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Summary: "What's Acting?"
Review: I found Paul Revere's Ride to be an informative work on the legendary ride. Not only is it a biography of Paul Revere but it is a detailed study of the whole operation that was "The Ride". All those involved get their due credit in this book. Excellent resource for any student of the American Revolution. RECOMMENDED.
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Summary: Excellent history that reads like an action novel.
Review: I greatly enjoyed this brief and fast paced book. Fischer brings Paul Revere's famous ride out of mythology with a colorful, detailed focus on actual events. Fischer covers the historical backdrop of colonial Boston, the political situation and battle tactics of both the British regulars and the patriots. You won't be disappointed!
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Summary: ABSOLUTELY BORING!
Review: I have seen the other reviews, and to my amazement, the other readers loved it. Everyone has their own opinion. I DID NOT like this book at all. I had to read it for my U.S History Honors class. I HAD to read it, but if I had a choice, I wouldn't have even looked at the damn book.
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Summary: Fischer book on Revere a revelation
Review: I just loved this book. I've always been fascinated with history, particularly American, but usually find historical narratives ponderous. That's why this book was such a treat. It was scholarly, yet read like a best-selling novel. I don't know which aspect of Fischer's work I enjoyed more - the debunking of so many heretofore accepted facts about this momentous time, or the absolutely fascinating anecdotes interspersed in the narrative, e.g. - the frail old man, shooting at the Redcoats as they marched past his house, and then shot and bayoneted and left for dead, yet living another 18 years to age 96! Wonderful stuff. I intend to read it again and again.
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Summary: Elegantly, clearly sets the story straight
Review: I ordered this book so that I could better understand the experiences of my ancestors who fought in the early days of the Revolution. I was hijacked by this book, as well as by another Fischer book, Albion's Seed. Both books kept me reading until late at night, and sometimes I nudged my husband awake at 2 or 3 a.m. to read him a particularly fascinating passage. The research is impeccable, the writing clear and captivating. He could not have done this any better!
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Summary: The Shots Heard Round the World
Review: I picked up this book shortly after visiting the Lexington - Concord Battle Sight and associated sights. I read 3 or 4 other books on Lexington Concorde and none could hold a candle to this one. Paul Revere's Ride is a wonderful guide through the first shots of the revolution. The maps, photographs, insight, and supporting bibliographic information are of the highest quality and immensely helpful. The book instilled in me a new understanding and appreciation for the people and their struggles. I would rank this as the top book of the many that I read in 2000, and a must read for anyone seeking an understanding of the causes and people who fought for and formed our great nation.
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Summary: If the American Revolution interests you, you must read this
Review: I read reviews about this book and they all said the same thing--riveting, thriller, etc. To my utter astonishment, it's true! The level of detail should be render the book completely boring, but Fischer puts the information together in such a well-written manner that it truly reads like a novel. There were chapters where I literally couldn't put it down. And I learned so much about the origins and first battles of the Revolutionary War.In addition, having relatives from the period and region, I actually saw names I recognize. It's very interesting to encounter an ancestor in this manner.
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Summary: A Great Read of a Great Ride
Review: I read this to my teenaged son over a period of several months as he added to his Web site. We both found it fascinating. It inspired us so much that in a few months we are going to Boston to see all the places mentioned in the book. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most readable history books
Review: I was "forced" to read this book for an American colonial history class in college some years ago. I am so very, very grateful that it was assigned. It is one of the best history -- nay, one of the best *books* I have ever read. The book is meticulously researched and extremely thorough. Hackett's history of Paul Revere, British General Gage and all the surrounding times, people, places and events pulls together what was happening just prior to the Revolutionary War. Not only is it wonderful as a history book, but it's a fun and interesting read; if all history books were so interesting, fewer history students would be bored. Hackett takes Revere's ride, which has reached near-mythical proportions in America, and makes it real without losing any of the wonder of the event itself. An incredible read.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most readable history books
Review: I was "forced" to read this book for an American colonial history class in college some years ago. I am so very, very grateful that it was assigned. It is one of the best history -- nay, one of the best *books* I have ever read. The book is meticulously researched and extremely thorough. Hackett's history of Paul Revere, British General Gage and all the surrounding times, people, places and events pulls together what was happening just prior to the Revolutionary War. Not only is it wonderful as a history book, but it's a fun and interesting read; if all history books were so interesting, fewer history students would be bored. Hackett takes Revere's ride, which has reached near-mythical proportions in America, and makes it real without losing any of the wonder of the event itself. An incredible read.
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