Paul Revere's Ride | David Hackett Fischer | This should have won the Pulitzer

Paul Revere's Ride | David Hackett Fischer | Understanding Our History

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Paul Revere's Ride

	Paul Revere's Ride David Hackett Fischer Oxford University Press, 1995 - 464 pages average customer review:based on 75 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Paul Revere's midnight ride looms as an almost mythical event in American history--yet it has been largely ignored by scholars and left to patriotic writers and debunkers. Now one of the foremost American historians offers the first serious look at the events of the night of April 18, 1775--what led up to it, what really happened, and what followed--uncovering a truth far more remarkable than the myths of tradition.
In Paul Revere's Ride, David Hackett Fischer fashions an exciting narrative that offers deep insight into the outbreak of revolution and the emergence of the American republic. Beginning in the years before the eruption of war, Fischer illuminates the figure of Paul Revere, a man far more complex than the simple artisan and messenger of tradition. Revere ranged widely through the complex world of Boston's revolutionary movement--from organizing local mechanics to mingling with the likes of John Hancock and Samuel Adams. When the fateful night arrived, more than sixty men and women joined him on his task of alarm--an operation Revere himself helped to organize and set in motion. Fischer recreates Revere's capture that night, showing how it had an important impact on the events that followed. He had an uncanny gift for being at the center of events, and the author follows him to Lexington Green--setting the stage for a fresh interpretation of the battle that began the war. Drawing on intensive new research, Fischer reveals a clash very different from both patriotic and iconoclastic myths. The local militia were elaborately organized and intelligently led, in a manner that had deep roots in New England. On the morning of April 19, they fought in fixed positions and close formation, twice breaking the British regulars. In the afternoon, the American officers switched tactics, forging a ring of fire around the retreating enemy which they maintained for several hours--an extraordinary feat of combat leadership. In the days that followed, Paul Revere led a new battle-- for public opinion--which proved even more decisive than the fighting itself.
When the alarm-riders of April 18 took to the streets, they did not cry, "the British are coming," for most of them still believed they were British. Within a day, many began to think differently. For George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Thomas Paine, the news of Lexington was their revolutionary Rubicon. Paul Revere's Ride returns Paul Revere to center stage in these critical events, capturing both the drama and the underlying developments in a triumphant return to narrative history at its finest.

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This should have won the Pulitzer

Before David Hackett Fischer wrote his Pulitzer Prize winging book Washington's Crossing he authored this historical masterpiece. Paul Revere's Ride takes readers through the early stages of the revolution at a point when conflict is all but inevitable. The book frames these early moments through Paul Revere's life but is really an overview of the people and the times that afflicted the country in the weeks and months before Lexington and Concord. Fischer breaks down the myth of the lone rider and shows the vast network that Paul Revere and others built to spy on the British and mobilize the people of New England. One of the more surprising aspects of this book for myself was the way in which General Gage approached the American colonists with a firm respect for the rule of law which given American protests at the time provide stark contradiction to many of the complaints.

In addition to covering the vast network the author also gives a blow-by-blow account of the battles at Lexington and Concord doing a masterful job of showing how each side reacted. The implications of the battle are covered well and the strengths of the American colonists not only in battle tactics but experience are well illustrated. Overall this is an excellent summary of the events leading up to Lexington and Concord, recommended for those who want to gain an understanding of how the revolution began.

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Understanding Our History

I have not read a non fiction book in years but I love historical fiction. To read Fischer's non-fictional account was a real eye opener for me. I was born in Concord, Mass. and grew up in Bedford, right next door. I never really knew what happened on April 19th, 1775; now I do. It flows, it is edifying and really too short. It is also relevant in that I wonder if today's Americans have what it takes to endure a challenge to freedom on this scale. I recommend this read wholeheartedly.

April 19, 1775 Was For Freedom

David Hackett Fischer's book provides the history of the people. The events leading to the armed resistance against British forces, the American Riflemen who answered the call to arms, and the aftermath of that fateful day in history are recounted in interesting detail. It is the story of the collective effort of individuals in defense of the principles of free men against a government imposing tyrany upon them.

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Wonderful Book

This is one of those early American stories that is a must for anyone interested. The author does a superb job of staying to the facts, showing us who Revere was, who else was part of the story and does so in such detail, normally overdone by most, that reading this one book would qualify someone to teach a course on the topic.

The reason why the reader does not get caught up in the laborious detail is because the author is so good at keeping it a story that flows from one chapter to the other.

My only criticism about this book and others like it, is that I wish, one day, the maps that are being referenced were not attached to the book so that referencing the maps were not such a pain. I know most of you are probably not as compulsive about this, but I love following "the trail" in real time as well as my imagination.

If you have any interest in the topic, this is a great one.

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A bit heavy but very interesting

I bought this book because it was required for my son's summer reading in preparation for an AP US History class. I read part of it and found it a bit of a slog; it is definitely a serious history book. Nevertheless, it is well written and detailed enough to give one new insight into the events at the start of the American Revolution. My son says it has too much detail about the specific battles and not enough overview of the historical and political context--but he has not had any trouble finishing it. It is not a small volume, about 300 pages I think. Worth reading if you are interested in the American revolution. Does not focus on Paul Revere as much as the title and first 20 pages would imply.

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