The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff
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Highly informative
The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff is a compelling read about a crucial player in forming the United States. Adams was what we might now consider a radical, but the distinction is that Adams accomplished his goals while not destroying the social-political fabric in which he lived. Adams was manipulative, intimidating, and sophisticated. He courted and manipulated the King of England, presenting ideas and concepts that the king thought were beneficial to his country but, in reality, worked in favor of establishing the independence of the United States. After the victorious revolution, Adams lost some of his status and prestige. He believed that the new government ignored the philosophy and procedures that he had proposed. Others began to lose respect for Adams, but he is considered a hero of American history.
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The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams
I am a middle aged man who enjoys reading about U.S. history. But when I have to reread a sentence because the authors need to use words I never understood or herd of. Well it kinda takes the fun out of it. Just saying.
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Clear view of history
The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams By Stacy Schiff Samuel Adams is considered one of the Founding Fathers of our country. This book takes a clear, in-depth look at what those "Founding Fathers" were really like: giants of democracy, champions of liberty, great leaders who ushered in the Revolution that separated America from Great Britain – but, in fact, just men. Men whose ideas shaped a new nation, but men who also resorted to lies and exaggerations, calumnies and obfuscations when it served their purposes in order to achieve their goals. We have, at a remove of almost two and a half centuries, tended to put the Founding Fathers on a pedestal from which we see only their lofty words and deeds, and conveniently overlook some of the means they employed to get to the outcome they desired. Samuel Adams, a canny orator and a gifted writer, used many pseudonyms in order to influence the minds of the Massachusetts colonists – but also to avoid being charged with treason. He was a shrewd planner and plotter. While he worked behind the scenes to orchestrate many of the actions leading up to and through the war, he managed to fade into the background when it came to being held responsible by the Crown. I very much enjoyed this book. The author's research and clear-eyed perspective give the reader a picture of politics which in some ways is similar to what we see today. I would highly recommend this book to anyone needing a refresher course in how our freedom was won and who the men and women really were who won it.
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He's more than just a beer!
He’s more than just a beer! Stacy Schiff resurrects the actual Samuel Adams from the scrap heap by writing a biography that will surprise most people because they don’t even know “Sam Adams” beer is actually based on a real-life person. Schiff focuses on Adams’ life leading up to the American Revolution. What I appreciated most about Schiff’s book is her willingness to clearly point out the good and the bad throughout the book. Samuel Adams was not a selfless hero who flew above the fray. He was the fray and he caused the fray. He then reported on the fray and told everyone it was someone else’s fault the fray even happened. Adams was a hero and a villain depending on which side you chose. Schiff never denies either side of him and it makes for a great read because you feel like you are reading an impartial documentary as opposed to a fawning treatment. There is plenty to cover here. The revolutionary fathers did not always get along and for good reason. The egos were big, and the stakes kept getting bigger. Schiff’s book keeps laser focused on Adams and keeps the scope intimate. A great read and a must for any Revolutionary War nerd. (This book was provided to me as an advance read copy by Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company.)
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Much admired Founding Father
Samuel Adams was the revolutionary the Founding Fathers all admired and whose approval they all sought. Yet as Stacy Schiff describes in THE REVOLUTIONARY: SAMUEL ADAMS he kept secrets so well that his name is best associated now with a beer. The first half of his life was barely average; he came into his own when confronted with his perceived loss of liberty. He was eloquent and persuasive although much of what he shared with his peers is lost. This is a fascinating account of a man often confused with his cousin, John. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
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Superb
Samuel Adams was so entwined in the events leading up,to the American Revolution, that reading his biography is like reading an historical account of those events. Author Stacy Schiff ably brings this history to life in this fascinating volume that richly details the life of the man many believe was the linchpin to the Revolution. Never dull, The Revolutionary Samuel Adams is a well documented and scholarly read, one that is never boring. The sections that deal with the Boston Tea Party and Lexington and Concord (that latter episode opens the book) are very detailed and interesting. Kudos to the author for bringing the man to life.
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