State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey

by Al Frazza

Overview

Part Memoir. Part History. Part Travelogue.

Part Love Letter to the State of New Jersey.

On a late summer day in 2009, Al Frazza began a journey of exploration. His goal - to visit, research, and photograph hundreds of NJ Revolutionary War historic sites. While thoroughly exploring the physical landscape of his home state, he encounters a history that is often heart-breaking, sometimes uplifting, but always interesting.

Working alone, with no prior training as a historian, and no financial backing, his life slowly becomes dominated by the project. Increasingly unsure if and when he will ever complete his journey, he moves ever onward in his 1994 Oldsmobile. Ultimately, he explores nearly 650 historic locations, and creates the RevolutionaryWarNewJersey.com website.

This book tells the story of Al's journey in his own words, including some humorous experiences he had along the way. It also describes the NJ experiences of famous figures such as George Washington and Ben Franklin, as well as ordinary NJ residents whose lives, farms, and homes stood in the midst of a war zone. Told in short chapters that flow from one topic to another, the book moves at a brisk pace.

State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey creates a unique reading experience that will keep you engaged. You might even find yourself inspired to go out and explore the history around you - wherever you may live.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798985560411
Publisher:	258 Publishing
Publication date:	02/24/2022
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	296,888
Product dimensions:	5.06(w) x 7.81(h) x 0.46(d)

About the Author

Al Frazza is a proud lifelong resident of North Jersey, who has had a passion for history for much of his life. He is the creator of the RevolutionaryWarNewJersey.com website, which is used by thousands of people every week to help them explore New Jersey's Revolutionary War historic sites. Al's history work and photographs have been featured in many New Jersey publications. State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey is his first book.

Editorial Reviews

More than two hundred years after the last shots of the Revolutionary War were fired, remnants of the war can still be found in many places besides history books. Al Frazza, motivated by a love of history, discovers this in a very personal way. Armed with little more than a car, a camera and a map, Frazza embarks on a project that takes him to the most rare and overlooked historical sites in New Jersey. The author's goal, which sounds deceptively simple, is to explore and chronicle Revolutionary War sites in his home state and populate a website with his findings. However, as shown in State of Revolution, sometimes there is far more to a project than meets the eye. This book not only documents Frazza's travel adventures, but also broadens readers' horizons by exposing them to a rare appreciation for history and a unique perspective of the world.

At its core, State of Revolution is a memoir that covers nearly eight years of the author's life. More than that, however, this story of an amateur historian taking on an immense project and accomplishing a monumental task is one that will educate, entertain and motivate. While together comprising an unpredictable flow to the overall narrative arc, each vividly described chapter treats readers to a distinct, enriching experience. A wide variety of topics are explored, ranging from Washington's army surviving a bitter and brutal 1779-1780 winter in Morristown to a large-scale police convergence surrounding the author after a minor traffic infraction. The historical accounts are presented in a manner far removed from the dry textbook-style history that many of us remember from school, as Frazza brings them alive by sharing the challenges, humor, despair, elation, and insightful discoveries he experiences during his extensive research. Transcending the mere development of a war memorial website, this book is a must read for those interested in New Jersey history or the Revolutionary War. For the rest of us, State of Revolution is a thoughtful, informative and fulfilling book that is sure to inspire you to explore the peculiarities and backstories of your part of the globe.

Indies Today - Dave Allen

"Al Frazza's Revolutionary War New Jersey was my go-to source as I drove around the Garden State for a traveling history of the war that made us who we are. And the story of how Frazza created his matchless online guide—working by himself, over more than seven years, inspired by his love for his home state—is as fascinating as the information-rich website itself."
—Bob Thompson, author of Born on a Mountaintop: On the Road with Davy Crockett and the Ghosts of the Wild Frontier, and now working on a book about the Revolutionary War and its turning points.

"This fascinating little book could be called The Site that Al Built. Instead, it is named State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey. This book is the history of Al Frazza's travels and research to make his historical website concerning New Jersey's part in the Revolutionary War a reality. Let me hasten to say, the book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in history and how historians go about mining facts from primary sources. Al spent over seven years traversing the great state of New Jersey. He visited over 600 historical sites, then documented the relationship of the sites to the Revolutionary War on his website. Even if you are not into history, you will enjoy reading this book.
"After spending 10,000 hours of research, thousands of miles of travel, and untold misery in a hot car, what do you get? If you are Al Frazza, you get a fantastic website about the American Revolutionary War and its events in New Jersey. State of Revolution is a gold mine of information for anyone writing their American History Master's Capstone Project. Al was not writing an academic paper, but unknowingly, he produced a book that I wish I'd had when I did my history capstone project. He explains how he developed the website, and in his explanation, he gives guidance for historical research. Al shares anecdotes from his field research that keep the book moving and interesting. He does not write in a dry academic manner but rather as if he is talking to the reader as a friend."
—Philip Van Heusen, for Readers' Favorite, readersfavorite.com

