David Thomson: First Yankee, Paperback/Barbara Newall

A man of many talents, Thomson was a builder, an explorer, a businessman and an apothecary. In 1620, when the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock, Thomson had already made numerous trips to the coast of the New World, seeking valuable medicines, excellent fishing grounds, and trade with the indigenous people. Despite critics, Thomson knew that it was possible to build a settlement that would allow fishermen to stay in the New World year round. In 1621, Thomson led a crew that settled Ordiorne Point in what is now Rye, New Hampshire, and set up a year round fishing business on the Isles of Shoals. The rest, as they say, is history. First Yankee tells the story of this amazing man, his equally amazing wife, and their place in a pivotal moment of world history that included The Pilgrims, John Smith and Pocahontas, Sir Walter Raleigh and others. It's a story of a young man with the intelligence and determination to build a life in a brave new world.