Rise to Rebellion: A Novel of the American Revolution

Rise to Rebellion

I am a high school teacher, and I can say that Rise to Rebellion is among the best and most thorough and captivating history novels I have read. It conveys the events leading up to 1776 through the eyes of the major historical figures of the time -- Franklin, Washington, Gage, Howe, Adams (both of them), King George, and so on. It's historical accuracy is accutely maintaned as the author successfully transports the reader into the social and political dynamics of the period. It will enable students and non-students alike to truly get to know the key figures in American history. A quick read, despite the nearly 500 pages.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Balanced to a Fault

If you walked up to the average American standing on the street and asked them on what date The Declaration of Independence was signed the most likely answer you would get is ¿Everyone knows that, July 4th, 1776.¿ Or try asking him ¿Which hill was the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on?¿ I¿ll give you a hint¿ it wasn¿t on Bunker Hill. The fact is that many Americans carry around these types of iconic myths regarding the era of the American Revolution. Jeff Shaara¿s fourth novel, ¿Rise to Rebellion,¿ the first of two books to cover the period of the American Revolution, dispels many of these myths. Spanning six and a half years, beginning with the Boston Massacre on March 5th, 1770 and ending with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on August 2nd, 1776, Mr. Shaara follows the lives such noted historical personalities as Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John and Abigail Adams, George Washington, Thomas Gage, Thomas Hutchinson, John Dickinson, Thomas Paine and John Hancock as they struggle to further their causes, both for and against, the independence of the American colonies from the rule of the British crown. Once again, using his father, Michael Shaara¿s, tried and true method of multiple view points we view events such as the Boston Tea Party, The Battles of Lexington & Concord, and the Battle of Bunker Hill through the eyes of the characters who participated in the actual historical events. The genius of the Shaara formula lies not only within the shifting viewpoints but in the balanced approach to the material, not only concentrating on the American point of view, but also that of the British. He also shows the military struggle between the two sides and the political and diplomatic struggles of both sides as well - most notably following Benjamin Franklin as he navigates the stormy political seas of the British Parliament and the royal court of King George III. To balance military, political, diplomatic and social history is a difficult task and yet Shaara has succeeded masterfully at it. However the one drawback of ¿Rise to Rebellion,¿ and one that I fear Jeff Shaara will never break free of, is that of the formulaic structure of the book itself. Alas it is the alternating, multiple viewpoint structure that he inherited from his father, Michael Shaara, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning, The Killer Angels. Though it works well to provide a well balanced view of the contrasting sides, it impedes the author from trying a more literary approach to his story telling. Mr. Shaara¿s novel is a sweeping, yet balanced, panorama of the people and events which gave birth to the United States of America and is worthy of its place on the bookshelf of American historical fiction

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Enjoyable read as always.

I have to admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Jeff's novels, including his most recent title "Rise to Rebellion", though it was a much slower read than his previous three. As a writer of historical fiction myself, I can empathize with the difficulty in staying true to history in your novel, while trying to tie it all together into a coherent, entertaining book. Not an easy task. "Rise to Rebellion" may not be his best work, but I still feel better off for having taken the time to read it and as always, eagerly await his next installment.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

History made exciting

-This is an exciting and insightful look into history that reads like a thriller novel drawing the reader into the story. And despite knowing the outcome you will find yourself wondering at the climax at the close of each chapter.
-A very unique perspective in that not just one side of the story is told. Instead, the reader is involved with most of the major players.
-This is a great book and the first half of the story. The second book that completes the story is The Glorious Cause which is just as well written.

Must read if you like American History

Very impressed with the amount of research that was required to put you in the minds of these characters.

A great read from the early days of the colonies defiance!

In this book the author takes the reader from the early days of the colonies rejection to British rule through the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He covers numerous characters that were critical and some that played a supportive role in the founding of the USA, e.g., George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and some of the British generals. The author is very detailed in giving his view as to the thinking and emotions of the cast of characters in the book. The book was easy to follow and it provided a number of insights in the many historical figures that were active during the Revolutionary War. Highly recommend.

The Founding Fathers

I didn't realize how little I knew about the founding of my country until I read this book. Shaara's ability to make a novel both informative and entertaining his second-to-none. Shaara makes you feel like you're with these men as they struggle to lead America to Independence. Unlike most of his novels, this one features little war and fighting, and deals more with the "rise to rebellion". I find the political intrigue and details behind what lead us to break away from Britain equally as fascinating as the war itself. But, if you want fighting, you may be a little disappointed. Told through the eyes of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and George Washington, you gain a new appreciation for each of these men. I also found Samuel Adams and Joseph Warren to be fascinating men as well. Read about how these men had to battle and persuade their own countrymen that independence was the only course of action before they could truly battle Britain. This book will give you a new appreciation for the men who founded this country. It's hard for me to rank Shaara's books, but I'm doubtful that I'll read a series of books on any other war/conflict that will be as good as these two book on the revolution.

book

It is an okay book it does not go very fast and not much action

Foundation comes at a high price

After reading about the foundation of this great nation, one can comprehend the mindstate in which our founding fathers were in when they sacrificed their liberty and freedom to start a new beginning for all who pursue freedom of mind, body and soul.

