Patriots

I bought "The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbon and "Patriots The Men Who Started The American Revolution" by A. J. Langguth because they were "important" books and because I thought that while they wouldn't necessarily be "good reads" they would be "good for me." Both books languished on the book shelf awaiting a long trip, a bout with the flu or some other occasion when time would weight heavily on my hands. Time passed and finally when I was almost brain dead from reading less than sterling commercial fiction I, with some hesitation about a book with 563 pages, picked up "Patriots. I shouldn't have lingered in picking it up or hesitated about reading it. "Patriots" is a sensational book, a great read and a definite page turner. While the book is of course historical, and apparently well researched, fact it reads like contemporary best selling fiction. Think Mario Puzo and "The Godfather" and Dan Brown and "The Da Vinci Code" for starters. I let favorite TV programs go unwatched while I read. I read at night. I read in the morning. When I finished the last page I was bereft. I wanted volumes 2. 3, 4. 5 and even 6. The pages sing as Washington, Jefferson, Hancock, Revere, Arnold, John and Samuel Adams, King George III, William Pitt and generals, soldiers, statesmen, wives, husbands, lovers, farmers and everyday citizens on both sides of the Atlantic, and on the issue of American independence, come to life with all of their human frailties, foibles, accomplishments and disasters. A. J. Langguth is a brilliant writer and "Patriots" should be required reading for anyone with the slightest interest in history or for anyone who loves a good book.

Not being much of a history buff myself (though this is changing)I decided to pick up a copy of Patriots after reading several impressive reviews here. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.The author paints an excellent picture of the American Revolution from it's first spark (The Stamp Acts) to the tide turning defeat of Cornwallis at Yorktown. Read about Washington's stunning and strategic retreat out of New York as if you were actually there seeing it for yourself. Read about the significant roles patriots like Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock among others played in the founding of our great republic.Although the book is lengthy (about 563 pages)it is well worth your time and is extremely enjoyable and easy to read. Battles, personal information about the patriots, and detailed information regarding the events that formed our country fill this book and makes Patriots an essential necessity for each and every person wanting to learn about how freedom started and eventually triumphed in America.

Buy this book. Don't wait or make excuses. Get it right now and get ready to completely enjoy history that reads better then fiction. Meet Patriots that you've heard of, but never knew. Go to places that sound familiar and learn the ground and the events. Get ready for pure entertainment in the guise of History! This book is tremendous! A.J. gets to the heart of things, and in no time. I find it hard to imagine that he can tell this story in 560 some odd pages, and never get boring. His smart style reads fast and easy. No deadly classroom lessons here friends. I enjoyed meeting Hamilton, the 2 Adams boys, Benedict Arnold, and the Howe brothers. I never thought that they were that interesting until this book. I enjoyed my visits to Boston, Trenton, Princeton, and Yorktown. And poor Johnny Burgeone, trudging through the woods of New York...All are alive and well, living in this book. Open the pages, read the words, meet the men and visit the places. See George run (everywhere), and Ben wear his ratty old hat in France. The book is just too good for words. Read it now, or always wonder what you've missed.

As a lifelong history buff I thought I knew how the American Revolution began. I didn't, not until I read PATRIOTS, The Men Who Started the American Revolution. For the first time I was INSIDE the political actions, you might say the political conspiracy, that brought America to independence. Finally, and in full-color, I could see how Sam Adams sparked a handful of activists to struggle for years through all kinds of adversity to awaken the American People to their own rights, and to the need to defend them. Sam Adams, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, John Adams, George Washington and others come to life as human-beings and as "political animals" in this incredible pean to the power of the individual to change the world. This fascinatingly readable book takes all the boredom out of history. If you read only one book on the American Revolution in your whole life, make it this one.