American Spring: Lexington, Concord, and the Road to Revolution

by Walter R. Borneman

Overview

A vibrant look at the American Revolution's first months, from the author of the bestseller The Admirals.

When we reflect on our nation's history, the American Revolution can feel almost like a foregone conclusion. In reality, the first weeks and months of 1775 were very tenuous, and a fractured and ragtag group of colonial militias had to coalesce rapidly to have even the slimmest chance of toppling the mighty British Army.

American Spring follows a fledgling nation from Paul Revere's little-known ride of December 1774 and the first shots fired on Lexington Green through the catastrophic Battle of Bunker Hill, culminating with a Virginian named George Washington taking command of colonial forces on July 3, 1775.

Focusing on the colorful heroes John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, Benjamin Franklin, and Patrick Henry, and the ordinary Americans caught up in the revolution, Walter R. Borneman uses newly available sources and research to tell the story of how a decade of discontent erupted into an armed rebellion that forged our nation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316220996
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	04/14/2015
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	496
Sales rank:	1,021,651
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Walter Borneman is the author of eight works of nonfiction, including The Admirals, 1812, The French and Indian War, and Polk. He holds both a master's degree in history and a law degree. He lives in Colorado.

Table of Contents

List of Maps ix

Patriots' Day 3

Prologue: Tuesday, December 13, 1774 7

Part I An Irrepressible Tide January-March 1775

1 New Year's Day 1775 13

2 Drumbeats of Dissension 27

3 Who Would Be True Patriots? 41

4 Volleys of Words 57

5 "Fire, If You Have the Courage" 71

6 Boston in the Bull's-Eye 88

7 Independence or Reconciliation? 100

Part II "Let It Begin Here" April 1775

8 The General's Dilemma 113

9 Two Lanterns 130

10 Lexington Green 143

11 On to Concord 161

12 By the Rude Bridge 176

13 Retreat, If We Can 192

14 Percy to the Rescue 207

15 What Have We Done? 222

16 Spreading the News 237

Part III Decisive Days May-June 1775

17 Must We Stand Alone? 257

18 "In the Name of the Great Jehovah…" 269

19 Ben Franklin Returns 289

20 Lexington of the Seas 299

21 Three Generals and a Lady 315

22 What Course Now, Gentlemen? 327

23 "The White of Their Gaiters" 347

24 "A Dear Bought Victory" 370

Epilogue: Monday, July 3, 1775 391

Acknowledgments 399

Notes 401

Bibliography 443

Index 457

Editorial Reviews

Praise for American Spring:

"Likely to be one of the enduring accounts of the opening of the American Revolution.... Loaded with intriguing details, sort of historical nonpareil candies sprinkled throughout the account.... A pleasing marriage of scholarly research and approachable language."—David Shribman, Boston Globe

"Walter Borneman has written an engaging and illuminating account of some of the most critical weeks in American history. Here is how it all began."—Jon Meacham, author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

"Borneman delivers a gripping, almost moment-by-moment account of the nasty exchanges and bloody retreat of British troops followed by hundreds and then thousands of militia who camped around Boston and laid siege.... A first-rate contribution."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for The Admirals:

"Superbly reported... Historian Walter R. Borneman tackles the essential question of military leadership: What makes some men, but not others, able to motivate a fighting force into battle?" — Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times

"Engagingly written and deeply researched... Mr. Borneman makes it easy to understand the complex series of maneuvers and counter-maneuvers at Leyte Gulf...which is not always the case with accounts of the battle." — Andrew Roberts, Wall Street Journal

"The first book to deal with the four [admirals] together, focusing on their intertwined lives, friendships, and rivalries.... Very well-crafted." — John Lehman, Washington Post

"A riveting introduction to the only four men in American history to have been promoted to the five-star rank of Admiral of the Fleet in recognition of their extraordinary feats." — The History Channel

"An epic group portrait of Nimitz, Halsey, Leahey, and King. Not since the heyday of Samuel Eliot Morison has a historian painted such a fine portrait of the five-star admirals who helped America beat Japan during the Second World War. Highly recommended!" — Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History at Rice University and author of The Wilderness Warrior

"They were completely different in temperament and personality, but the U.S. Navy's four five-star admirals in World War II shared a sense of vision, devotion, and courage. Walter Borneman has written a rousing tale of victory at sea." — Evan Thomas, author of The War Lovers

