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
Publishers Weekly
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)
From the Publisher
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
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
Kirkus Reviews
★ 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.
