This item shows wear including some highlighting or writing and moderate wear to edges and cover. This item shows wear including some highlighting or writing and moderate wear to edges and cover. See less

FREE delivery Thursday, January 30 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tuesday, January 28. Order within 2 hrs 17 mins.

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$17.87 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by Jenson Books Inc and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (163) from $1.99

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

David Hackett Fischer

Follow

Paul Revere's Ride Paperback – April 19, 1995

by David Hackett Fischer (Author)

4.7 964 ratings

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$17.87","priceAmount":17.87,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"17","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"87","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"%2B9iwi%2FH3ox2coVLxk2avXRR95Ec3IKjiSawGox0pDOkiEVXiU1bGN2Z%2B4PejygW64dOTJ9er3rajacs3H%2FfQpdgSxMBzsZq8tSgwFsqfW8NL4YW8Yi6Tju4C%2BQ48t4gFv6vnghmJ0p4%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$7.72","priceAmount":7.72,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"72","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"%2B9iwi%2FH3ox2coVLxk2avXRR95Ec3IKjiCHqkFWsIpeLx2E2x1Ss4lkK%2FtI7VbixaRS3FXVp8EQbF46Yr9ouJUgoCJWfQp7nAvBGfCbnLTY0ml687izBmPY6dO1CsmTzLW9tlvAubz7aURu0roH%2BEAnsmB1VfoKZ9n30m7Okhd0EpYIs3LVqjKG02QkZ6wBF2","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fischer knows how to grip the reader as few historians do....Fischer succeeds brilliantly in re-creating the milieu of the 1770s."--The Commercial Appeal (Memphis)

"This well-written, carefully researched, and interesting book dispels much of the myth and legend that has grown up around Paul Revere's famous ride and has replaced it with an exciting account of the events on those early spring days of April, 1775....A good read as well as an excellent reference."--KLIATT

"In one of the best recent books on the Revolution, Fischer takes what might be the most famous episode from the war and carefully sifts accumulating legend from a substantial body of fact heretofore little recognized about the famous 'midnight right.'"--The Virginian-Pilot and the Ledger-Star

"Fischer has provided a nice update of one of the semi-mythological events associated with the American revolutionary experience. What is most impressive about the book is the scholarly apparatus indluded. Revere is now a human figure acting out an historical role without mythology to get in the way. For contextural biography, this is a first-rate volume."--Gerald Michael Schnabel, Bemidji State University

"The action in this exciting history illuminates New England's culture--especially the ways that it differed from old England's--on the eve of the American Revolution....Fischer's details are meticulous, and provide an irresistible sense of immediacy as a slumbering countryside is wakened to war."--The New Yorker

"A work of rare historical distinction, an unputdownable narrative scraping away the tarnish of time and myth to reveal the essential metal of Paul Revere, silversmith. It is crammed with anecdote, represents a meticulous standard of research...and offers a peerless portrait of its subject."--The Boston Sunday Globe

"It is rare when a scholarly history will appeal to a general readership, but such is the case with this book....A meticulously researched and wonderfully evocative narrative that will be enjoyed by history lovers and scholars alike."--Library Journal

"A detailed account of the legendary 'midnight ride' as narrated by a professional historian with a scholar's command of the facts and a gift for storytelling."--Los Angeles Times

"Restores Paul Revere to his place in the pantheon of American heroes by clearing away the junk of myth and mockery that has grown up around him....The book tells the story of Revere's ride in great detail and the ensuing battles with all the drama they possess."--Milwaukee Journal

"A rare volume of history that has something for every reader. Readers with a general interest in American history will find it engaging and richly illuminating. Specialists will find it packed with a wealth of fine detail. And scholars will appreciate the close attention to the sources, evidenced by more than 100 pages of notes, appendices, bibliographical commentaries, and scholarly apparatus. The maps are excellent, illustrations numerous and skillfully interpreted, and the prose sprightly and polished....Educational and though-provoking without ever bogging down in pedanticism."--Richmond Times-Dispatch

