Starred review from May 21, 2001
Once more breathing vigor and passion into the dusty annals of our nation's history, the author of the bestselling Civil War trilogy (Gods and Generals; The Last Full Measure; Gone for Soldiers) demonstrates an ever-growing level of literary competence in the first installment of his projected two-volume saga of the American Revolution. Spanning the crucible years beginning with the Boston Massacre in March 1770 and continuing through the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July, 4, 1776, the story is told from the perspective of a handful of characters well known from our history books. In Boston, the Sons of Liberty activist Samuel Adams and his younger, more intellectual and oratorical second cousin, John Adams, speak out against King George III. In London there's aging Philadelphian Benjamin Franklin, who has resided for a number of years abroad, an agent for home colony Pennsylvania (and others). In New York, Gen. Thomas Gage is the ranking British officer on American soil. And heroic colonial planter George Washington has risen to full colonel in the Virginia militia fighting for George III during the French and Indian War. This masterful dramatization of the fateful escalation of the rebellion following the Boston Massacre moves from the battles of 1775 at Lexington, Concord, Fort Ticonderoga, Bunker Hill and the siege of Boston, through the convening in 1776 of the Continental Congress and the reading of the Declaration of Independence. Richly embroidered with portraits of such heroes as Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, Paul Revere, John Hancock and Thomas Jefferson, the tapestry chronicles America's plunge toward liberty. (July; on-sale June 12)Forecast:Ballantine is bringing out the big guns for this one: major advertising, a Boston launch, a 13-city author tour and Fourth of July Gettysburg media appearances. Simultaneous BDD Audio. Expect patriotic sales.
February 1, 2001
Shaara re-creates the American Revolution, starting with the Boston Massacre.
Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 1, 2001
The son of Michael Shaara, author of the classic historical novel " The Killer Angels" (1974), seems to have inherited his father's talent. The younger Shaara also writes meticulously researched and compelling historical novels. His latest brings a fresh perspective to some of the familiar figures associated with the Revolutionary War Making excellent use of a you-are-there approach, Shaara focuses on a handful of prominent historical figures, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, and British general Thomas Gage. We witness the American colonies experiencing growth pains and an increasing desire for independence and the corresponding British insensitivity to the needs and wants of the colonists; we observe coalescing resistance to such insensitivity, verbalized best by Franklin when he says to the British public in general, "With your vast army and your great navy, you may have the " power." But you do not have the" right."" As in all good historical fiction, Shaara's novel gives historical figures flesh-and-blood viability. At nearly 500 pages, this novel requires a major investment in reading time, yet it is an investment painlessly made for it pays profitable dividends.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)
March 15, 2001
The first of two projected novels on the American Revolution, Rebellion takes the reader from the Boston Massacre to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Shaara's (Gone for Soldiers) sympathies are evident on every page: the Adamses, Washington, and Franklin are his heroes, as is Abigail Adams, who, though she chafes at the restrictions imposed on her gender, supports her family as husband John travels to and from the Continental Congress. Their adversaries are harsh but wavering (General Gage), venal (Governor Hutchinson), and uncomprehending (the monstrous George III). These are not cardboard figures, however, but complicated human beings making difficult decisions in the midst of a crisis for which old wisdom holds no workable answers. Ultimately, what raises this fine novel above jingoism is the author's ability to make our national myths sing and our country's history come to vibrant life. Recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/00.] David Keymer, California State Univ., Stanislaus
Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.