God, War, and Providence

The Epic Struggle of Roger Williams and the Narragansett Indians Against the Puritans of New England

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Warren, James A.: God, War, and Providence (2019, Scribner)

304 pages

English language

Published Dec. 30, 2019 by Scribner.

ISBN:
978-1-5011-8042-2
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5 stars (1 review)

3 editions

Review of 'God, War, and Providence' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Excellent historical narrative covering the colony of Rhode Island, Roger Williams and interactions with the Narragansett - against other Native Americans, the Puritan colonies, English Parliament and the King. Contains an extensive bibliography and index.

The Puritans of Massachusetts and Connecticut were a real bunch of low-lifes, and that comes through in spades in this book. Unfortunately, their "winning" position means they also destroyed (er, "lost") a lot of the documents and correspondence relevant to this. The author, a Brown University scholar, pieces together the story from what remains and the reactions of contemporaries.

That story is excellent, well told, and fits neatly into a 250 page package. It was very interesting reading through the whole book, with some good maps and paintings (though Williams never sat for a portrait - we don't really know what he looked like). I would recommend this book to anyone the least bit interested …