Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer
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Book Reviews of Paul Revere's Ride
Book Review: An amazing piece of historiography
Summary: 5 Stars
Despite it's title, this book is not all about Paul Revere. However, it does start with the basic framework of Revere's life and builds upon it to give the broader story of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. One thing that this biography does is break down all the myth and legend that surrounds Paul Revere's life. But instead of leaving you with a disappointed new view of a man that you grew up learning about in elementary school social studies classes, Fischer then builds the image of Revere back up brick by brick until you have a better understanding and appreciation for this man who did much more than just have one midnight ride in solitude.
Beyond Revere, Fischer is able to both tell an extremely detailed story (300 pages devoted almost entirely to a 24-hour time span) while not boring his reader with the details. The main way in which he does this is by adding in the individual stories of the average people that became extraordinary for that one night. The story starts out speaking of one person (Paul Revere) but broadens so much that at the end of the book the author uses an epilogue to tell what happened to each of the multitude of people he wrote of throughout the book. Altogether, an extremely well written book that draws you into the fight between the "Regulars" and the Whigs.
Book Review: A Layman's Reverance for Mr. Revere
Summary: 5 Stars
When I completed my reading of this text, I was the owner of unexpected information about and of profound respect for Paul Revere. David Hackett Fischer provided the reader with a depth of knowledge of Revere's implementation of his very own communications system. Revere organized a vast, fast, and efficient method of warning the countryside surrounding Boston of the intentions of the British Army. I, too, was one of millions who thougt Revere, himself, rode from village to village to warn that "the British are coming." Mr. Fishcer exposed that myth to be one of the worst ever foisted upon the American public. What Revere did accomplish, was to set in motion a well-disciplined group of riders who actually carried the message to the Boston hinterlands.
Also, I came away from the book with a deeper understanding of the forces that shaped the revolutionary zeal in Boston prior to 1776. Fischer's explanation of the people, both British and American, who were part and parcel of those forces, explains why so many Americans were opposed to British rule.
This book has a prominent place in my library and I look forward to reading it again and again. It is a clear and honest appraisal of the people and events that shaped Paul Revere's revolutionary spirit and his celebrated "ride."
Book Review: Men and Thier Times
Summary: 5 Stars
A highly readable history. This is not mere "idol-worship", as some would have it. Prof. Fischer does an admirable job of showing Revere, Gage, et. al., as men of their time and place (physical and social). Revere is not the simple "mechanic" and solitary actor of legend, but rather "wired" into the network of Whig organizations in Boston. Gage is not the tyrant of legend, but a principled man who may have been a victim of the "Peter Principal" (he apparently never won a battle, yet was made Commander-in-Chief). The seemingly contradictary character (e.g., independent yet communal, Calvinist yet "worldly") of Colonial Boston and New England is brought out.The events of the ride itself, and the expedition of the Regulars to Concord, show us again that history is not deterministic, but the result of decisions made by individuals, acting on the information at hand and informed by their principles, character, and honor. Many of the details of the battle were unknown to me, and the anecdotes conecrning individual soldiers/militiamen brought what could have been a dry account of a running battle to life.
The extensive appendicies offer data on the British order of battle, the musters of the militia, original sources, and much else.
Book Review: Captivating narrative packed with information!
Summary: 5 Stars
Perhaps the best history book I've read in the last two years - and I read A LOT of history books at night. Captivating narrative; so exciting I could not put it down at night. This was, excuse the hackneyed phrase but it is apt here - a "real page turner" in the truest sense of the phrase. I thought Fischer was informative and even handed without being dogmatic. He didn't have any "axes to grind." Rather, in his text and some of his endnotes the author actually points out how other historians have exploited and perverted this part of our early history because THEY had axes to grind! I did not know that some revisionist historians and even the Boston Globe "dumped" on Paul Revere during the late 60s and 70s! How horribly unjustified! Fischer points out how these folks have appropriated the Revere story for their own contemporary ends. But that is a small part of the book. The book actually contains so much more. Wonderfully useful maps, nice character profiles of major participants, a "what happened to them afterwards" section at the end. I really liked this book a lot. A must read if you have any interest in history. Hat's off to Prof. FischerBook Review: Thorough, Creative, and Interesting
Summary: 5 Stars
Those who have read Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Difference may recognize this book as the source for some of the material on how things spread. Professor Fischer gives a thorough background for both Paul Revere's ride and the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, plus an equally thorough narration of both, followed by a thoughtful discussion of the aftermath of the battles. He also demonstrates that Paul Revere's importance lies not so much in his ride in the early hours (he was captured by the British before reaching Concord) as in the fact that he had organized an action of many riders, with contingency plans, etc., that resulted in the notification of nearly all of northeastern Massachusetts. The book concludes with a discussion of how Paul Revere has been viewed by Americans through the more than two centuries since his ride. The maps are very successful in clarifying the narration of various rides and military operations. In addition to the numerous footnotes that one would expect of a professor of history, there is a bibliography for those interested in further reading.
Very highly recommended.