01/02/2023
Journalist Thompson (Born on a Mountaintop) mixes playful imagination and solid research in this episodic romp through the Revolutionary War. Among other turning points, Thompson highlights the Powder Alarm, a precursor to the confrontations at Lexington and Concord; the Battle of Bunker Hill, which was actually fought on Breed’s Hill, where “building a redoubt... was like flipping the bird at the British Army”; and British general John Burgoyne’s defeat in the Battle of Saratoga, “the Mother of All Turning Points.” Elsewhere, Thompson recounts the Battle of Kings Mountain near the border of North and South Carolina, an “out-of-nowhere victory” for the patriots that “drove a stake through British hopes of mobilizing loyalists to win the war,” and the crucial role played by the Marbleheaders, an interracial regiment of Massachusetts sailors and fishermen, in the battles of Brooklyn and Trenton. Throughout, Thompson enriches his well-chosen primary sources with entertaining profiles of museum curators and historical reenactors and down-home turns of phrase (“you can’t swing a dead cat by the tail in Concord without hitting the home of a literary icon”). The result is an eclectic yet cogent and cohesive account of the American Revolution. (Mar.)
"A splendid, entertaining meditation on the war that launched a nation. REVOLUTIONARY ROADS is a time machine, ready to transport any 21st century reader searching for our 18th century roots."—Rick Atkinson, author of The British Are Coming "REVOLUTIONARY ROADS is a superb book and a flat-out joy to read. It’s poignant, it’s funny, and it’s filled with surprising details about the lucky breaks and haunting decisions of the war that created America. Best of all is the enthusiasm Bob Thompson brings to the story. If you’re at all curious about the American Revolution–and we all should be, especially at this point in history–you couldn’t ask for a better guide and companion."—David Finkel, author of The Good Soldiers and Thank You For Your Service "Bob Thompson’s tour through key Revolutionary War sites is a riveting reading adventure. The chapters vibrate with fresh insight into the trials and travails of people from a mix of backgrounds who fought for and against American independence. With unrestrained enthusiasm, I recommend REVOLUTIONARY ROADS as a well-written, innovative, fascinating new addition to our continuing study of the American experience."—James Kirby Martin, co-author of the classic volume, A Respectable Army: The Military Origins of the Republic, 1763-1789 "In this beguiling, disarming book, Bob Thompson chips away at the cluttered present to bring us face to face with the personalities and events of our founding conflict. His account is greatly enhanced and humanized by the fact that he’s not a historian, not an expert. He’s one of us, learning as he goes, encountering the past with such wit and curiosity that he makes his discoveries our own."—Stephen Harrigan, author of Gates of the Alamo and Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas "Bob Thompson takes us on a literal road trip through the War for Independence—20,000 miles of visits to all manner of historic sites and events, plus conversations with knowledgeable history lovers of all descriptions. The result is a marvelous book filled with always entertaining, often poignant observations on the nature of America’s founding struggle. Thompson has a keen eye for pivotal moments when confusion, blunders, misunderstandings, and just plain happenstance could have taken the war in unexpected directions. The writing sparkles, capturing the essence of the epoch’s personalities and reminding us to consider events from the perspective of those who lived through them—often with little idea how their futures would unfold. Once you’ve opened REVOLUTIONARY ROADS you won’t want to put down. It’s that good."—Mark Edward Lender, author of Cabal! The Plot against General Washington "Victory in the War of Independence was never inevitable. In REVOLUTIONARY ROADS, Bob Thompson uses the power of place to drive home that vital fact, immersing us in the midst of some of the war's most crucial turning points."—Edward G. Lengel, Ph.D, Chief Historian, National Medal of Honor Museum "So many people don’t appreciate history anymore because they find the telling of it dry and uninteresting. Bob Thompson’s engaging writing style and gift for insightful analysis are a definite remedy for that. With a combination of solid historical research and good storytelling, Thompson brings life to the important figures and events of the American Revolutionary War."—Carl Borick, Director of the Charleston Museum and author of A Gallant Defense: The Siege of Charleston, 1780 “Thompson enriches his well-chosen primary sources with entertaining profiles of museum curators and historical reenactors and down-home turns of phrase…The result is an eclectic yet cogent and cohesive account of the American Revolution."—Publisher’s Weekly "History is exciting when it leaps off the page. REVOLUTIONARY ROADS helps bring history to life by transporting readers from the 21st century to the 18th century through the author's captivating stories and descriptions. It's like taking a historic road trip without leaving your chair!"—Jessica James, Award-winning author and travel/history blogger at Past Lane Travels.
