Read in 2008 Excellent account of the early days of the American Revolution. ( )

liked it a lot

The first of Kenneth Roberts' three books on the American Revolution, this story tells of the Americans' abortive attempt to take the city of Quebec from the English. The narrator, Steven Nason, is a young man from Arundel who witnesses and endures the hardships of an army on the move through forbidding terrain.

The story is peppered with real figures, including Benedict Arnold, Aaron Burr and Daniel Morgan, But it centers mostly on a group of friends from Arundel who represent the hardy core of those who heeded the call to fight for freedom.

The descriptive language Roberts uses makes everything come alive. I challenge you to read Nason's toothsome description of the bounties of Maine, as provided by his sister and mother's cooking, and not find your mouth watering with anticipation. Or, when reading of the cold, hunger and illness faced by these soldiers on their trek through Maine, not wanting to wrap yourself up in a warm blanket. ( )

Another of Roberts' well-researched and retold stories of the turbulent times of The American Revolution.This one deals with the heroic march overland to Quebec by the troops with Benedict Arnold, the notorious and much-maligned bogeyman of West Point. As seen through the eyes of Steven Nason and accompanied by his stalwart if somewhat unorthodox companion Cap Huff, the tale flows like the Saint Lawrence River does through the era of change and upheaval. ( )