The Many Rides of Paul Revere (review)
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUP- The Opposite of Invisible
In this economically presented biography, Giblin clearly conveys the fact that Paul Revere had far more to do with jump-starting the American Revolution than Longfellow's poem would suggest; in fact, he was the go-to guy for carrying vital messages during the run-up to the opening battles of the war. Although the famous "midnight ride" is a focal point of the Revere story, the contributions of other patriots such as Dr. Joseph Warren and William Dawes are examined as well. In addition to the expected source notes and index, exceptionally useful back matter includes a timeline of Revere's life, a detailed "tour" of extant sites related to Massachusetts in the Revolution, the full text of Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride," and a brief essay that encourages readers to compare differences between the poetic and historical accounts. Double-columned text is relieved by a wealth of period portraits, maps, and black-and-white photographs of Revere-related artifacts. History buffs interested in the backstory to Dennis Fradin's excellent Let It Begin Here! (BCCB 6/05) can start with this.
