shipwreck, and a New History of America's Origin

By: Joseph Kelly

Narrated by: Bob Souer

We all know the great American origin story: It begins with an exodus. Fleeing religious persecution, the hardworking, pious Pilgrims thrived in the wilds of New England, where they built their fabled "shining city on a hill". Legend goes that the colony in Jamestown was a false start, offering a cautionary tale of lazy louts who hunted gold till they starved and shiftless settlers who had to be rescued by English food and the hard discipline of martial law.

Neither story is true. In Marooned, Joseph Kelly re-examines the history of Jamestown and comes to a radically different and decidedly American interpretation of these first Virginians.

In this gripping account of shipwrecks and mutiny in America's earliest settlements, Kelly argues that the colonists at Jamestown were literally and figuratively marooned, cut loose from civilization, and cast into the wilderness. The epic origin of America was not an exodus and a fledgling theocracy. It is a tale of shipwrecked castaways of all classes marooned in the wilderness fending for themselves in any way they could - a story that illuminates who we are as a nation today.

©2018 Joseph Kelly (P)2020 Tantor

“Breath-y” narration bit great book

The narrator has a very nice voice but would occasionally take huge in-breaths that could have been edited out. Overall the story was good though. The timeline seemed to jump around a little but bit a very interesting read for fans of the early Virginia settlers.

Great Glimpse into History

A well written and very engaging history mixed with individual, both Indian and settler stories

Great narrative with excellent narration!

Clear enunciation of foreign, exotic, and native names and places. Would love to have the map in hand as I listened.