"A thrilling read. Part biography, part history, this is a mesmerizing look at democracy's infancy....This is a superb examination of the whys and hows of our Revolution."--Trenton Times

"A valuable contribution to the debate over the social structure of New England as well as an exceptionally vivid picture of the outbreak of war. This is historical writing of a very high order."--Colin Bonwick, The Journal of American History

"This is the perfect book for my honors seminar--it is beautifully written, carefully researched, and carefully illustrated. The historiographical section in the appendix addresses the very issues that my students will focus on as they examine different historical and fictional accounts of major events in America's past."--Christine Compston, Western Washington University

"Students loved it! I enjoyed using it in classroom--will use it again."--Anthony Iacono, University of Central Florida

Book Description

A dramatic account of Paul Revere's Ride that uses this one famous incident to offer deep insight into the outbreak of the revolution and the birth of the American republic

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; First Edition (April 19, 1995)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 445 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195098315
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195098310
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1280L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.23 x 1.18 x 9.31 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #96,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #231 in U.S. Revolution & Founding History
- #909 in U.S. State & Local History
- #6,335 in Arts & Photography (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.7 964 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

David Hackett Fischer

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

David Hackett Fischer is University Professor and Warren Professor of History at Brandeis University in Massachusetts. The recipient of many prizes and awards for his teaching and writing, he is the author of numerous books, including Washington's Crossing, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in history.

Customer reviews

964 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and informative. They appreciate the thorough research and readable writing style. The book provides detailed details about the events leading up to the battles of Lexington and Concord. Readers appreciate the vivid imagery and relevant illustrations. The bibliography is detailed with useful sources.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Readability Information quality Writing style Enjoyment Detail Visual quality Bibliography Revealing

204 customers mention "Readability"204 positive0 negative

Customers find the book an interesting and entertaining read. They describe it as a clear, concise retelling of the events leading up to April 18th. The book is well-written and fun to read, making it an enjoyable read for the layman. Readers are caught up in the moment, experiencing the early morning awakenings to danger.

"...and even the clothing, as well as the actions, but it is not at all boring in any sense. Quite the opposite, in fact...." Read more

"...Fischer's narrative relies heavily on fascinating eye witness accounts: mostly depositions and personal writings from the British and American..." Read more

"...periods of American life may be the most valuable and readable part of the book...." Read more

"...This is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand in depth the first battle of the Revolution in terms of strategy, organization, and the..." Read more

171 customers mention "Information quality"171 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's information quality good. They say it's well-researched with enough notes and citations. The book provides an in-depth history of the Revolutionary War battles of Lexington and Concord, providing an outstanding overview of perhaps the most famous horseride in early American history. It gives readers a better understanding of the times and is a great reference for April 19, 1775, the start of the Revolutionary War. Readers appreciate the detailed account of the battles and mindset of the people at the time.

"...The author goes into great detail on the setting, the people, and even the clothing, as well as the actions, but it is not at all boring in any..." Read more

"...He expertly combines the breezy readability of a master popular historian with the professional craftsmanship and deep primary research of a top..." Read more

"...As in "Washington's Crossing," Fischer offers an excellent analysis in the back of the book of the various interpretations Revere's ride was given..." Read more

"...One of Fischer’s goals is to show how the contingencies of history – a small event here, a miscommunication there – lead to events that have..." Read more

88 customers mention "Writing style"81 positive7 negative

Customers find the book engaging and readable. They appreciate the well-researched account of events and the fascinating notes that add to the story. The author draws the reader into the story without being tedious, providing descriptions of key details.

"...the author draws the reader into the story, yet not in a tedious manner...." Read more

"...He expertly combines the breezy readability of a master popular historian with the professional craftsmanship and deep primary research of a top..." Read more

"...Actions spoke louder, as was the case on April 18, 1775 when he mounted the mare Brown Beauty and led a nation into being. "..." Read more

"...Fischer writes in a fluid easy-to-read style that keeps the reader intensely interested in the flow of events...." Read more

19 customers mention "Enjoyment"19 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it well-written, with an engaging story and plenty of action. The narrative flows smoothly with a strong narrative flow. Readers appreciate the vivid descriptions of people, places, and events in and around Massachusetts.

