Paul Revere's Ride 
asked by spiderman on November 9, 2006 6:19 AM
Paul Revere's midnight ride looms as an almost mythical event in American history--yet it has been largely ignored by scholars and left to patriotic writers and debunkers. Now one of the foremost American historians offers the first serious look at the events of the night of April 18, 1775--what led up to it, what really happened, and what followed--uncovering a truth far more remarkable than the myths of tradition. In Paul Revere's Ride, David Hackett Fischer fashions an exciting narrative that offers deep insight into the outbreak of revolution and the emergence of the American republic. Beginning in the years before the eruption of war, Fischer illuminates the figure of Paul Revere, a man far more complex than the simple artisan and messenger of tradition. Revere ranged widely through the complex world of Boston's revolutionary movement--from organizing local mechanics to mingling with the likes of John Hancock and Samuel Adams. When the fateful night arrived, more than sixty men and women joined him on his task of alarm--an operation Revere himself helped to organize and set in motion. Fischer recreates Revere's capture that night, showing how it had an important impact on the events that followed. He had an uncanny gift for being at the center of events, and the author follows him to Lexington Green--setting the stage for a fresh interpretation of the battle that began the war. Drawing on intensive new research, Fischer reveals a clash very different from both patriotic and iconoclastic myths. The local militia were elaborately organized and intelligently led, in a manner that had deep roots in New England. On the morning of April 19, they fought in fixed positions and close formation, twice breaking the British regulars. In the afternoon, the American officers switched tactics, forging a ring of fire around the retreating enemy which they maintained for several hours--an extraordinary feat of combat leadership. In the days that followed, Paul Revere led a new battle-- for public opinion--which proved even more decisive than the fighting itself. When the alarm-riders of April 18 took to the streets, they did not cry, "the British are coming," for most of them still believed they were British. Within a day, many began to think differently. For George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Thomas Paine, the news of Lexington was their revolutionary Rubicon. Paul Revere's Ride returns Paul Revere to center stage in these critical events, capturing both the drama and the underlying developments in a triumphant return to narrative history at its finest.
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When I completed my reading of this text, I was the owner of unexpected information about and of profound respect for Paul Revere. David Hackett Fischer provided the reader with a depth of knowledge of Revere's implementation of his very own communications system. Revere organized a vast, fast, and efficient method of warning the countryside surrounding Boston of the intentions of the British Army. I, too, was one of millions who thougt Revere, himself, rode from village to village to warn that "the British are coming." Mr. Fishcer exposed that myth to be one of the worst ever foisted upon the American public. What Revere did accomplish, was to set in motion a well-disciplined group of riders who actually carried the message to the Boston hinterlands.
Also, I came away from the book with a deeper understanding of the forces that shaped the revolutionary zeal in Boston prior to 1776. Fischer's explanation of the people, both British and American, who were part and parcel of those forces, explains why so many Americans were opposed to British rule.
This book has a prominent place in my library and I look forward to reading it again and again. It is a clear and honest appraisal of the people and events that shaped Paul Revere's revolutionary spirit and his celebrated "ride."
Also, I came away from the book with a deeper understanding of the forces that shaped the revolutionary zeal in Boston prior to 1776. Fischer's explanation of the people, both British and American, who were part and parcel of those forces, explains why so many Americans were opposed to British rule.
This book has a prominent place in my library and I look forward to reading it again and again. It is a clear and honest appraisal of the people and events that shaped Paul Revere's revolutionary spirit and his celebrated "ride."
reviewed by bigchad on November 23, 2006 9:18 AM
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... for the 3rd time! Simply a fabulous book with so much to discover and an exciting narrative as well.
reviewed by dignified1 on November 26, 2006 7:58 PM
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Just want to agree with the other reviewers that this is a well writen book. It's a fun look into untold history not found anywhere else. If you're a history buff and would like to know who Paul Revere really was, read this book. It also has some good maps of the day.
reviewed by speed5599 on November 27, 2006 4:26 AM
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Yes, Paul Revere was preparing to make his way to the "opposite shore" when the two lights appeared for a brief moment in the steeple of the Old North Church. But Revere had not yet left Boston. And he was neither one of the signalers nor one of the signal recipients: he was instead the one who arranged for the alarm to be sent in that fashion, in that place and by the two men who climbed that dizzying height carrying their candle-filled lanterns. And those are only some of the tidbits you will learn when you read this definitive history. More than just a standard biography of Revere, and more than just a look at "The Ride" in particular, Fischer's book is an excellent exploration of the aspects and ramifications surrounding one single event -- one that is fully enmeshed in American memory and culture, and one from which many ripples emanate.
