Every year around the fourth of July, I choose books that focus on the American Revolution. This year I chose the two William Hallahan books that focus on the first and last days of the war. This particular book about the day the revolution began was very interesting, presenting events and views I had not previously known. The focus is on the 24 hour period leading up to, during, and immediately after the battles of Lexington and Concord, near Boston. Many figures, well known and some not so well known, are discussed, but no one gets as much airtime than Samuel Adams. Hallahan holds no punches when discussing Adam's motivations and influence leading up to the battle. He shows him as the ringleader, inciting riots, and possibly being the catalyst of the bloodshed that day. It was also interesting to see how news of the battle was received in various cities afterwards, including Philadelphia, New York, Williamsburg, and London. All told, I was highly entertained and learned much about a subject I thought I already knew a lot about. I was excited to start Hallahan's book on the last days of the war. ( )

This is a very good, informative, engaging text about the beginning of the Revolutionary War. There is a host of information about one short, but long-reaching, incident in the war. ( )