I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up The Wordy Shipmates. I was familiar with Sarah Vowell's personality, and I've read a lot of history, but I wasn't sure whether this book would be presented as narrative, commentary, or otherwise.

The Wordy Shipmates is essentially a narrative account of the early days of the Massachusettes Bay Colony (the folks who founded Boston just after the first "pilgrims" settled Plymouth). Vowell introduces us to prominent personalities, such as Governor John Wilthrop and Rhode Island founder Roger Williams, as well providing an accessible overview of the various religious overtones at play in the Puritan movement.

I found the overall narrative quite enjoyable. It was paced fairly well, emphasizing particularly notable events in the history without getting bogged down in descriptions of day-to-day life.

I found parts of the religious discussion to be a little sluggish, however. There's a longer section roughly midway through the book that focuses on Roger Williams' disagreements with, and ultimate banishment from, the Boston settlement. The fundamental reasons at play are both complex and important, but the topic itself was pretty dry.

Fortunately, that part of the book is soon followed by an account of the Pequot War, so things pick right up and continue at a flowing pace right through the end.

Overall, I consider this book an excellent companion to a more thorough (and scholarly?) colonial history account. Vowell draws heavily (and successfully!) from primary source materials, and I think her analyses are quite good, but in order to make the book more accessible, it is a bit more dilute than a focused history book (such as those written by David McCullough) generally would be.