Revolutionary Boston, Lexington, and Concord: The Shots Heard 'Round the World (Boston & Concord) [Paperback]

Joseph Andrews (Author)

Book Description

Series: Boston & Concord | Publication Date: February 1, 2002

The only complete visitors' guide to the Revolutionary history and sites of Boston, Bunker Hill, the Freedom Trail, and the Battle Road, including Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, Bedford, Concord, Lincoln, Acton, and Sudbury.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The only comprehensive guide to the Revolutionary history of Boston and towns west of the city just got better.

Three years ago, Dr. Joel Andrews self-published a 64-page first edition that sold out in five months. In 1999, he brought out a bigger, better second edition that quickly established itself as the indispensable guide for visitors seeking information about the American Revolution in the eastern Massachusetts region.

Fully revised, updated, and redesigned, the third edition features:

*Individual chapters on the Revolutionary history of Boston, Cambridge, Lexington, and Concord, as well as other important towns along the Battle Road

*Sites to visit in each town

*A new guide to Boston's Freedom Trail

*Chapters on the roles played in the American Revolution by women, children, African Americans, native Americans, and Jews

From the Inside Flap

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION?

"The British are coming!" shouted Paul Revere.

"If they mean to have a war, let it begin here!" said Captain John Parker on the Lexington Green in the predawn light of April 19, 1775.

"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" yelled Colonel Prescott at Bunker Hill.

When asked about the American Revolution, many Americans remember only a few "historic" quotations like these. But each quotation is questionable because (1) no authenticated contemporary accounts verify that these words were spoken by these men, and (2) given the historical context, it is unlikely that these people would have expressed their thoughts in precisely these words.

For example, Paul Revere would have said "the Regulars" were coming, not "the British," since all colonists considered themselves British Americans before war broke out and sides were taken.

IS IT MYTH OR REALITY?

Here are more myths that are often accepted as authenticated fact:

Myth: Most of the early action in the war took place in Boston.

Reality: As described in this book, other towns, from Cambridge to Concord, were involved in the start of the Revolution, as were other colonies.

Myth: All American colonists supported the Revolutionary War effort.

Reality: Only about one third of Americans were patriots, one third were loyal to the King, and the other third were neutral or indifferent.

Myth: Colonial Patriots consisted exclusively of white Protestant males of British descent.

Reality: American patriots included in their ranks many diverse groups of people (see this book's chapters on women, children, African-Americans, Jews and Native Americans).

Myth: The American Revolution was less significant than other wars, such as the Civil War.

Reality: Colonial patriots risked their lives to guarantee rights that, after independence, became guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights. Their actions laid the foundation for America's greatness and ispired other freedom-fighter's around the world.

Myth: We have nothing new to learn about the American Revolution today.

Reality: As this book explains, historians continue to study and reinterpret this important chapter in our history.

For every visitor to eastern Massachusetts, a wealth of discoveries await--in the pages of this guide and among the cities and towns, houses and greens, monuments and churches, and other sites waiting to be explored in....REVOLUTIONARY BOSTON, LEXINGTON AND CONCORD

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Commonwealth Editions; 3 edition (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889833223
• ISBN-13: 978-1889833224
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #937,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Revolutionary Boston Comes Alive!, July 17, 2002

By 

"22geek" (Honolulu, Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Revolutionary Boston, Lexington, and Concord: The Shots Heard 'Round the World (Boston & Concord) (Paperback)

This guidebook is a great read - if you are not now planning a trip to the Boston area you will surely want to once you finish! I'd like to catch the next plane out of Honolulu & go on a tour. The author makes history come alive again. He clears up many misconceptions & tells what really happened. His style of writing is reader friendly. In addition to being a comprehensive guidebook it is also worth reading for anyone interested in Revolutionary History. Lots of pictures too.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shots Heard 'Round the World, February 12, 2010

By 

Perkmeister - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Revolutionary Boston, Lexington, and Concord: The Shots Heard 'Round the World (Boston & Concord) (Paperback)

Dr. Andrews is a well-scholared author on the details surrounding the happenings of April 19, 1775. Recommended to those who love Revolutionary War history.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book!, February 26, 2004

By 

Harriet L. Segal (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Revolutionary Boston, Lexington, and Concord: The Shots Heard 'Round the World (Boston & Concord) (Paperback)

I am one of the "locals" that the author, Dr. Andrews, mentions who has seen a lot of the sites, but at different times. I never knew the extent of the involvement of so many towns. The part about Boston was an especially pleasurable trip through memory lane for me, since my father was a member of the Massachusetts General Court from 1940-1950 and Boston was an integral part of my early years.

I enjoyed how Dr. Andrews was able to weave together separate parts of Massachusetts Revolutionary history into an easily readable book with lots of anecdotes and explanations that make this history come alive. It is amazing to realize that on April 18,1775 the British troops "embarked from a spot near today's Public Gardens...before landfill built up the area..."

So much packed into 144 pages; a must read; a most enjoyable guide!