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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Slightly different type of biography as it really focuses on Revolutionary War time period and is not what I would describe as a true biographical look at the full life of Samuel Adams.
Very dense and read like a textbook but not one you want to learn from. Very detailed story telling that somehow went nowhere. Tried reading and audio book but still couldn’t get through it. Tried till about chapter 6 but gave up. Wish the story telling was better here, I wanted to finish the book
Dense at time making it a slow read, but a great backstory and history if how we came to be.
A textbook, overburdened with details, which never captured my imagination. It is not really a biography, but the story of Boston in the years before 1776.
I would put this book at 2.5 stars, which was unexpected for me after seeing how many accolades it has received. First of all, it should be titled “Events leading up to the Revolution, including the actions of Samuel Adams.” For a book that seems to be a biography of Samuel Adams from its cover, I felt like I did not really understand Samuel Adams the man until the final chapter. He’s in the background as a “mastermind” or puppet master behind major pre-revolution conflicts, but it was very difficult to understand why people listened to him, were protective of him, why his friends stood by him, etc.
Second of all, the writing of this book was so difficult to read. I am an avid reader, am open to many different genres of books, and I had to force myself to slog through this book to meet a book club deadline. Without that deadline, I would not have finished this book at all. This book really needed editing. There are so many small details in every paragraph that it’s impossible to discern what’s important and what’s not. Each long paragraph would focus on a new topic in each sentence, with frequently unclear pronouns. I doubt I would read anything else by this Pulitzer Prize winning author if this book is representative of her typical writing style.
What’s good: I did learn new things from reading this book. Schiff does a great at conveying both sides of each conflict and demonstrating the often shady tactics of the sons of Liberty. History enthusiasts will likely enjoy this book if you are patient enough to stop and frequently reread to figure out what is happening. It did generate a good discussion as well.
I would not recommend it widely because it was not an enjoyable reading experience for me, but if you want specifics on this time period, you will learn something.
Second of all, the writing of this book was so difficult to read. I am an avid reader, am open to many different genres of books, and I had to force myself to slog through this book to meet a book club deadline. Without that deadline, I would not have finished this book at all. This book really needed editing. There are so many small details in every paragraph that it’s impossible to discern what’s important and what’s not. Each long paragraph would focus on a new topic in each sentence, with frequently unclear pronouns. I doubt I would read anything else by this Pulitzer Prize winning author if this book is representative of her typical writing style.
What’s good: I did learn new things from reading this book. Schiff does a great at conveying both sides of each conflict and demonstrating the often shady tactics of the sons of Liberty. History enthusiasts will likely enjoy this book if you are patient enough to stop and frequently reread to figure out what is happening. It did generate a good discussion as well.
I would not recommend it widely because it was not an enjoyable reading experience for me, but if you want specifics on this time period, you will learn something.
Samual was, much like his famous cousin, John, a cantankerous, bullheaded patriot that believed in the American ideal & fought for her people's liberty.
Samuel is the forgotten founder who was not afraid to get in people's faces, or, more likely, argue his point in the papers.
S. Schiff can be a bit wordy at times, making this book a long'ish read.
If your interested in the American Revolution though, this is one for you.
Samuel is the forgotten founder who was not afraid to get in people's faces, or, more likely, argue his point in the papers.
S. Schiff can be a bit wordy at times, making this book a long'ish read.
If your interested in the American Revolution though, this is one for you.
I learned a tremendous amount about the American Revolution from the Boston perspective with a special emphasis on Samuel Adams. Definitely focused on the “revolutionary” aspect of his life, I found the person and his story remarkable and inspiring. And sad, in a way.
I saw several reviews commenting on unclear pronoun usage: I never had a problem, but I did listen to the audio version and I suppose the narrator may have provided a level of clarity not obvious in the text.
I saw several reviews commenting on unclear pronoun usage: I never had a problem, but I did listen to the audio version and I suppose the narrator may have provided a level of clarity not obvious in the text.
Listening to this audiobook was probably not my best move... I think I would have followed and retained the information much better if I had read it. This would also be a good book to read as an ebook because there were a LOT of big words, and that makes it easy to look things up.
All that aside, this was an interesting book. It's crazy that Samuel Adams, a man who seems nearly forgotten to history, had such a massive impact on the colonies' move toward revolution.
The author has a very dry sense of humor that cracked me up when I was least expecting it. I am definitely interested in reading some of her other books (though I'll likely take my own advice and do it in ebook form).
All that aside, this was an interesting book. It's crazy that Samuel Adams, a man who seems nearly forgotten to history, had such a massive impact on the colonies' move toward revolution.
The author has a very dry sense of humor that cracked me up when I was least expecting it. I am definitely interested in reading some of her other books (though I'll likely take my own advice and do it in ebook form).
Schiff provides personality to many of the events I learned about in school. I enjoyed getting to know more about Adams as an instigator and master of propaganda.
I felt like the narrative was a bit confusing to follow at times, and the content was too dense. Some parts were interesting, but in others, the names and details were hard to get through. I did enjoy many of the author’s vivid descriptions though.
I felt like the narrative was a bit confusing to follow at times, and the content was too dense. Some parts were interesting, but in others, the names and details were hard to get through. I did enjoy many of the author’s vivid descriptions though.