Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer
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Book Reviews of Paul Revere's Ride
Book Review: Fischer's Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
As a lover of history and a history major in college, I have read many history books and this is the best. It reads like a suspense thriller, as exciting as any fiction book on the shelf, but also exudes tremendous scholorship. From the casual reader who will be taken in by the fluid prose to the historian who will love the tremendous amount of research that obviously went into this book (including a fasinating section on the historiography of the ride), all should love this book. It examines not only the ride, but all of the players in the struggle in Mass. at that time, illustrating a cultural clash between the British authorities (General Gage, in particular) and the colonists, giving readers new incites into the causes of the American Revolution.I should also point out that shortly before this book was first published, I, as a student at Brandeis University, took a class with Prof. Fischer on the American Revolution. He is an even better lecturer than he is a writer (and that is saying something quite significant). An entire day's lecture was devoted to the events of Lexington and Concord. I remember it vividly every time I pick up this book.
Enjoy.
Book Review: New Perspective of An American Legand
Summary: 5 Stars
In Paul Revere's Ride, David Hackett Fischer revisits the familiar story of Revere's midnight ride, but from a different angle.My first impression of the book is that the title does not accurately describe the scope of the book. Fischer's tale is not narrowly focused on Revere's adventure, rather it tells the story within the wider view of the revolution's nucleolus in New England.
Make no mistake, were this a movie, Revere would be the leading man, but Fischer also gives prominence to General Thomas Gage, the commander of British forces in North America, and strong supporting roles to the lesser figures that played important parts in the action.
I found this to be a fascinating story that reads well. To call this book "action packed" would be an overstatement, but it certainly did not want for drama. I also greatly appreciated Fischer's telling of events from the British point-of-view as well as the colonial.
This is a well rounded story of the beginnings of revolution, anchored around the midnight rides of Revere and William Dawes, and should be an enjoyable read for anyone interested in early American history.
Book Review: Great Book, Fascinating Story
Summary: 5 Stars
Living in the area where the events took place I thought I knew the real story about Paul Revere and the under-reported William Dawes and Dr. Prescott. But reading this book I realize how little I did know and that much of the story regarding the beginning of the revolution is myth. That's too bad as Fischer explains the true events are even more interesting than the myths. The story is told perfectly - letting the reader feel like a fly on the wall and let's us know the mindset of the principals involved and what they did and why. Having read the book then visiting Minuteman Park made the events seem much closer. Dr. Fischer knows his history and did an excellent job of research. Thankfully his prose allows the story to flow as easily as Brown Beauty was to ride. My heart pounded when reading of the fighting and the desperate plight of the British soldiers.
I also enjoyed reading what happened to the participants after the battle. I'd wondered why Revere didn't have more of an active roll in later events. This is the definitive story about those events and I think young and old can appreciate this classic.
Book Review: Fantastic, indespensible & accurate.
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the best popular history works on the American Revolution. Fischer builds up the atmosphere of Middlesex County in 1775 perfectly, and while his thesis is that Revere held a much more important role in the coming of the Revolution than a "midnight rider" he supports it with meticulous notes and information. Fischer also gives the reader a great interpretation of what the British went through; mostly green troops stationed in a very hostile countryside.
The maps included in the book are some of the best representation of that era; I actually spent al lot of time comparing the maps of Boston and the area with the same of Google Maps as I was visiting the area; it was great to walk throughout the area in the same footsteps that Fischer described in detail.
Throughout the book his writing style at time flows like a novel, but backed with annotations and notes. This is simply one of the best books written of this time period, and even people who have a passing interest of Revolutionary history should read it, and enjoy immensely.
Book Review: Sometimes you can smell the gunpowder
Summary: 5 Stars
David Hackett Fischer has written an engaging and extremely detailed account of Paul Revere and the Battles of Lexington and Concord. With an erudite but accessible style of writing, Hackett has satisfied both my love of good solid history and an enjoyable read. Fischer gives the reader a historiograhpic overview of the study of Paul Revere's ride, from the celebratory to the cynical, we are shown that this man and his actions have engendered lively debate in academia.
However, not many readers may give a fig about historiography. They will however be immediately drawn into this excellent narrative account of Revere's ride, its aftermath and the thorough background provided about his life, and the life of his "adversary" General Gage.
Fischer has done something that many historians long to do, write both a readable and academically solid book. I hope that historians can use this book as an example for how to write history, and the public will read it to see that history doesn't have to be horribly dull.