I have to disagree...

I personally believe that this book was a bit overdone. Shaara uses so many points throught the book, that it becomes boring and quite a bit 'textbook'. His novel stated ideas and happenings that can be found in many online searches and history textbooks. I think that Shaara could have improved the book if he took some viewpoint rather than attempting to explain everything. I do not recommend this book, and I do not plan on reading any of Shaara's other works anytime soon.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Brilliant

I love this novel because you get to look at the revolution in a totally new view than most history novels, which only follow the battles. Witnessing the political and social aspects of the revolution was interesting and entertaining. It was a unique experiance becoming intimate with the characters that helped shape our nation. A fantastic read.

Shaara

This book is required reading for tenth grade history AP in my school. The size and small font were discouraging at first but when I started reading it, I was hooked. It's one of those books that is so good you don't want it to end.

Historically Awestruck!!

Time and again I am overwhelmed by this authors style of taking me not only into history but into the lives of the characters in the most personal view points. I have been drawn to reading like never before in my 44 years. Thank You Mr. Shaara.

I pledge allegiance to...

This book was fasinating. The events leading to the declaration of this nation's independence are formidable. The average family man who led this country from an abused country to a strong independent country, coupled with the God-given talents that surfaced when time called them forth, are extraordinary. The author brings this era to life again as he shows you the big picture and explains the smallest detail. I look forward to reading the sequel to this book, also written by Jeff Shaara, The Glorious Cause.

Awsome!

I am 20 years old and feel truly inspired by this book. Shaara humanizes some of the greatest actors in our countries history (Adams, Washington, Franklin, Gage etc.) I highly reccomend this book for anyone with a desire to expand their understanding of America. Instead of mearly hearing about these great men and women secondhand, Shaara puts them there infront of you for you to be amazed. Highly dramatic and engaging this book keeps the pages turning. A side note: Even more interesting if you are familiar with the greater Boston area.

A Remarkable Accomplishment

Being the first book of its kind that I have ever read, I was thorougly impressed. Jeff Shaara vividly recreates minds of the founding fathers and the events that started the American Revolution without ever straying from historical fact. Though it is a novel, it could very well be a text book. I highly recommend it.

Relive The American Revolution

You ever wondered what it would have been like back during the American Revolution? Rise to Rebellion makes all of the key figures of history come to life, like: John Adams, General Gage, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, Governor Hutchinson, Captain Hall of the Gaspee, General Pitcairn, Dr. John Warren, and General Washington. The following is a list of characters that also contribute to the story: Samuel Adams, John Dickinson, Governor William Franklin (Benjamin¿s son), Margaret Stevenson (B. Franklin¿s landlady), Richard Henry Lee (congress), Will Strahan (friend of B. Franklin), General Aretemas Ward (continental army), John Hancock (president of congress), William Pit Ward (Lord Chatham),Thomas Pain and even Paul Revere. The book is written well and easy to understand. This fictional-History account of the events from 1770 through 1776 are so well told that you feel like you are there. I would highly recommend that you read Rise to Rebellion by Jeff Shaara.

book review

Rise to Rebellion by Jeff Shaara is a good book. It teaches the reader more about the revolutionary war. The book tells the story in order of the events happened in history. This book has a soap opera setup, which a different person tells a part of the story. This will keep you very interested in the book. What I liked the most about the book is that it taught the reader a lot about the process our country went through to get our independence.

Good Book!

This book was a really good history book. This book took place in the 1770s to about 1776. This is a war book.It talks about the boston masacre and the declaration of independence. If you like to read about history books or just want to learn a little more about history I would recomend this book for you. I like to read about history books and it really kept my interest going.

A Riviting Account

Though this book is categorized as historical fiction, it is a must read for any enthusiast of American Revolutionary history. In the same cogent style as Michener's TEXAS, Shaara manages to successfully meld fiction with historical accuracy. Shaara does a fabulous job of giving life and character to the parties involved in the circumstances leading up to the American Revolution. The book begins with the events surrounding the Boston Massacre and takes the reader on a stimulating journey through the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. Terrific insight is given to the personalities involved. If there is a flaw to this book, it is the authors' incessant love for the use of descriptive adjectives and punctuation. You will find hard to comprehend sentence structure on occasion. I recall sentences containing up to 10 commas and recall sentences that had to be reread to fully comprehend, but this book is definitely worth the effort. This is the type of historically accurate book that could be used to stimulate interest among students in American classrooms. If you want to know more about the events that led to the American Revolution, read this book. Shaara holds the readers' interest by giving personality to historical figures and you will find yourself riveted to this book. The featured characters of the book are Franklin, Adams, Washington and Gage, with strong emphasis on other characters such as Hutchinson, Sam Adams, Dickenson and Jefferson. Shaara won my admiration with this book and I will definitely be adding more of his works to my collection.