Critical
acclaim for the Great Migration series
“The
outstanding contribution made by Anderson in The Great Migration
Begins is the painstaking analysis of the evidence found
for each individual. Carefully weighing the data accumulated
in the last century, he has uncovered inconsistencies and provided
new insights, as well as confirming previous accounts. This
extraordinary reference book will quickly become the first book
examined in a scholarly study of the early colonial period.”
— Marsha Hoffman Rising, CG, CGL, FASG
“Historians
will welcome the initial publication of The Great Migration
Study Project as the authoritative reference work on the founders
and first families of New England. Noted for editorial thoroughness
and candor, as well as for scholarly scrupulosity, these volumes
correct and wholly supersede all previous genealogical compilations.
I look forward eagerly to the completion of this invaluable
series.” — Michael McGiffert, Editor, William
and Mary Quarterly
“New
England genealogy and history have acquired a new foundation
with the publication of The Great Migration Begins.
Only a few times in a generation does a work of this breadth
and quality appear. The Great Migration Begins clearly
ranks among the greatest in American genealogy.” —
Henry B. Hoff, Editor, The New England Historical and Genealogical
Register
“As
one who has spent thirty years tracing the German Palatine immigrants
to colonial America in the 18th century, I certainly can appreciate
the hard work, long hours, deep thought, and dedication that
have gone into Robert Charles Anderson’s monumental study
The Great Migration Begins. Bob’s unsurpassed
genealogical skills and years of expertise in chronicling these
17th century New Englanders have served him well in this remarkable
project. He has shown, yet again, that in order to really find
out about one family – all the families of a specific
community should be thoroughly investigated. By immersing himself
in their lives and times and carefully evaluating the myriad
of historical sources that document their intriguing story,
Bob Anderson has made these colonists come alive and created
a magnificent work against which all future efforts of this
kind surely will be measured.” — Hank Z Jones, Jr.,
FASG
“The
highest tests of proof and probability are applied. It is an
awesome and humbling performance. . . Publication of The
Great Migration Begins is a milestone for colonial, regional
and family historians. . . Henceforward “Anderson”
will replace “Savage” as the authority of first
resort, a new “marvel of the age” for a new century.”
— Roger Thompson, University of East Anglia, Norwich
“This
work supersedes that of James Savage and Charles Pope. . . As
the authoritative source on early New Englanders, Anderson has
saved future researchers countless hours of work in dozens —
if not scores — of genealogical and other materials. Just
about everything they need is here. Painstakingly researched
in British and American archives and thoroughly documented,
the volumes are also judicious in their conclusions. . . The
Great Migration Begins promises to become an indispensable
tool for historians as well as genealogists.” —
Virginia DeJohn Anderson, The New England Quarterly,
June 1997
“Anderson’s
landmark work is recognized as a core reference tool that updates
and supersedes previous books on Colonial New England genealogy.”
— Library Journal, April 1, 1999
“These
volumes, as will future additions, offer a critical summary
of a vast body of genealogical works and also act as a valuable
guide to the published and unpublished sources on early New
England. . . A section at the end of each sketch entitled “Comments”
addresses matters that do not fit into the usual format. These
comments are invariably interesting, in part because of Anderson’s
sense of humor and skill as a writer. . .This reference work
fulfills a far broader mission than the purely genealogical.
It is a must-buy for libraries and is highly recommended for
teachers. I urge my colleagues in colonial history to take a
peek, but be warned: the sketches are addictive. — Gloria
L. Main, University of Colorado at Boulder, The William
and Mary Quarterly, October 1997
“It
is no exaggeration to say that this series continues to be the
most important work on the earliest New England immigrants since
James Savage wrote his Genealogical Dictionary more
than one hundred and forty years ago.” — Joseph
C. Anderson II, Maine Genealogist, May 2003
“Anyone
researching New England settlers must include The Great
Migration in their research if they want to be aware of
current thinking about each settler’s origin and career.”
— Harry Macy, Jr., The New York Genealogical and Biographical
Record, July 2003
“The
announced goal of the project “to provide a concise, reliable
summary of past research on the early immigrants to New England”
and “therefore serve as a foundation for future research”
is certainly met or exceeded with the production of this volume
[The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635,
Volume III, G-H]. It is highly recommended to anyone with an
interest in New England history or genealogy and a must for
any genealogical reference collection.” — Gale Ion
Harris, The American Genealogist, July 2003
“For
well over a century, countless historians and genealogists have
been combing the archives in England, Holland, and America in
search of information about the people we call today the Pilgrims.
The Pilgrim Migration marks the culmination of this
era of prodigious scholarship. Applying the skills he has perfected
in his ongoing Great Migration Study Project, Robert Charles
Anderson has created the essential Pilgrim reference work. Here
in one volume are concise but richly detailed biographies that
are full of scholarly rigor and yet are a pleasure to read.
A remarkable work of synthesis and original research, this book
will be the bible for Pilgrim studies for a long time to come.”
— Nathaniel Philbrick, author of In the Heart of the
Sea and Sea of Glory, and winner of the National
Book Award
“Robert
Charles Anderson is the most important genealogical scholar
to specialize in New England since the modern scientific genealogical
school was founded by Donald Lines Jacobus some seventy years
ago, and his Great Migration volumes are the most important
genealogical studies to appear since James Savage’s Genealogical
Dictionary of New England was published while America was
in the midst of the Civil War. It is exciting news that Bob
has revised and updated his accounts of Plymouth Colony settlers
for this excellent new book, which is certain to become the
key study of these immigrants. Bob Anderson’s scholarship
sets new standards, and his accounts are definitive. They are
essential for all genealogical libraries and for all historians
specializing in the Old Colony. — David L. Greene, PhD,
CG, FASG, co-editor and publisher of The American Genealogist
