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Summary: Another wonderful book by the Jeff Shaara
Review: This is yet another wonderful book from the pen of Jeff Shaara. If you have read any of Mr. Shaara's other works then it is safe to assume that you will enjoy this book just as well.For those who have yet to discover Mr. Shaara's books... "Rise to Rebellion," covers the span of time from the "Boston Massacre" of 1770 to the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the formative years of the American Revolution. The events that led up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence are brought to life and told through the unique perspectives of some of its most famous participants, John Adams, Ben Franklin, George Washington, and the British General, Thomas Gage. Their lives and the events surrounding and involving them are carefully interwoven to create a marvelous book. If you think you learned the real history of our split up from Britain in school, and that you know everything that is going to happen in this book, think again. Mr. Shaara has done a wonderful job of researching our early history and has reawoken many of the issues and events that were so vital to the rebellion, but are now lost to our school texts. I can't wait for the second volume to be published and wonder what topic Mr. Shaara will move choose to write about after that.
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Summary: Rise to Rebellion
Review: Excellent... In the tradition of Shaara's Civil War trilogy (Gods and Generals; The Last Full Measure; Gone for Soldiers), Shaara presents the first of a two-book chronicle of the American Revolution. The book is well founded in historic fact and breaths perfect life into our founding fathers beyond the limited dimensions of the characters we've read about for some many years. Beyond a doubt, your minds eye will work overtime in to visualize the settings, environment, persons and actions that simply unfold with life and character to retell the greater story about the birth of hope, an idea and a nation.
Clearly an extraordinary amount of research has taken place to portray this story. Shaara has crafted and virtually illustrated the perspective and personalities of Samuel Adams, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin Patrick Henry, John Hancock, George Washington Thomas Paine, Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson and British Gen. Thomas Gage. The book principally begins in 1770 and extends through the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July, 4, 1776. It is set in the historical places of that time; Boston, Lexington, Concord, Fort Ticonderoga, Bunker Hill and Philadelphia. I was practically partial to the environment and life of the Continental Congress and found the accuracy of Shaara's canvas to be both satisfying and exciting. A must read for every patriot.
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Summary: slow going but entertaining
Review: RISE TO REBELLION is a version of events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence...GLORIOUS CAUSE, the second volume, finishes the Revolution. Shaara's closest relative as a writer is WEB Griffin, Shaara uses the same cinematic crosscutting style and gives his his characters about as much depth. All of the real life figures who populate this book (John & Sam Adams, Franklin, Washington, etc ), despite A LOT of ruminating, basically only exist in the context of aiding the revolution...John & Abigail Adams get a few scenes together, but the women don't have much to do other than that. Still, the narrative moves just fast enough to hold your attention, although this book could have been considerably shorter,
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Summary: Good read
Review: Jeff Shaara's "Rise to Rebellion" is a worthy effort that pays dividends to its readers. He does indeed breath life into historical figures long ago relegated to the dusty confines of old American History books. His plot takes the reader from the opening days of discord between the colonies and England to the high tide of the Revolution, the summer of 1776, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As well as rounding off his cast of characters -- George Washington, John Adams, Ben Franklin, British Gen. Thomas Gage, and others, Shaara's plot unfolds nicely. At times, I was reliving the opening days of the Revolution via Shaara's pen, but only for an instant. Despite Shaara's qualities, he gets bogged down in long winded renditions of the inner workings of the minds of his characters. In doing this, he at times breaks away from some climax or point of action. The result -- a feeling of being let down. He is most guilty of this when writing of the fighitng at Bunker Hill. Instead of bringing that scene to a close, he tappers off into the mind of his characters. If not for this, I would have rated the book with five stars. Notwithstanding, "Rise to Rebellion," is still worth the investment of time and money.
