Paul Revere's Ride

Paul Revere’s Ride by David Hackett Fischer is an extraordinary look on the surroundings of what occurred on the night of April 18, 1775 and the following day at Lexington & Concord. But Mr. Fischer doesn’t just keep it centered there – he gives us the events on what lead up to those fateful days and shows us how Paul Revere was at the center of much of the activity and planning. The author goes into great detail on the setting, the people, and even the clothing, as well as the actions, but it is not at all boring in any sense. Quite the opposite, in fact. Like every good historical novelist (for, though the information here is well-researched facts, it reads like a novel), the author draws the reader into the story, yet not in a tedious manner. I’ve read some of the one, two, and three star reviews, and they seem to have been written by high school or college kids who fail to understand historical writing – who seem to prefer to get their information from either a quick overview lecture or cliff notes so they can bypass the “meat” so they can pass a test.Am I being harsh?Perhaps, but that’s what it seems like to me. Everyone has their opinion, I suppose.Personally, there cannot be enough factual details in a history book.And if it seems that the author “is in love with Paul Revere” (as one reviewer wrote), well…who is this book about? And, yes, Revere is the main character, but much time is also spent on General Gage, Adams & Hancock, and a host of other players, as well as giving the reader a wonderful view of the times. It is as well rounded a depiction of the beginning of the Revolutionary War as anything I’ve yet to read.Together with The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson and Paul Revere and the World He Lived In by Esther Forbes, Fischer’s Paul Revere’s Ride is at or near the top of my listing of historically well-researched books on the subject.Kudos!

"Paul Revere's Ride" is the second book I have read by David Hackett Fischer, the other one being "Washington's Crossing". Although this work did not win a Pulitzer Prize as did "...Crossing", I found it every bit as good and readable a history. It was so readable, in fact, that I could not put it down easily, and read it in less than a week. In order to absorb all that is there, I intend to read it again.In terms of style of writing, Fischer begins with the history of the legends surrounding Paul Revere's ride and establishes very handily and credibly the line between the event as it really happened and the event as it is told traditionally. Having heard since childhood that Paul Revere rode alone into town crying "The British are coming! The British are coming!" it is surprisingly refreshing to know that there were other riders besides Revere, that he himself was captured briefly, and was either released or escaped, that apart from the famous ride, he had a much larger part in the events leading up to and surrounding the alarm, and that the cry itself was almost certainly not "The British are coming." I find that I have a sense of a "wonderment" about the story, retold, with 148 pages of "evidence" provided in the form of supplemental appendices, a historiography, a bibliography, notes and index in addition to copious maps and illustrations.Fischer reveals that the ride itself is but a small part of the story of how Lexington and Concord and surrounding towns were alerted to the coming of the British Regulars. The part Revere played in the event itself may have been exaggerated by legend, but, according to the evidence, his work, his character, his determination, his stature in the community, and the testimonials of witness and other participants show that had there not been a man named Paul Revere who did what he did, we might well still be a colony of Britain.As I read "Paul Revere's Ride" I found myself captive to the story as if I had never heard it before. In the chapter entitled "The Alarm", Fischer details the elaborate system the colonies used to alert the people. It was a system designed in advance that almost certainly could not break down, even if isolated individuals failed to follow through, and, indeed, some towns did not get the message in a timely manner. I found myself reading almost breathlessly as the news spread from town to town almost like wildfire. The Regulars could not stop it, even after they realized their march had been detected.In short, as I read "Paul Revere's Ride" I found myself thinking adjectives such as "fascinating", "captivating", "informative" and "entertaining". A significant part of what inspired these adjectives was the precise quotes of letters and messages that Fischer used, complete with 18th century spelling and grammatical phrasing.My opinion of this book may seem a bit overly effusive, but no more so than I am actually thinking. David Hackett Fischer did his homework and produced a marvelous work. At this point, over two centuries later, much of the line between fact and fiction is permanently blurred until someone invents a time machine and takes a camera back to the event itself. Fischer has done that for me: he has taken me in a time machine and allowed me to stand on the sidelines, and sometimes in the very rooms the plans were being made.Five stars for a masterful job of credible story telling.

D.H.Fischer's book is extremely well researched, as are all his books I've read - the last was "Champlain's Dream", also highly recommended ! The book about Paul Revere - one of the iconic personalities of the American Revolution - impresses through its wealth of material, its thorough backgrounding in the times, and the thoughtfully added pictures and maps. A fascinating read !

The bravery of those who led the charge in freeing the US from British rule is a story that shold be told in a blockbuster Hollywood film. However, as it would be flattering to those who fought for freedom, it will never be made.

I would guess that writing historic novels has many challenges. Least of which is the burden on the author to make the story as captivating as possible even when the outcome of the event being described is already well understood by the reader. A rare skill indeed. David McCullough ( Washington, Adams, Truman, The Path Between the Seas .. many others ) has that rare talent. Paul Revere's Ride was by first book by David Hackett Fischer and I was - in McCullough fashion - drawn into the story. I heard about the book on a You Tube Newt Gingrich video addressing the NRA on a well worn topic - the Second Amendment. Gingrich described in rich detail the challenges that faced the 'Rebel Army' in facing down the British and the importance of having arms to engage the Regulars. During that speech, he mentioned Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer as providing even more detail on the famous post rider from Boston and his historic midnight ride to alarm Lexington and Concord that the Regulars were on the march to confiscate the gun powder stored by the Rebel army. At the outset I though that the scope of the book would be a bit narrow and wondered how the author could possibly expand one event - albeit a significant event , that in effect started the American War ofIndependence - into a whole book. Boy was I wrong! The numerous events and characters on both sides are brought to life in vivid details .. and the event is expanded into the macro level that now allows the reader to see the intricate details unfold that makes this a story of epic proportions. Great book loved it ..

Interesting read- a life well lived, and told

I enjoyed this book,a good source for anybody interested in US history.