"...Fischer's writing style is impressively vivid, and his narrative moves quickly...." Read more

"...adjectives such as "fascinating", "captivating", "informative" and "entertaining"...." Read more

"...Interestingly written, plenty of action and it fills in many details about the networks of regular Americans who worked together courageously...." Read more

"...That's unfortunate. It's also a travesty when our history is exciting, colorful and revealing...." Read more

17 customers mention "Detail"13 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the book's detail. They find it provides step-by-step details about the night of the battle, including little-known facts. The account is based on accounts and documentation from those involved. The end notes provide more information than just the source. Readers find the book easy to understand, with informative appendices and footnotes.

"...the author draws the reader into the story, yet not in a tedious manner...." Read more

"...End notes are detailed, covering more information than just the source...." Read more

"...and a running account of the battles of the next day that is the most detailed I've found...." Read more

"...while much had been planned in advance by both sides, there was little calculation and nothing was preordained...." Read more

15 customers mention "Visual quality"15 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the vivid imagery and relevant illustrations in the book. They find the history presented stirringly, with vivid details and colorful images.

"Paul Revere’s Ride by David Hackett Fischer is an extraordinary look on the surroundings of what occurred on the night of April 18, 1775 and the..." Read more

"...Fischer's book includes ample illustrations, maps, the British battle order, even the local weather and tides..." Read more

"...Fischer gives incredible images, again supported by documentation, of American householders fighting British Regulars on their doorstep and dying to..." Read more

"...Fischer gives us an excellent word photo of Gage's battle with himself on how to deal with a growing revolutionary population and yet remain a..." Read more

14 customers mention "Bibliography"11 positive3 negative

Customers find the bibliography and appendices useful. They appreciate the detailed sources and wealth of information provided, including a list of Revere's rides during the war. The bibliography alone is over 50 pages long, with references to journals, diaries, and letters from people who were there.

"...He provides an immense amount of supporting documentation in 19 annexes and a detailed historiography on Paul Revere, which follow the primary text...." Read more

"...An incredible array of appendices are included...." Read more

"...The appendices give a lot of information. There is a list of all Revere's rides during the war. There are statistics and battle facts...." Read more

"...This is a LONG book. At times it is a bit tedious. But, it is an essential book, too." Read more

13 customers mention "Revealing"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book revealing. They say it reveals personal involvements of those who fought bravely to defend their ideas. It delved in great detail into the people and events surrounding Revere and the Committee of Safety. The book opens Revere's world and offers much new information about the man and the legend. It treats the British fairly, explaining their circumstances and background. Readers appreciate the personal, documented stories of sacrifice, heartbreak, and defeating tyranny.

"...It remains a show of incredible bravery and a rallying point for American freedom but it also becomes a great example of young men’s lives being..." Read more

"...It's also a travesty when our history is exciting, colorful and revealing...." Read more

"...Reads like a novel, but only much better because those were real stories with real heroes, showing how the fabric of America was woven by the blood..." Read more

"...It treats the British fairly, explaining their circumstances and background...." Read more

Reviews with images

See all photos

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Historical Ken
Perhaps the Best of Its Kind
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2024
Verified Purchase
Paul Revere’s Ride by David Hackett Fischer is an extraordinary look on the surroundings of what occurred on the night of April 18, 1775 and the following day at Lexington & Concord. But Mr. Fischer doesn’t just keep it centered there – he gives us the events on what lead up to those fateful days and shows us how Paul Revere was at the center of much of the activity and planning. The author goes into great detail on the setting, the people, and even the clothing, as well as the actions, but it is not at all boring in any sense. Quite the opposite, in fact. Like every good historical novelist (for, though the information here is well-researched facts, it reads like a novel), the author draws the reader into the story, yet not in a tedious manner. I’ve read some of the one, two, and three star reviews, and they seem to have been written by high school or college kids who fail to understand historical writing – who seem to prefer to get their information from either a quick overview lecture or cliff notes so they can bypass the “meat” so they can pass a test.
Am I being harsh?
Perhaps, but that’s what it seems like to me. Everyone has their opinion, I suppose.
Personally, there cannot be enough factual details in a history book.
And if it seems that the author “is in love with Paul Revere” (as one reviewer wrote), well…who is this book about? And, yes, Revere is the main character, but much time is also spent on General Gage, John Adams & John Hancock, and a host of other players, as well as giving the reader a wonderful view of the times. It is as well rounded a depiction of the beginning of the Revolutionary War as anything I’ve yet to read.
Together with The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson and Paul Revere and the World He Lived In by Esther Forbes, Fischer’s Paul Revere’s Ride is at or near the top of my listing of historically well-researched books on the subject.
Kudos!

Read more

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
T. Graczewski
A rewarding story
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2012
Verified Purchase
David Hackett Fischer writes delightful books. He expertly combines the breezy readability of a master popular historian with the professional craftsmanship and deep primary research of a top rate academic. The end result is a narrative that is at once a dazzling adventure tale and a groundbreaking piece of historiography.

The adventure tale aspect of "Paul Revere's Ride" is phenomenal. Fischer's narrative relies heavily on fascinating eye witness accounts: mostly depositions and personal writings from the British and American troops who marched and mustered and fought that long, bloody day, along with the diary observations from many citizens who happened to witness the remarkable events of April 19, 1775. These accounts are all fresh and personal, overwhelmingly human and familiar, offering a certain vitality and immediacy rarely found in other histories of the American Revolution.

Fischer also highlights some fascinating and long forgotten characters and events from that memorable day, such as Margaret Kemble Gage, the American-born wife of the British commander, who Fischer claims in all probability was the rebel spy who informed the American revolutionary leaders of the impending march on Lexington and Concord, which was one of the most tightly guarded secrets in Boston. Other examples include the women of Pepperell, Massachusetts, who, completely of their own accord and under their own leadership, established a women's militia to patrol and secure the village after their husbands had marched to Lexington, during which time they successfully intercepted, arrested and held a loyalist messenger. Or the story of Samuel Whittemore, a 76-year-old farmer who grabbed his musket and engaged the Redcoats at close range along the Battle Road back to Boston, despite his exemption from active service because of his advanced age, who suffered 14 bayonet wounds and was shot in the face and left for dead in the process, only to survive and live to age 96. Or the town nut at Concord who cheerfully served drinks to both sides before the fighting and then later on casually walked - oblivious and unscathed - between the engaged lines of British and American troops, musket balls whizzing fast and hot all around him.

The groundbreaking piece of historiography side of this book is equally remarkable. The casual reader may find many of the insights surprising (this reader certainly did). Here are a few notable examples: 1) Revere's April midnight ride was not his first: he galloped through the night of December 13, 1774 to warn the citizens of Portsmouth, New Hampshire of a British expedition to capture rebel gunpowder and arms; 2) the main focus of Revere's Lexington ride was not to alarm the countryside of the British incursion but rather to quickly alarm two senior American leaders - John Hancock and Sam Adams - who it was believed were the main targets of the British expedition; 3) and he never shouted "The British are coming!" but rather "The Regulars are Coming Out!" - as the colonists thought of themselves as very much "British" in 1775; 4) many of the American minutemen, far from being the bunch of country bumpkins the British soldiers believed, were often more combat experienced, from service in the French and Indian War, than the vaunted British regulars, the vast majority of the whom had never heard a shot fired in anger before that day; and 5) the Americans were also even more disciplined than the British, who at several critical times that day - the initial engagement at Lexington Green, the confrontation at Concord's North Bridge, and along the Bloody Road back to Boston - willfully bucked the authority of their officers and lost all unit cohesion, in the process either committing shameful atrocities against the local population or shamefully running from the fight.

