Scan barcode
joyfultunes's review
5.0
I love history and thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author used a lot of primary sources throughout the book and it was enjoyable to see the events through their eyes.
duparker's review
3.0
3.5 Stars. I think there is a lot to like with this book. It is certainly well researched, and intelligently written, and is pulled together well. Having read a Paul Revere history which covered much of the same information I think that I didn't get as much from this as I could have.
The information and exposure to John Hancock was a very nice addition to the book, as I had little to no knowledge about Hancock I found that information to be really interesting.
The information and exposure to John Hancock was a very nice addition to the book, as I had little to no knowledge about Hancock I found that information to be really interesting.
guinness74's review against another edition
4.0
Per FTC regulations, I received this book as a GoodReads First Reads giveaway.
From before the opening shot at Lexington Green to the Battle at Bunker Hill, Walter Borneman mines an eclectic trove of principal documents to concoct an early history of the Pre-Revolutionary War battles that led to the epic conflict. It's always exciting to read books "written" by those who lived the experience and Borneman has done a great job of weaving the well-knowns with the unknowns to create a tableau of how the American Revolution came to be. What is also truly fascinating is how many different mis-steps by the British along the way created a somewhat easier task for the Americans. Certainly the British, if not for their arrogance and bumbling, could have destroyed the colonists and we might be singing "God Save The Queen" to this day. However, that didn't happen and this book shows us how. Loss of a star because of the nearly endless description of the Battle of Bunker Hill. It was somewhat confusing at times and would be a much better visual than description on paper.
From before the opening shot at Lexington Green to the Battle at Bunker Hill, Walter Borneman mines an eclectic trove of principal documents to concoct an early history of the Pre-Revolutionary War battles that led to the epic conflict. It's always exciting to read books "written" by those who lived the experience and Borneman has done a great job of weaving the well-knowns with the unknowns to create a tableau of how the American Revolution came to be. What is also truly fascinating is how many different mis-steps by the British along the way created a somewhat easier task for the Americans. Certainly the British, if not for their arrogance and bumbling, could have destroyed the colonists and we might be singing "God Save The Queen" to this day. However, that didn't happen and this book shows us how. Loss of a star because of the nearly endless description of the Battle of Bunker Hill. It was somewhat confusing at times and would be a much better visual than description on paper.
mightync's review against another edition
4.0
Really well written book about the beginnings of the American Revolution. Very detailed and contained a few little facts that I had never heard before.
jwest87's review
3.0
A well written (for the most part) account of the early summer of 1775. Sadly, I feel like there is so much work covering this time period, I'm not sure what else is there to say? The book also took a bit of a dip after the Battle of Lexington and Concord and it struggled to keep my attention. It did pick up at the end though. Might I also add that I thought the maps provided were not very helpful in my opinion.
aunt_t's review
4.0
For someone who wants to learn more about the beginning of the American Revolution but doesn't really enjoy reading history, this is a good book for them. The book provides enough detail to give the reader some insight into events of the time, but not so many that your head spins.
More...