2022-11-24 A spirited tour of the landscapes of the American Revolution and the panoply of characters who figured in them.
Thompson opens with a set piece from the Battle of Cowpens. Fought on Jan. 17, 1781, “on the South Carolina frontier,” the battle promised to be a decisive victory for the British under the dreaded Banastre Tarleton. Instead, the American soldiers wheeled from retreat and destroyed 80% of Tarleton’s forces, sending the British reeling out of the South to Yorktown. “We almost never think about what would have happened if neither the rebels nor the British had won the war,” Thompson muses, conjuring up an uneasy status quo. While what made the difference were the late battles in the Revolution, early victories at Lexington and Bunker Hill played their parts, too. The author turns up a number of lesser-known incidents such as the “Powder Alarm,” which subverted post–Tea Party efforts on the part of Britain to clamp down on the Colonies; and Benedict Arnold’s ill-fated attempt to invade Quebec and turn its French inhabitants against the British—an attempt that surely figured in Arnold’s later turn away from the revolutionary cause. Thompson is knowledgeable on both the purely military aspects of the war and the alliances it engendered—for example, dividing Native peoples into pro- and anti-British or American factions that would later play out in the postwar history of westward expansion. There are some memorable scenes throughout, including the rather horrible image of the British at Yorktown slitting the throats of the horses they could no longer feed. One demerit is Thompson’s fondness for flippant asides—e.g., “If you’re feeling snarky, you could call Hamilton the 10-Minute War Hero”; “Among South Carolina’s partisans, the Swamp Fox, Francis Marion, got his own Disney TV series; Andrew Pickens got the shaft, immortality-wise”—that add little to the narrative.
Good reading for Revolutionary War aficionados and maybe Banastre Tarleton fans as well.
REVOLUTIONARY ROADS is a superb book and a flat-out joy to read. It’s poignant, it’s funny, and it’s filled with surprising details about the lucky breaks and haunting decisions of the war that created America. Best of all is the enthusiasm Bob Thompson brings to the story. If you’re at all curious about the American Revolution – and we all should be, especially at this point in history – you couldn’t ask for a better guide and companion.
author of The Good Soldiers and Thank You For Your David Finkel
Bob Thompson’s tour through key Revolutionary War sites is a riveting reading adventure. The chapters vibrate with fresh insight into the trials and travails of people from a mix of backgrounds who fought for and against American independence. With unrestrained enthusiasm, I recommend REVOLUTIONARY ROADS as a well-written, innovative, fascinating new addition to our continuing study of the American experience.
A splendid, entertaining meditation on the war that launched a nation. REVOLUTIONARY ROADS is a time machine, ready to transport any 21st century reader searching for our 18th century roots.
Bob Thompson takes us on a literal road trip through the War for Independence—20,000 miles of visits to all manner of historic sites and events, plus conversations with knowledgeable history lovers of all descriptions. The result is a marvelous book filled with always entertaining, often poignant observations on the nature of America’s founding struggle. Thompson has a keen eye for pivotal moments when confusion, blunders, misunderstandings, and just plain happenstance could have taken the war in unexpected directions. The writing sparkles, capturing the essence of the epoch’s personalities and reminding us to consider events from the perspective of those who lived through them—often with little idea how their futures would unfold. Once you’ve opened REVOLUTIONARY ROADS you won’t want to put down. It’s that good.
author of Cabal! The Plot against General Washingt Mark Edward Lender
So many people don’t appreciate history anymore because they find the telling of it dry and uninteresting. Bob Thompson’s engaging writing style and gift for insightful analysis are a definite remedy for that. With a combination of solid historical research and good storytelling, Thompson brings life to the important figures and events of the American Revolutionary War.
Fred Berman takes listeners through the course of the American Revolution, moving from New England to Georgia to Canada and to Yorktown, Virginia. In doing so, he explains how things could have been different--much different. Berman's narration of this travelogue as history is nothing short of splendid, even sublime. Thompson's writing is not academic. Its conversational style is meant to elicit a dialogue of sorts with the listener. Berman brings all of this out. His pacing is easygoing, and his enunciation and inflection are perfect for the text. History buffs will quite enjoy this production. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Fred Berman takes listeners through the course of the American Revolution, moving from New England to Georgia to Canada and to Yorktown, Virginia. In doing so, he explains how things could have been different--much different. Berman's narration of this travelogue as history is nothing short of splendid, even sublime. Thompson's writing is not academic. Its conversational style is meant to elicit a dialogue of sorts with the listener. Berman brings all of this out. His pacing is easygoing, and his enunciation and inflection are perfect for the text. History buffs will quite enjoy this production. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine