Lexington and Concord: The Beginning of the War of the American Revolution
by Arthur Bernon Tourtellot
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"Tourtellot's book is the best account we have of the day of Lexington and Concord. The actions of each individual who played a conspicuous part in the day's work are minutely traced but Mr. Tourtellot never loses the main thread of his narrative and the wealth of detail he has included gives substance and color to an exciting story."-- J. C. Miller, New York Herald Tribune Book Review "Tourtellot does not let his 19th of April float up in the spring air unconnected with a past or a future. show more He has built in very skillfully the story of the months before that day and then sends its echoes rolling on through time--and into distant states and nations....No other book generally available performs an even remotely comparable job....Makes full use of old material, adds a good deal that has come to light in the intervening years and, standing firmly on its own base, presents magnificently for the general reader and the specialist this immortal opening chapter of our beginnings as a nation."--Bruce Lancaster, The Saturday Review "The result of thoughtful examination of the evidence and clear writing."--Walter Muir Whitehill, New England Quarterly "An absorbing and vital history, containing much newly published information about a crucial week in the history of the United States. "--J.M. Goodsell, Christian Science Monitor show lessTags
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Member Reviews
A brilliantly written book that holds up well even after a half century. In the first third the author presents a critical and rather well balanced assessment of the events, political and military, that lead up to the fateful events of April 19th, 1775. In the next part he lays out in great detail what transpired on that day, carefully noting the limitations of the sources of information and avoiding speculation without foundation. In the final part of the book, the author describes how both sides collected and disseminated their different versions of the events of the day. This last part is something few history books every bother to mention but provides some real insight into how the story of what most likely happened transformed into show more what we are taught happened. Very much recommended to anyone with an interest in American history. show less
A readable history, with the provocative theory that the Patriots provoked the shooting.
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11+ Works 547 Members
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Samuel Adams; Paul Revere; Jonas Clarke; John Parker; William Diamond; John Hancock (show all 8); General Thomas Gage; Dr. Joseph Warren
- Important places
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Concord, Massachusetts, USA; Lexington, Massachusetts, USA; Massachusetts, USA
- Important events
- American Revolution (1775 | 1783); Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775-04-19)
- Dedication
- For Jonathan Bernon and Christopher Trayne
- First words
- In the clear chill of an early April morning in 1775, twenty-one companies of picked British soldiers-grenadiers, the tallest, most heavily armed of infantrymen, traditionally the first to attack, and light infantry, the agil... (show all)e flanking troops of the regiments marched out from Boston across the softly rolling countryside of Middlesex.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)So the great day of Lexington slipped into history, having "given us a name among the nations of the earth."
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Statistics
- Members
- 201
- Popularity
- 162,164
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.40)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 5
