Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating and detailed book!
Review: David Hackett certainly did his research! I thought this book would be a boring, dry account of Paul Revere, but it was fabulous! He gives some great detail and insight into the events leading up to the battles at Lexington & Concord, and then spends the majority of the book on those two "battles"-if thats what they can be called. It mostly details the events in the Boston area, not colony-wide, in extraordinary detail. It's fascinating. He debunks tons of myths and parts of it are acually very funny. I thought it was great and cannot recommend it enough. I am now on a "revolutionary war reading kick," all started by this book. For another great read...but about the entire revolutionary period and war, read "George Washington's War" by Robert Leckie. It's just as good!
Rating:
Summary: Sometimes you can smell the gunpowder
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Myths debunked
Review: David Hackett Fischer's "Paul Revere's Ride" is an exciting look at what may be one of the more misunderstood events of the American Revolution. Fischer makes a remarkable effort to dispel the many myths that have sprung out of Revere's famous ride to warn the residents of Lexington and Concord to the approach of the British expedition. The narrative is markedly descriptive and gives one a "you are there" feel. The book is very well researched with copious notes and numerous appendices that provide further depth and detail to the narrative. I found Fischer's highly detailed maps to be of great benefit. They were detailed and in conjunction with the narrative allowed for an in-depth understanding of the events of April 18-19, 1775.
Rating:
Summary: "The Regulars Are Coming!"
Review: David Hackett Fischer's "Paul Revere's Ride" is an amazing book. One of my favorite book's is Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels" which is a work of historical fiction. "Paul Revere's Ride" is pure history but it reads as interesting and riveting as "Killer Angels". I live a few towns over from Concord and have been to the North Bridge on Patriots Day to see the re-enactment but now I will be able to appreciate it even more having read Fischer's fantastic book. I especially liked hearing about the minutemen from the surrounding towns and what role they played in the attack along the Battle Road. If you plan on going to Minuteman Park or along the Battle Road, read this book. A lot of the places and even buildings mentioned/described are still there for you to see. A final plug, this year is the 225th anniversary of Patriots Day. What better way to celebrate than to read this incredible book. Thank you David Fischer!
Rating:
Summary: Splendid narrative history
Review: David Hackett Fisher's Paul Revere's Ride ("PRR") is a wonderful work of narrative history, with some splendid historiography tacked on at the end. Paul Revere's role in the events of April 18-19, 1775, has been contested by various critics. Descendants and partisans of William Dawes have claimed that his role was far more significant. Post-modernists have deconstructed Rever's ride as an exercise in national myth-making. Fisher puts Revere back in the center of the events of April 1775. Of course, PRR is more than just an account of the ride. Fisher gives us a blend of biography and history--he opens with a short account of Revere's youth and then situates Revere in the Boston Whig movement that gave rise to the Revolution. The ride is then put into the context of the origins of the British expedition and the battle of Lexington and Concord. One of the things I like best about PRR is Fisher's even-handness and basic fairness. Revere takes center stage, but Fisher does not overstate the case--he acknowledges that others played important roles (notably Dawes). Even as to Revere's silversmithing, Fisher acknowledges that Revere's work was not always perfect. General Gage and the other British protagonists are given fair--even sympathetic--treatment. One particularly interesting contribution made by PRR is Fisher's treatment of the Lexington-Concord battle as a public relations issue. He explains how news spread through the colonies, how Congress got their version of events to London before Gage, how that account affected British public opinion. Given how important public opinion was in the course of the war, this is a very valuable treatment. Lastly, but maybe not least, the book is superbly illustrated. In sum, very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing piece of historiography
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Fischer writes exceptionally well. He smoothly conveys the life of Paul Revere, and the events leading up to and following the famous night of April 18, 1775. Throughout the book, we see how Paul Revere was more than just a mere messenger that alerted the people around Massachusetts. He was a strong member of society, a businessman, a determined and faithful American, and a gentleman. His journey did not make him the man he was, but rather the journey was a catalyst that exemplified the character and standards that he firmly adhered to no matter the situation. Revere is remembered today because of his famous ride, but that is not all there is to the man he was. Through the text, we can see that Paul Revere exemplified the majority of the citizens then and how their determination and perseverance allowed for the Revolution's success.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Fischer writes exceptionally well. He smoothly conveys the life of Paul Revere, and the events leading up to and following the famous night of April 18, 1775. Throughout the book, we see how Paul Revere was more than just a mere messenger that alerted the people around Massachusetts. He was a strong member of society, a businessman, a determined and faithful American, and a gentleman. His journey did not make him the man he was, but rather the journey was a catalyst that exemplified the character and standards that he firmly adhered to no matter the situation. Revere is remembered today because of his famous ride, but that is not all there is to the man he was. Through the text, we can see that Paul Revere exemplified the majority of the citizens then and how their determination and perseverance allowed for the Revolution's success.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating story that unfolds through the pages . . .
Review: I don't sit down and read a lot of books on history, but this was a well written, well documented book that kept my interest. I'm keeping this one on my shelf!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!!!
Review: I enjoyed this book so much and it read like a novel. I've always like to read about the R war in October and happened to read this then. Maybe it has to do with old school days. This story had a lot of interesting facts about day to day life and the fact about he yelled the redcoats were coming, not the British are coming since most colonist thought of themselves as British. Plus when the redcoats were marching to Concord and some were thirsty and tried to get water from wells and were shot at. Just little things like that makes history alive and colorful instead of dry with lots of dates and men in funny clothes. So for those of you who want to read an interesting segment of this war this is one of the books to read.
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