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BOSTON, 1776: A ROGUE TOUR OF REVOLUTION CITY
A traveler’s journey to the heart of the American Revolution, close up at the ground level, among the patriots, amid the pandemonium, on July 4, 1776.
Welcome to Revolution City—where the air smells of tar, booze, gunpowder . . . and rebellion.
Your tour takes you through the turbulent streets, tub-thumping taverns, and radical strongholds of a town at war with an empire. Far from the powdered wigs and genteel debates of history textbooks, this book guides us through the real Boston of the American Revolution: frenzied, dangerous, and fiercely alive.
Join the crowds in taprooms where rebel plots were hatched. Witness mobs rise up over the price of bread. Stand with patriots as they sharpen bayonets on Bunker Hill, and watch as Loyalists get tarred and feathered. Drink the rum made on the town docks, sample the sinful in the city's back alleys, and gaze at John Hancock’s mansion gleaming above gritty streets filled with the almshouse, workhouse, and jail.
From the harbor wharves and seedy brothels to renowned assembly halls like Old South Meetinghouse and Faneuil Hall, Boston, 1776 leads us on a vivid tour of the vital hub of the Revolutionary War. At every stop along the way, we encounter iconic names like Revere and Adams, but also the forgotten men and women who bled and brawled for freedom in every corner of Boston.
Upon America’s 250th anniversary, Boston, 1776 portrays the Cradle of Liberty and the American Revolution as never before: raw, radical, and roaring with life.
Praise for Boston, 1776:
“What begins as a capsule history becomes a comprehensive Rick Steves-like travel guide—with its own wicked sense of place—culminating in the sort of practical advice travelers could use during an 18th-century visit. Dickey … explores the rowdy taverns, famous assembly halls, secret meeting places, bookshops, brothels, and scenes of disease, destruction, and rebirth. Along the way we meet Whigs and Tories, smugglers and insurgents, agitators and clergy, as well as citizen soldiers, and we learn of key battles and setbacks. Of course, the author also focuses on all the most renowned local players in the drama of revolt, from John Hancock and Paul Revere to John and Abigail Adams. Dickey crams three books’ worth of facts, reflections, and anecdotes into 320 well-paced, colorful pages, illustrated by a wealth of street maps, period engravings, and other artwork.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Dickey’s (The Republic of Violence) lively and meticulously researched tour of Boston during the Revolutionary War is distinguished by literary vibrancy and historical insight. The writing is both evocative and direct, blending scholarly precision with active storytelling that animates the city’s revolutionary spirit. The “rogue tour” concept is original, combining traditional historical narrative with travel guide elements, inviting readers to experience Boston’s dramatic events and everyday life alongside its famous and unsung residents. The book is illustrated with portraits and detailed maps, and Dickey’s language throughout is accessible and vivid, relying on well-chosen quotations and contextual detail to maintain readers’ interest. The segmented, neighborhood-based structure and clean, well-formatted layouts make for an innovative and highly usable design suitable for browsing or reading straight through. This approach, along with candid coverage of social class and controversial topics, guarantees enduring relevance for history buffs, educators, and anyone curious about the United States’ revolutionary roots. VERDICT: Dickey’s book is original, stylish, expertly illustrated, and of lasting value to its intended audience.”
—Lawrence Mello, Library Journal (starred review)
“A unique and innovative history lesson told in an accessible, believable, and authentic voice. J. D. Dickey’s ‘rogue tour of Revolution City’ is a tour de force: gritty, genuine, and cinematic. What a cast of scoundrels and scalawags! What a revolutionary, raucous ride!”
—Buddy Levy, bestselling author of Realm of Ice and Sky: Triumph, Tragedy and History’s Greatest Arctic Rescue
“Bringing to vivid life the legendary John and Samuel Adams, Crispus Attucks, John Hancock, William Howe, Thomas Hutchinson, and Paul Revere along with lesser known but equally dynamic personalities, Boston, 1776 is fresh, engaging, comprehensive, and, most important of all, historically accurate.”
—Samuel Marquis, award-winning and bestselling author of Captain Kidd: A True Story of Treasure and Betrayal and Empire and Frontier
“J. D. Dickey has brought the eighteenth century back to life in vivid detail. Thoughtful, relevant, and thoroughly researched, this is the perfect book to commemorate the Revolution’s 250th anniversary.”
—Brady J. Crytzer, author of The National Road: George Washington and America’s First Highway West and The Whiskey Rebellion
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