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Summary: The First Full Measures
Review: Jeff Shaara may have started writing to finish his father's The Killer Angels trilogy with Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, but with Gone For Soldiers and now Rise to Rebellion he is firmly established in the novelized history genre in his own right. The first of two books telling the story of the American Revolution, Rise to Rebellion covers the period from the Boston Massacre through the siege of Boston and Washington's moving the fledgling Continental Army to New York and the Declaration of Independence. Shaara focuses on John Adams, Ben Franklin, George Washington, and, from the British side, General Thomas Gage, but the emphasis is strongly on John Adams. This is an odd coincidence, given that this book was released at about the same time as David McCullough's acclaimed biography of John Adams. I cannot compare the two, not having read McCullough yet, but Shaara does a wonderful job of making John Adams and Abigail very real people. There is also wonderful background on Ben Franklin's time in England during the years before he gave up on mediating any kind of accommodation. There is also informative background on John's cousin, Sam Adams, whose name is often mentioned but whose contribution is not documented very much in general literature. Washington is introduced, and background provided, and we will probably see much more of him in the sequel. I found the material on Thomas Gage is also very informative. American history does not generally give us much information on this man, other than the fact that he was in command of British forces at the beginning. This is a very readable and very interesting book, and I look forward to the next volume.
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Summary: Excellent interpretation of the beginnings of our nation
Review: Jeff Shaara's Rise to Rebellion is a fantastic work that resonates with poignancy and masterful writing. The first of Shaara's novels were in a way the continuation of what his father had begun. Rise to Rebellion begins a two book set on the American Revolution and the events leading up to this momentous event in history. Following his previous style of writing, Shaara concentrates on just a few of the men involved in this event that changed the shape of the world. There is John Adams, a lawyer so honest that he defends the British accused of murder after the Boston Massacre, Ben Franklin, a man of science and great wit, spending time in England trying to help alleviate the situation and Thomas Gage, a British general who does not see the danger in the way he handles different situations in Boston. There are brief flashes of our other Founding Fathers: Sam Adams, Joseph Warren, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, and of course George Washington, a man whose role in history will be assured by events taking place in the second book. Shaara is masterful in this book, but it is nothing compared to the sequal.
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Summary: worth your while to read
Review: This book is a definate must for anyone to read, whether you are a history buff, or, not. Set in the period before the start of the American Revolution, it brings to life many leading figures of the Revolution, Samual and John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Washington, General Gage, et al. It's style, brings you into the action. So, it has the feel of a novel while still giving you a well researched history of the events leading to the Declaration of Independence. I wish more history would be presented this way. If I was teaching history now, I would use this book as one way to get students involved in knowing about our rise to become a nation.
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Summary: Best...Book...Ever
Review: I am a historan. I am getting my teaching cert, and every student in my class WILL read this book. It makes history fun; this book is a real page turner. He goes into facts that are not only well researched, but overlooked by most historans. Even if you hate history, you will not be able to put this book down. Rise to Rebellion by Mr. Shaara should be required reading for every High School student.
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Summary: THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION LIVES AGAIN!
Review: "Rise to Rebellion" is the first part of a two-volume epic about America's first major conflict: the American Revolution. Jeff Shaara has written the finest novel ever created about that momentous conflict, when thirteen seperate colonies put aside their differences and became one nation! The scenes of battle are exciting and very detailed, the scenes of drama and dialogue ring with fiery passion and true human emotion. Jeff Shaara is, without a doubt, the best novelist of our time! He continues to write moving and exciting novels about the struggles America has faced in her short history. Fans of history and epic stories will surely enjoy "Rise to Rebellion!" Grade: A+
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Summary: Rise to Rebellion by Jeff Shaara
Review: If you love history, this book is for you. It is great for three reasons. First, it is interesting. It is more than just a historical account of the events that lead to the American Revolution. It is a story told through the eyes of those who were present. Next, It is historically accurate. By the time you have read this book, you will have gained a thorough understanding of the time period. The last reason why it is good is because it brings the characters to life. It reminds you that George Washington was human, just like you and me. For these reasons, and plenty more, this book is worth reading.
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