If you love history and appreciate a good human-interest story, The Wicked Pilgrim by Randal Charlton is for you. This book not only tells of Warwick Charlton and his amazing feat of imagining and creating the construction of the Mayflower II, it also gives a glimpse into life during World War II as well as a very brief history of the original Mayflower. Written by the main character's son, the book proves to have an insight into this interesting man that could only be achieved by someone close to him.

The obsession with history was instilled in Warwick at a young age by a persistent school teacher. Later in life, his career in journalism helped develop his desire to create historically accurate stories. After completing his service in the military during World War II, Warwick Charlton took a sidestep from his regular journalism jobs to pursue an idea that had been pestering him. He took it upon himself to obtain financing, oversee a build, hire a crew, and sail a complete replica of the Mayflower from England to America. The ship was to be presented as a gift and hopefully set up good Anglo-American relationships. In the book The Wicked Pilgrim by Randal Charlton, the story of this ship's journey from start to finish is told.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is well-written and contains an amazing amount of detail. I had never heard of Warwick Charlton and the Mayflower II, but this book has inspired me to plan a trip to Plymouth to see the ship. Although this is a true story loaded with facts, it is not a dry read. It is full of likeable characters, and it is easy to read. The story has heart, and the reader can easily sympathize with Warwick as he pursues his dream.

To me, the best part of this book is the story of Warwick's background. It was fascinating to read about his time in the war. Learning where he came from helped to better understand him as a character. There were a few chapters that delved into financing a bit too much for my taste. This would probably be the part I disliked most, but it didn't take away from the story overall.

I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It seems like it was well-researched, and it is obvious that the author knew a lot about his father's history. It is wonderful that he was able to write it down and share that history with the world. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of history. If you are searching for a light read, this might not be the best choice, but I still encourage you to give it a try. It definitely surprised me in a pleasant way. There is so much more to this book than just the story of a ship being built, even if that was what originally piqued my interest.

Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-pricklypurple.html