Fischer traces all the avenues leading up to the battles at Lexington and Concord, from the viewpoints and behaviors of the colonists and the British officials. As the momentum builds, we follow Paul Revere's actions as well as General Thomas Gage's decisions and orders. We may *think* we know the basics of the event, but surprises show up at every turn. "Alarms" had been raised in several towns before the one in Concord. Revere wasn't the only rider on April 18-19, 1775, and he never reached Concord. No one called out, "The British are coming! The British are coming!" because at that point in time, everyone involved considered themselves British. ("The Regulars are out," was instead the patriot cry.) And the skirmish system of battle wasn't gleaned from natives on the continent; it was instead implemented by men who had been involved in the French and Indian Wars and used the variations in the landscape and terrain to their ultimate advantage. By the end of the book, readers will no doubt be buoyed and impressed by the independent spirit shown by their American ancestors. They might even feel a bit of sympathy for Thomas Gage, who eventually returned to England and never found much success in the British military.
The fascinating text is accompanied by b&w photos of the major personalities as well as useful maps of the region illustrating the movements of troops and individuals. But the real gems here are the appendices and historiographies that follow the text. If you're a numbers person, you'll welcome the supplemental material that includes troop strength and numerical accounts of those injured or killed on that fateful April day. Here you can also trace how the mythology of Paul Revere's ride became imbedded in our collective American psyche. You'll even discover what facts Henry Wadsworth Longfellow deliberately got wrong in his famous poetic rendering of the event. The latter third of Fischer's book is indeed a treasure trove that allows the readers to study primary source information themselves and come to their own conclusions.
Why didn't we learn all this stuff in school? For all these years, we've been missing "the rest of the story." *This* is the way history should be written and taught! I am eager to read other histories by David Hackett Fischer.
Fischer traces all the avenues leading up to the battles at Lexington and Concord, from the viewpoints and behaviors of the colonists and the British officials. As the momentum builds, we follow Paul Revere's actions as well as General Thomas Gage's decisions and orders. We may *think* we know the basics of the event, but surprises show up at every turn. "Alarms" had been raised in several towns before the one in Concord. Revere wasn't the only rider on April 18-19, 1775, and he never reached Concord. No one called out, "The British are coming! The British are coming!" because at that point in time, everyone involved considered themselves British. ("The Regulars are out," was instead the patriot cry.) And the skirmish system of battle wasn't gleaned from natives on the continent; it was instead implemented by men who had been involved in the French and Indian Wars and used the variations in the landscape and terrain to their ultimate advantage. By the end of the book, readers will no doubt be buoyed and impressed by the independent spirit shown by their American ancestors. They might even feel a bit of sympathy for Thomas Gage, who eventually returned to England and never found much success in the British military.
The fascinating text is accompanied by b&w photos of the major personalities as well as useful maps of the region illustrating the movements of troops and individuals. But the real gems here are the appendices and historiographies that follow the text. If you're a numbers person, you'll welcome the supplemental material that includes troop strength and numerical accounts of those injured or killed on that fateful April day. Here you can also trace how the mythology of Paul Revere's ride became imbedded in our collective American psyche. You'll even discover what facts Henry Wadsworth Longfellow deliberately got wrong in his famous poetic rendering of the event. The latter third of Fischer's book is indeed a treasure trove that allows the readers to study primary source information themselves and come to their own conclusions.
Why didn't we learn all this stuff in school? For all these years, we've been missing "the rest of the story." *This* is the way history should be written and taught! I am eager to read other histories by David Hackett Fischer.
reviewed by alec on November 29, 2006 3:03 PM