"The best resource for information about the Garden State in the American Revolution has long been Revolutionary War New Jersey. For over seven years, Al Frazza's wonderful web site has provided a treasure trove of details for both scholars and those simply seeking to explore the scene of the action. Now, thanks to State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey, we can share the back story of Frazza's odyssey.
"We join the author on the road as he visits about 650 historic locations, highlighting thousands of people, buildings, monuments, cemeteries, and battlefields. State of Revolution is equally educational, humorous, inspiring, and a paean to New Jersey.
"As a long-time user of Frazza's site, I was excited to learn of the book. I was not disappointed. As a former longtime NJ resident and an American Revolution Round Table president, I highly recommend that you join Frazza on this enlightening journey for both the history and the fun. Huzza!"
—Bill Welsch, President of American Revolution Round Table of Richmond, and Co-Founder of the Congress of American Revolution Round Tables

"State of Revolution details the author's fascinating journey through New Jersey. Frazza was highly interested in the history of his home state of New Jersey, he was especially fascinated by the historical monuments that were from the Revolutionary War. After he explored nearly 650 historic locations, he created the Revolutionary War New Jersey website.

Author Al Frazza successfully shows both his trials and triumphs on his journey. It is refreshing to read about the author's passion for learning more about the history of his hometown. I enjoyed reading about the author's process and even though he was unsure if he would be able to complete this journey he continued on.

It's inspiring to see the author take his lack of experience as a historian and create a website that is dedicated to teaching others about the history of the New Jersey Revolutionary War. While I enjoyed this enlightening book, I would have liked to have seen some of the pictures that the author took on his travels to be incorporated in the book as I think it would enhance the reader's experience.

Frazza does an excellent job of teaching readers about history while keeping the reader entertained with compelling storytelling. I was engaged from the turn of the first page. It was like I embarked on my own journey through New Jersey. This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to travel, readers who are interested in history, and anyone living in New Jersey that wants a fresh perspective on the state.

State of Revolution is a fascinating travelogue that colors an intriguing memoir with interesting historical facts. Author Al Frazza has written a fantastic book for anyone who wants to broaden their horizons and learn something new about a place and a person they might not have known about otherwise."
—Literary Titan

"Al Frazza has written a highly entertaining story of his efforts and successes in accomplishing his goal of documenting the importance of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War. The majority of the battles in our War for Independence took place in our state. Al took on an effort to create a website that provided all the pertinent facts surrounding those battles. However, the book is not a history book. It is his story of his life during the period he went exploring.

As is the case with anyone who attempts to record the history of a particular period, otherwise unknown and seemingly insignificant facts grow in significance to the telling of the full story. As new facts were uncovered, they expanded the time he set to complete his goal. The book is a real page turner full of surprise discoveries, moments of happiness and joy, and periods of disaster and sadness. Moreover, the warm and dedicated personality of the author comes through on every page. You find yourself caught up in the emotions, cheering for his successes and sharing his losses. Whether you are into history or a casual observer of the world around you, this book will move you and convince you that your life, your struggles, and your successes are history.

Read the book! The words and experiences of this phenomenal writer will leave you convinced that you never really understood history before. It is a journey worth taking."
—Leon S. Kish, President of the Historic Restoration Trust of Nutley

"Al Frazza's book, State of the Revolution, is one man's account of his mission to find every Revolutionary War marker, sign, monument, historic building, etc. that exists in the state of New Jersey. His dedication is amazing and the seven-year account shows the joy he took in his travels, even when they ended up in wrong turns, which never stopped Frazza for long. Along the way, his travels give telling insights into the hearts and minds of New Jersey residents during that long-ago time of the Revolutionary War. All of it is told with warmth and understanding that never failed to hold my interest."
—Beverly Haaf, Editor of The Beverly Bee Newspaper, Burlington County, NJ

"State of Revolution is a travel memoir filled with the author's experience of not only life but also his journey of exploring. He decides to document many New Jersey Revolutionary War historic sites, and with that comes much storytelling and exciting tales that you experience when reading this book. The author also adds humor to the mix, making it fun. What's more important is how it takes over 7 years to go through, and much detail is involved in the trip. This is the author's first book and is written well. What I predominately enjoyed about this read was how educational it also was. I learned a lot from the trips and about history. I recommend this book to memoir readers and those who like to travel."
—Review Tales

"Al Frazza's State of Revolution is an enthralling, entertaining, and informative memoir, travelogue, and history lesson all in one. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and suggest you pick it up without delay, hit the road with the author, and get ready for an exciting ride. I highly recommend this book for Revolutionary War enthusiasts and lovers of history, New Jersey, and adventure in general."
—David Brighouse, Owner/Publisher of TAPinto Rahway, Rahway, NJ

From the Publisher