Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick

Book: Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution   Author: Nathaniel Philbrick   Narrator (if applicable): n/a Release date (if applicable): Published Synopsis: From Goodreads.com: Nathaniel Philbrick, the bestselling author of In the Heart of the Sea and Mayflower, brings his prodigious talents to the story of the Boston battle that ignited the American Revolution. Boston in 1775 is an island city occupied by British troops after a series of incendiary incidents by patriots who range from sober citizens to thuggish vigilantes. After the Boston Tea Party, British and American soldiers and Massachusetts residents  have warily maneuvered around each other until April 19, when violence finally erupts at Lexington and Concord.  In June, however, with the city cut off from supplies by a British blockade and Patriot militia poised in siege, skirmishes give way to outright war in the Battle of Bunker Hill. It would be the bloodiest battle of the Revolution to come, and the point of no return for the rebellious colonists. Philbrick brings a fresh perspective to every aspect of the story. He finds new characters, and new facets to familiar ones. The real work of choreographing rebellion falls to a thirty-three year old physician named Joseph Warren who emerges as the on-the-ground leader of the Patriot cause and is fated to die at Bunker Hill. Others in the cast include Paul Revere, Warren’s fiancé the poet Mercy Scollay, a newly recruited George Washington, the reluctant British combatant General Thomas Gage and his more bellicose successor William Howe, who leads the three charges at Bunker Hill and presides over the claustrophobic cauldron of a city under siege as both sides play a nervy game of brinkmanship for control. My rating: 5 Stars   My opinion: I found this book fascinating; however, it was an incredibly slow and detailed read. It took me about one month to read it with a combination of an ARC from the publisher and the book from the library. I was able to read about 10 pages per day to "consume" the amount of information presented in the book. As a result of this, it can have a very dry feeling to it. I happened to not have this issue; however, I have noticed that it is a common complaint by other reviewers. The author did a phenomenal job in drilling down on a critical period/even in the Revolutionary War. These were individuals whom I had a general knowledge on, but this book bumped up that information. I would recommend having a general understanding of this incident prior to going into this book. In my humble opinion, it might weigh down those who don't a bit.   Source:  Publisher for review        Would I recommend? : Yes, great read! Do yourself a favor and grab the print copy. I wish I would have had a printed ARC.   Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Stand Alone