Rating: 
Summary: Extraordinary
Review: I am a huge fan of any material relating to the revolutionary period. I belive Mr. Shaara did a fine job relating the events as they actually happened. I could not put this book down until the last word was read. I recommend this book for anyone remotely interested in our founding father's or how our great country came about.
Rating: 
Summary: Good historical fiction
Review: A good, quick paced read covering the events that led the American colonies to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. All the major events are covered, The Stamp Act, The Boston Massacre, The Continental Congress etc. in a way that gives you a more personal "you are there" feel of events that you were most likely simply required to memorize in high school. Highly recommended reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Good...But Not Enough
Review: What I was really hoping this book would do, but what it failed to do, was to make the Founding Fathers seem like ordinary guys. Shaara details the problems John Adams and Ben Franklin have with their family lives, but I never really felt that I got to know them intimately. Washington was little-used, and all I seemed to learn about him was that he was tall and concerned about forming an army from a bunch of farmers. General Gage was one of the least interesting characters, it seemed from what I read that he really had little impact on the Revolution, which made me wonder why he was used so much. The book seems centered around Adams and Franklin, and maybe Shaara should have just concentrated on them, since the other perspectives seemed to add very little.Perhaps Shaara bites off more than he can chew, covering the American colonies (and England) over a six-year span leaves a lot of ground to cover, making it harder to focus on specific events. So in the end, a lot of the events going on have to be summarized like a history textbook. Overall, I thought Shaara's writing style was adequate, but nothing special. His narration didn't really bring out a lot of emotion in me. That's too bad, because as an American when I read a book about American heroes, I want to FEEL something. To close, Rise to Rebellion provides an interesting perspective, but it didn't seem any better than the hundreds of books already in my public library on the Revolutionary War.
Rating:
Summary: Smart!
Review: Everyone who's smart and everyone who's [not]and everyone in between should rush out to buy and read this book. Why? Because the author is just so dad-gum smart... I read books like this just hoping to be smart someday.
Rating:
Summary: The revolution made easy!!
Review: This book was a great and easy read. The people we all read about in school are brought forth, in this book, as people we can relate to. I have always loved history but I believe that even those that do not would like this book. Mr. Shaara has put a human aspect to the characters and also why they were so ardent in their beliefs that a break from Englan was the only course. One never reads in school how there was great debate on breaking with England and starting a new nation, but Mr. Shaara brings that forth in this book.
Rating:
Summary: Meaningful Historical Fiction
Review: Reading RISE TO REBELLION was an exciting and inspirational learning experience. Like every other American who took U.S. History in high school, I was exposed to the story about the colonies' break from England and their journey toward independence and liberty. However, when it was a requirement to graduate, the entire story was dry, meant little and was mostly forgotten. Having the opportunity to re-learn the story in this format has piqued my interest to read more. The Stamp Act, Boston Tea Party, Lexington and Concord, First and Second Continental Congress, et al are not just names of past events but were actual occurrences that had life altering impact on real people then and now. Shaara brings to life the ideas, concerns, fears and issues of the time when this country struggled with gaining independence from England and establishing a new form of self-government. He helps describe how it all came about by breathing life into the names memorized in high school. For a valuable experience, as a catalyst for future reading, and in preparation for his next volume when the actual War for Independence is fought, reading RISE TO REBELLION is Highly Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Popular History with Insights Applicable to Today's Threats
Review:
I strongly recommend this book for any citizen-voter who wants an easy to read yet authoritative examination of when and how rebellions can create a new nation--and the kinds of deep personal reflections that must accompany a questioning of the status quo.
As American citizens, and individual soverign states within the United States of America, evaluate how well the Federal government is representing the commonwealth, the history of our Founding Fathers and their deliberate break with England could not be more riveting or more relevant. My only disappointment is that the author did not provide an annotated bibliography--it is clear to me, from watching America's deep engagement with books on foreign terrorism and national security issues since 911, that the actions of the existing Administration--including the recent stripping of rights of a U.S. citizen declared a terrorist combatant--are causing thoughtful Americans to re-examine our own history and especially the relationship between federal and state sovereignty, and citizen rights at the individual level. For example, James F. Simon's "What Kind of Nation: Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, and the Epic Struggle to Create a United States," drives right to the heart of the matter, and is an excellent complement to this book: at what point, we must ask, is it necessary for a people to re-evaluate the balance of power between federal impositions, state dispositions, and popular values? Jeff Shaara has given us a real gift with his work on the origins of the American rebellion against English tyranny and taxation without representation--and all of this material has more meaning today than most people seem to realize. I look forward to his future books, hoping they will also have annotated bibliographies that encourage further reading, for I am absolutely persuaded, as Thomas Jefferson said early on, that "A Nation's best defense is an educated citizenry." This book is a very fine start for any adult seeking a quick fresh look at our Nation's early days and early ethical conflicts.
Rating:
Summary: Rise to Rebellion--Entertaining!
Review: This book (the first in an expected trilogy on the Revolutionary War) examines the period 1770-1776. How did the colonies move from loyalty to rebellion? How could England have so badly miscalculated? Jeff Shaara answers these questions by focusing on key actors such as John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Gage and more. As we shift between them we come to understand how their prior lives shaped their beliefs about current events, leading them towards confrontation. It is too easy to make our founding fathers into one-dimensional icons when they were actually just people--flawed and struggling, and not at all sure of victory or even of the wisdom of rebellion. Shaara helps us see their humanity and their growth by taking us inside their minds. Yet, this is no dry tome. The book is entertaining and fascinating. I was sorry when it ended. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, Shaara is back to form
Review: I have just finished Rise to Rebellion and loved it. As a history major in college I have been forced to read a great nember of textbooks on the subject ( a good one is THE GLORIOUS CAUSE by Robert Middlekauff )and found this help put events in order and clarify the many facets of this most momentus event in our nation's history. I did not like Gone for Soldiers. The flow was bad and I got tired of the same three characters getting all the ink. What I love about both Jeff Shaara and his father are the way that they let you inside the key characters and see what they are thinking. One of the previous reviews complained that this is formula writing. If it is I love it. I can't wait for the next book and I hope that Jeff continues to write great historical fiction for years to come.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting History
Review: Another great work by Jeff Shaara. I've read his Civil War books and picked this up on a whim while passing it in a book store. This is an excellent history of the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence. Like his other work, I enjoy how he takes several "players" from the time and weaves a story around them. Even though I grew up in Lexington MA, I found myself learning new things about the events leading up to the start of the American Revolution and subsequent seige of Boston. After reading this book, I have a renewed respect for what those first Americans accomplished both in the trenches and in the Continental Congress. I look forward Jeff Shaara's continuation of this story.
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