"This is Walter Borneman at his best. The portrait of the forgotten admiral, Leahy, is worth the whole book. But there's scarcely a page where a reader won't learn something unexpected, and occasionally shocking." — Thomas Fleming, author of Time and Tide

From the Publisher

03/24/2014
Borneman (The Admirals) takes on the oft-examined topic of the Revolutionary War and zooms in on the events and months leading up to the rebellion—the “American” spring, as it were, of 1775, up until Monday, July 3, 1775, when George Washington officially takes command of the Continental Army. Borneman takes on this important moment in history in a broad and all-encompassing manner, providing details on both the major players and events of the time as well as the ways revolution was affecting the quotidian routine of ordinary colonial settlers. This approach gives the reader not just a comprehensive understanding of the rebels’ motives, obstacles, and overall tensions, but also makes the setting of the colonies during the spring of 1775 vivid and real to a 21st-century audience. The book aims to expand upon and illuminate current history rather than challenge traditional understandings of the era, though Borneman thoroughly acknowledges the large number of loyalist settlers, and shortcomings of the rebel movement, such as their occasional tendency toward violent protests (two aspects of history that Americans sometimes overlook). Borneman doesn’t add new angles, but his extensive coverage of the events and balanced writing style make it an enjoyable and accessible read. B&w illus. (May)

Publishers Weekly

How did media spread opinion before modern terms like "spin" existed? That question—as much as the Battle of Bunker Hill—is a part of Borneman's account of the Revolutionary War and its kindling. Tom Taylorson's clear-as-a-bell narration offers stories of people like Samuel Adams and Ben Franklin, along with battle accounts. An anecdotal style in both writing and narration gives both sides sympathetic treatment. Borneman lets listeners know there's a lot that's mysterious about the formation of the United States. His thorough, thoughtful writing—coupled with a reading that gently draws listeners in—makes for an interesting all-angles historical account. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

JULY 2014 - AudioFile

How did media spread opinion before modern terms like "spin" existed? That question—as much as the Battle of Bunker Hill—is a part of Borneman's account of the Revolutionary War and its kindling. Tom Taylorson's clear-as-a-bell narration offers stories of people like Samuel Adams and Ben Franklin, along with battle accounts. An anecdotal style in both writing and narration gives both sides sympathetic treatment. Borneman lets listeners know there's a lot that's mysterious about the formation of the United States. His thorough, thoughtful writing—coupled with a reading that gently draws listeners in—makes for an interesting all-angles historical account. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

JULY 2014 - AudioFile

★ 2014-03-12
An extremely detailed, opinionated account of events in 1775 Massachusetts ending (despite the title) two months after the famous skirmishes in the June Battle of Bunker Hill. By that spring, American colonists had spent the previous 10 years fending off Britain's attempts to recover the ruinous costs of the French and Indian War, writes popular historian Borneman (The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King—The Five-Star Admirals Who Won the War at Sea, 2012, etc.). The author accepts their time-honored protest against taxation without representation but admits that Americans paid less in taxes than Britons and had benefited greatly from the recent victory. Ironically, 150 years of Britain's benign neglect had resulted in 13 largely self-governing colonies that were disinclined to change. The most appealing figure is, oddly, British Gen. Thomas Gage (1720-1787), a longtime resident in America, who understood better than London officials how bad matters were. Pugnacious colonial militias were drilling and accumulating arms, and Boston mobs were assaulting loyalists and trashing their homes. Gage's restraint exasperated superiors in London, who, in April 1775, sent a blunt order to take action. The result was an expedition that marched all night to seize arms at Concord but stumbled on a band of armed militia in Lexington. Taking advantage of massive documentation, Borneman delivers a gripping, almost moment-by-moment account of the nasty exchanges and bloody retreat of British troops followed by hundreds and then thousands of militia who camped around Boston and laid siege. Fed up with Gage, Britain dispatched three generals, William Howe, John Burgoyne and Henry Clinton, who launched their career-ruining missions in North America by overseeing the debacle at Bunker Hill. Although Kevin Phillips (1775) and Nathaniel Philbrick (Bunker Hill) have recently trod the same ground, Borneman adds a first-rate contribution.

Kirkus Reviews