Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution

I sort of read this books to tatters. I refuse to throw out the tattered copy. I loved this book. I was *obsessed* with this book. This book is the reason I will name my cat Molineaux when I get it. ("Stop, Mr. Molineaux! Stop, Mr. Molineaux! Gentlemen, if Mr. Molineaux leaves us, we are forever undone." I HAVEN'T OPENED THIS BOOK IN THREE YEARS AND I AM PROBABLY CLOSE TO IF NOT ACTUALLY WORD-PERFECT ON THAT QUOTE.)

I don't know *why*. I somehow doubt it is actually all that brilliant. And yet! I WAS OBSESSED OMG.

This book has forever poisoned me against non-narrative history. HISTORY IS EXCITING AND SHOULD BE TOLD IN GRIPPING NARRATIVE. If you can't tell a story that keeps me on the edge of my seat, you are doing it rong.

(How much do I show more love James Otis and Mercy Otis Warren? It is this book's fault! How much do I love Thomas Jefferson the horny twenty-year-old? It is this book's fault! How much do I love Thomas Paine the one-step-ahead-of-debtor's-jail hack? It is this book's fault! THEY ARE ALL SO EPIC I LOFF THEM OMG.) show less

A masterful telling of the American Revolution from start to finish. The one criticism I have is that the ending is a bit too sudden, a bit too tied up neatly like a bow. However, it's such a minor fault that it doesn't deter from the great writing throughout the rest of the book.

Five stars for readability and research. Stopped reading Flexners 4 vol Washington to read this for a broad perspective of the times. this book does far more than who did what when. The personalities and personal characteristics of well know historical figures helps establish why some were bold and others were not. The incidental details provide much more than trivia expertese, they fill out the people as humans and the times as hectic. Here you do more than see the action, you smell and feel it as well. A highly recommended read for those interested in history. Should be required reading for HS students. A book to remind modern day victims (all of us) of the self serving nature of today's politics, that once upon a time men rose to show more fight for their beliefs and not just for their wallets. show less

I was given this book as a gift because I very much like the play/movie 1776. It wasn't a book I was ready for when it was first gifted to me, but I took it up again some years later, and after churning roughly through the first chapter, was captivated by the revealing narration of how history unfolded.

In the Acknowledgements the author writes that this book is "meant for readers who knew that Washington had crossed the Delaware, but didn't know why; that Benedict Arnold had betrayed his country, but didn't know how." This book exactly delivers the why and the how.

There are a lot of individuals to keep track of, which can be a bit daunting, and because so many individuals are enacting history at the same time but in many different show more places there is some back-and-forth, but the style is simple and direct. Once you get into the book the personal stories of the people of the times--both deemed important and not by the records of history--are enlightening and interesting.

The book is well researched, but the notes are left until the very end, for those that like to check on the references. This choice gives the book a lighter air because it seems less like a textbook with footnotes on every page, but it is obviously very well researched. A few helpful maps are provided at the beginning, and several portraits and artwork are scattered in black and white throughout. show less

Fabulous book if you like the American Revolution or just want to learn more. The structure of the book is its best selling point--a chapter setting the stage and time frame of Colonial New England and what led to the Revolution, followed by a biographical chapter on one of the more important figures at that moment/time frame. Very effective bio-history all in one and a book I'd love to use in a history class.

Highly recommended!

An enjoyable and easy read that delves a little deeper into some of the events that occurred prior to and during the American Revolution. This aspect was a welcomed surprise to me, for I had expected a simple collection of biographies.

An excellent overview of the men most responsible for bringing about the American Revolution. Langguth is a journalist, so the book really reads well. Books written by historians can be a bit dry sometimes. Highly recommended for anyone interested in this period of history.