The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America by Kostya KennedyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a short biography and history about a famous transformative night, the ride that changed everything. Paul Revere was not alone on April 18, 1775 riding out to warn that an attack was imminent by the British soldiers, but his story is the one that best known. Revere’s ride was also the most effective, where William Dawes was a bit slower, or maybe not as personable as Revere.
The book provides a small amount of biography of Paul Revere. He was named after his father who was also Paul Revere, after he changed from his French name Apollos Rivoire. Revere was a bell ringer in 1750, a teenager then and pledged himself along with several other boys to always ring the bells at Old North Church at least one evening a week for a year.
Revere was given to joining societies and at twenty-five joined the Masons, the St. Andrew’s Lodge which was formed in dissent to the elite St. John’s Lodge whose members were mostly loyal to the Crown. This group of men grew close friendships through the years and tended toward rebellion and independence through the 1760s. It was through this group that Paul Revere became the man who rode the horse on that fateful night.
It felt momentous to read this as we approach the 250 year anniversary. While I knew about Paul Revere and his ride, as we are taught as children, this book filled in many details of the man and the night. The book is somewhat narrow, but not exclusively focused on the ride. I enjoyed learning a tidbit about his many generations later descendants who have been named Paul Revere and are carrying it through the years, with the youngest now being the 4th, although the Patriot Paul Revere is his six-times great-grandfather.
I listened to this book on audio, but did not particularly enjoy the narrator. The way he had of speaking is not a style that I liked, almost like shouting but not loudly. Perhaps it is a just a quirk of mine and others will have no problem with the narrator.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.
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