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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
This book was a high school graduation gift to me because I had chosen to go to college in Boston. The summer before my freshman year, I started reading it and actually kept a notebook beside me to take notes, as if I would be tested on it.
I decided a few weeks ago, when I kept seeing the current protests compared to the Boston Tea Party and the Revolution, that it was time to actually finish this.
I love American history, specifically the Revolution. I've taken classes, traveled to landmarks -- most of the reason I went to school in Boston was that it was the seat of the Revolution.
This book was a slog.
Don't get me wrong, it's very informative. You learn a lot about a lot of different things. But that's just the issue: it tackles too much information.
If a book is called "Bunker Hill," I would expect the focus to be on the main generals and soldiers of that battle, and to spend a majority of the book focused on why this battle was so important. Instead, we are given 8+ chapters on various events leading up to Bunker Hill, a character study on Joseph Warren, and one chapter on Bunker Hill (where Joseph Warren is present only briefly, and then is shot and KIA). Then, inexplicably, two chapters after the battle, focusing on Knox and General Washington, and the taking of Boston and Dorchester Heights.
I flagged several passages that were interesting, which is why I rated at 3 and not a 2, but I would not read this again, and wouldn't recommend it to fellow history nuts.
I decided a few weeks ago, when I kept seeing the current protests compared to the Boston Tea Party and the Revolution, that it was time to actually finish this.
I love American history, specifically the Revolution. I've taken classes, traveled to landmarks -- most of the reason I went to school in Boston was that it was the seat of the Revolution.
This book was a slog.
Don't get me wrong, it's very informative. You learn a lot about a lot of different things. But that's just the issue: it tackles too much information.
If a book is called "Bunker Hill," I would expect the focus to be on the main generals and soldiers of that battle, and to spend a majority of the book focused on why this battle was so important. Instead, we are given 8+ chapters on various events leading up to Bunker Hill, a character study on Joseph Warren, and one chapter on Bunker Hill (where Joseph Warren is present only briefly, and then is shot and KIA). Then, inexplicably, two chapters after the battle, focusing on Knox and General Washington, and the taking of Boston and Dorchester Heights.
I flagged several passages that were interesting, which is why I rated at 3 and not a 2, but I would not read this again, and wouldn't recommend it to fellow history nuts.
This book details the battles and significant events around Boston for what is generally considered the start of the Revolution. Many of the players had close ties. This fact leads to there being a ridiculous amount of names being mentioned in this book. I found this to be confusing at times: too many names to keep track, not knowing which ones not to bother remembering, and many sharing the same last name. There is great detail on these events that I did enjoy and got a better understanding of how these events unfolded. Overall I did enjoy the book.
informative
slow-paced
Wow! I learned so much. It was all so interesting and sad how everything started. I’m enjoying reading so many different history books that talk about the same or overlapping time periods.
Reading very similar to David Hackett Fischer's Paul Revere's Ride or Washington's Crossing, Nathaniel Philbrick's Bunker Hill keeps the reader very much engaged from cover to cover. He incorporates the chronological story not only of Bunker Hill, but the Powder Alarm of 1774, the battles of Lexington and Concord, and the eventual evacuation of the British from Boston as well as a vivid retelling of the Battle of Bunker Hill itself. Perhaps understandably, due to the amount of history he seeks to discuss, Philbrick's retelling is not as detailed as Hackett Fischer's notable works. But he seamlessly incorporates quotes from contemporaries of the events and also touches on several different points of view, whether from General William Howe, Dr. Joseph Warren (who in fact, given his significance in the events, has quite a bit of screen-time), or one of the militiamen on the field that day.
One piece of the narrative I find particularly interesting is Philbrick's handling of George Washington. Incorporating a few pages of biography is all the General gets right after arrival in Boston post-Bunker Hill, his entrance into the story. Not a negative at all, Philbrick in fact paints an interesting portrait of the Founding Father, one that not so much reveals Philbrick as an anti-Washingtonian - which I do not believe he is - but rather uncovers Washington as a man of flesh and blood and foibles.
Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution is mostly the vivid retelling of the chronological events, interspersed with modest sections of analysis from the author. Overall, an extremely enjoyable read and highly recommended for any Revolutionary War enthusiast.
One piece of the narrative I find particularly interesting is Philbrick's handling of George Washington. Incorporating a few pages of biography is all the General gets right after arrival in Boston post-Bunker Hill, his entrance into the story. Not a negative at all, Philbrick in fact paints an interesting portrait of the Founding Father, one that not so much reveals Philbrick as an anti-Washingtonian - which I do not believe he is - but rather uncovers Washington as a man of flesh and blood and foibles.
Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution is mostly the vivid retelling of the chronological events, interspersed with modest sections of analysis from the author. Overall, an extremely enjoyable read and highly recommended for any Revolutionary War enthusiast.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
One of my absolute favorite books. I'm a huge history buff and this really is a well written account
Fun, easy read. Good primer/companion for a walkabout, plaque-reading trip to Boston. Some historical details seem to stretch into conjecture. Companion Copley portraits/other illustrations at back of E-Book were very nice, as were the maps interspersed in the chapters themselves.
A relatively short history of the events that started the Revolutionary War with a focus on Boston and its pivotal role in the beginning. It starts around 1774 with some coverage of history leading up to that point. Goes into detail on the Boston Tea Party, the Midnight ride of Paul Revere, Lexington, Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill and the subsequent siege of Boston by Washington and the provincial army. It really brings you there to the time period and gives you a sense for how precarious the situation was at the time and how it could have changed in many different directions based on the decisions of a few key individuals (Washington, Sam Adams, General Gage, Knox, Putnam, Parker and many other less known individuals).
informative
slow-paced