He has also written with deep sympathy about the Native American legacy of Nantucket Island, where he lives. He has written books on sailing and maritime exploration. He won a National Book Award for In the Heart of the Sea (2000), a vivid account of the true story behind Melville's Moby-Dick. Philbrick is well placed to tell this story. Massasoit was clever and politically adroit, a fitting counterpart to Governor William Bradford, whose account of the Pilgrims' adventures in Of Plymouth Plantation remains a key historical document. Half a century of carefully brokered peace followed, and this was no mean feat. Indeed, that first Thanksgiving is hardly the end of the story. As Philbrick retells it in Mayflower, there was more going on than usually meets the eye. This replenished group broke bread with the local Pokanoket tribe, whose 'sachem' (chief) was the legendary Massasoit. Those who didn't may have wished they had, as starvation and disease lay ahead, thinning their ranks by half. They were, as Nathaniel Philbrick notes in his marvellous new book, a band of 'dissidents who had come to define themselves in opposition to an established authority.' In search of religious freedom, they undertook a harrowing passage across stormy seas, and many died along the way. Every American learns some version of the mythic story: the brave and resilient Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620 on the Mayflower. It's a time to give thanks for family and friends, and - subliminally, perhaps - to think about the Pilgrims and how friendly Indians helped them survive a difficult year.

It's a cosy holiday, with family gathered, a fat turkey on the table and pumpkin pie waiting in the wings.

Along these lines, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving in late November. All nations produce myths of their unique origins, and these are usually comforting.

Mayflower nathaniel