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A review by jdintr
Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick
3.0
The title is a little misleading: Bunker Hill:takes up three of the fourteen chapters of the book, and doesn't really take shape until 2/3rds of the way through A City is the real focus of the book, as it traces Boston's Revolutionary War history from the Tea Party through the British evacuation of that city in early 1776. a Siege takes up one chapter at the end, and a Revolution is, next to Boston, the other overall theme.
Philbrick is an able historian, more comfortable writing about the sea, but able on land as well (I prefer his sea writings like Mayflower and In the Heart of the Sea. One thing this book did for me was to bring to life a forgotten patriot, Joseph Warren, who took an outsized role in the revolution once Samual Adams and John Hancock had left for the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Warren was a force in his own right: a stirring orator, the first commissioned general over forces in the Boston area, and--at the end--a valiant warrior who laid down his life on Breed's Hill during the battle.
Philbrick also does a good job of showing how the siege was ultimately successful. George Washington's desire for a frontal assault never came to fruition, and the gradual, creeping expansion of positions onto the heights surrounding Boston ultimately encouraged the British to get out of town after an eight-month siege without another conflict.
Philbrick is spot-on with his characterization of Washington. Along with Warren, he brings Isaac Putnam and Henry Knox to life, and his recounting of the confrontations at Lexington and Concord are also worthwhile reading.
Philbrick is an able historian, more comfortable writing about the sea, but able on land as well (I prefer his sea writings like Mayflower and In the Heart of the Sea. One thing this book did for me was to bring to life a forgotten patriot, Joseph Warren, who took an outsized role in the revolution once Samual Adams and John Hancock had left for the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Warren was a force in his own right: a stirring orator, the first commissioned general over forces in the Boston area, and--at the end--a valiant warrior who laid down his life on Breed's Hill during the battle.
Philbrick also does a good job of showing how the siege was ultimately successful. George Washington's desire for a frontal assault never came to fruition, and the gradual, creeping expansion of positions onto the heights surrounding Boston ultimately encouraged the British to get out of town after an eight-month siege without another conflict.
Philbrick is spot-on with his characterization of Washington. Along with Warren, he brings Isaac Putnam and Henry Knox to life, and his recounting of the confrontations at Lexington and Concord are also worthwhile reading.