Fischer also consistently stresses the importance of individual actors, arguing that the fate of an empire may have hinged on the actions of just a few people, most of them peripheral and obscure actors, such as British Lieutenant Jesse Adair, who deliberately steered the British column directly into the mustering militia at Lexington Green, thus provoking the stand-off and first shots of the war, or Ammi White, a Concord ne'er-do-well, who bashed in the skull of an injured British soldier on Concord's North Bridge, leading to rumors of widespread atrocities by the Americans, and resulting in the escalation of barbarous behavior on both sides, especially by the British along the Bloody Road back to Boston.

But no single actor and their actions loom as large or as critical in Fischer's narrative as those of the title character, Paul Revere. Far from the sidebar character history has long remembered him as, Revere was, according to the author and based on his exhaustive research, the central, indispensable actor in the drama that unfolded on April 19th, altering history in a fundamental way. Revere knew everyone and was everywhere, showing an uncanny knack for landing himself in the middle of historical events. In his 2000 best seller "The Tipping Point," celebrity author Malcolm Gladwell used Paul Revere (and entirely based on his reading of this book) as the archetypical "connector," the singular type of individual capable of spurring on mass movements. The "Lexington Alarm" may have been, in truth, a group effort - and one that relied on a generations old organizational communication - but, without Paul Revere and the unique position he held in 1775 Boston events would have turned out far differently.

Whether you are a history buff or just like a great story, "Paul Revere's Ride" is not to be missed.

Read more

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

alex w
Extremely well researched
Reviewed in Germany on March 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
D.H.Fischer's book is extremely well researched, as are all his books I've read - the last was "Champlain's Dream", also highly recommended ! The book about Paul Revere - one of the iconic personalities of the American Revolution - impresses through its wealth of material, its thorough backgrounding in the times, and the thoughtfully added pictures and maps. A fascinating read !

Read more
Report
Glenn
A story that must be told, re-told and told again
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2020
Verified Purchase
The bravery of those who led the charge in freeing the US from British rule is a story that shold be told in a blockbuster Hollywood film. However, as it would be flattering to those who fought for freedom, it will never be made.

Read more
Report
Amazon Customer
Great book loved it
Reviewed in Canada on December 29, 2016
Verified Purchase
I would guess that writing historic novels has many challenges. Least of which is the burden on the author to make the story as captivating as possible even when the outcome of the event being described is already well understood by the reader. A rare skill indeed. David McCullough ( Washington, Adams, Truman, The Path Between the Seas .. many others ) has that rare talent. Paul Revere's Ride was by first book by David Hackett Fischer and I was - in McCullough fashion - drawn into the story. I heard about the book on a You Tube Newt Gingrich video addressing the NRA on a well worn topic - the Second Amendment. Gingrich described in rich detail the challenges that faced the 'Rebel Army' in facing down the British and the importance of having arms to engage the Regulars. During that speech, he mentioned Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer as providing even more detail on the famous post rider from Boston and his historic midnight ride to alarm Lexington and Concord that the Regulars were on the march to confiscate the gun powder stored by the Rebel army. At the outset I though that the scope of the book would be a bit narrow and wondered how the author could possibly expand one event - albeit a significant event , that in effect started the American War of
Independence - into a whole book. Boy was I wrong! The numerous events and characters on both sides are brought to life in vivid details .. and the event is expanded into the macro level that now allows the reader to see the intricate details unfold that makes this a story of epic proportions. Great book loved it ..

Read more
Report
Key Perspective
Recommended
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 12, 2020
Verified Purchase
Interesting read- a life well lived, and told

Read more
Report
t gates
Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2016
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book,a good source for anybody interested in US history.

Read more
Report

See more reviews

Amazon Prime Free Trial

Follow the author

Paul Revere's Ride Paperback – April 19, 1995

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

Review

Book Description

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

David Hackett Fischer

Customer reviews

Review this product

Customers say

Reviews with images

Condition: Unused, Pristine

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the Best of Its Kind

5.0 out of 5 stars A rewarding story

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely well researched

5.0 out of 5 stars A story that must be told, re-told and told again

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book loved it

4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended

4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars

Perhaps the Best of Its Kind

A rewarding story

Extremely well researched

A story that must be told, re-told and told again

Great book loved it

Recommended

Four Stars