Paul Revere and the World He Lived in

It is a rare author who can write a book that , 50 years later, shows few signs of age. It is also rare for the writer of historical fiction to have the ability to entice kids of another generation to enter the world of which she writes. Esther Forbes is one of those gifted writers. Fifteen years ago, my 13 year old son pulled this book from my shelves and found himself thoroughly immersed in the world of 18th century Boston. Although more has undoubtedly been discovered about the life and times of Paul Revere since this particular bio was initially published, this account remains vital and valuable today. I don't keep all of the books that I buy and read, but this has been in my bookcase for more than 20 years.

Esther Forbes shows that Paul Revere was not just a guy who rode a horse and shouted, "The British are coming!" Actually, his famous ride to Lexington was a very small part of his life and contribution to our nation's development. Forbes provides thorough details about Revere's many activities and interests. In addition to his work as one of the Sons of Liberty, he was an engraver, silversmith, bell maker, military officer, and manufacturer of gunpowder and rolled copper. And if that weren't enough, he dabbled in dentistry. Such an entrepreneur! It's inspiring to see what can be accomplished by a person who is honest, hard-working, humble, and genuinely concerned about other people.Forbes also includes a lot of information about other prominent people from Boston, such as John Hancock, Joseph Warren, Dr. Benjamin Church, and Samuel Adams. These men played important roles, but I think the focus is on Revere because of the aura surrounding Paul Revere and his legendary midnight ride. We are drawn to stories of heroism in the face of mortal danger. John Hancock's huge signature ... well, it just doesn't stir us the same way.Most of the action happens between 1756 and 1779. It was a time of tension and uncertainty. Forbes shows that the people struggling against the British really didn't know how it would turn out. There were no guarantees of success. Also, the wrangling between Whigs and Tories seemed like a foreshadowing of the friend-against-friend clashes that happened in our Civil War 80 years later.The pre-1756 and post-1779 events didn't benefit from the inherent excitement of current events, so these parts of the book didn't hold my attention as well. Still, this IS a biography, and it isn't Forbes' fault that Revere lived 40 years past the end of the Revolutionary War.I enjoyed this non-sensationalized look at social, political, and military facets of colonial America. And now that I know what Paul Revere did beyond riding horses and shouting, I'm glad he's got a spot in our history books.

Paul Revere and the World He Lived in by Esther Forbes is a well written authoritative biography about Paul Revere. The book has a flowing but romantic aire to it... painting a portrait with words and describing the life and times of early New England and Boston in particular.Paul Revere was a multifarious man displaying many talents as the book points out. Well written, flowing narrative, being easily readable and well documented are just a few of the wonderful traits that the author brings to the reader. It's enjoyable to read and you feel like your right there seeing everything transpire right before your eyes. That's a talent raely found in writing and no wonder this book won a Pulitzer Prize in history.This book is well worth reading and gives the reader a good foundation as to what life was like for people from 1735 - 1818. As well, this should be one of the books used in our schools for teaching American History. The author really brings out a love for her subject in this book.

I was pleased to find out that there is a newer edition of this book. The one I have is the 1942 edition and rather worn. I used sections from this book to help document certain events that occured during the time period. The social studies text we used didn't do justice to events such as the Boston Massacre and the Battle of Lexington & Concord, both events where Paul Revere played a part. Forbes detailing of events and characters helped to bring these events alive for my students...they also got to see that not all the colonists were noble, freedom-fighters, but that propagandizing was alive and kicking even then. I would heartily recommend this book as a resource for American History teachers!

This book deservedly won the Pulitzer Prize in History. It examines the life of Paul Revere in the setting of the era he lived in, but goes beyond a mere biography to include wonderful anecdotes about the Revolutionary War period. Oh, and it turns out that Paul Revere was a really nice, decent guy; he just is little remembered because he never turned into a politician. I recommend this book without reservation to every living soul on this planet!