Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Desperate Sons

Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, and the Secret Bands of Radicals Who Led the Colonies to War

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

“Popular history in its most vital and accessible form. Standiford has recovered the mentality of America’s first group of young radicals, the Sons of Liberty, and tells their story with flair and grace.” —Joseph J. Ellis, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Founding Brothers

Les Standiford’s Last Train to Paradise, the fascinating true account of the building of a railroad “across the ocean” from Miami to Key West, is already a classic of popular history. With Desperate Sons, the New York Times bestselling author of Bringing Adam Home tells the remarkable story of America’s first patriots, the Sons of Liberty, whose revolutionary acts have become legend. With all the suspense and power of a historical action thriller, Standiford’s Desperate Sons recounts the courage and tenacity of a hardy group that included Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and John Hancock—radical activists who were responsible for some of the most notorious events leading up to the American Revolution, from the Boston Tea Party to Paul Revere’s fabled midnight ride. Fans of David McCullough’s John Adams and 1776 will be riveted by this true history of young men inflamed by the fires of common purpose who helped a new nation to rise up against its British oppressor.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      November 1, 2012
      An intriguing new look at the political and economic crises that prompted a secret society of American citizens into actions that incited the Revolutionary War. Much has been written about Adams, Henry, Hancock and other Revolutionary patriots, but these histories tend to gloss the specific events that allowed the colonies to shift from disparate pockets of discontent to a unified force of rebellion against the British. Standiford (Creative Writing/Florida International Univ.; Bringing Adam Home, 2011, etc.) hones in on these details, providing a rich, exhilarating account of the circumstances behind the forming of the Sons of Liberty and how their actions in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and elsewhere brought an anti-establishment coalition to the fore of the conflict. All across the colonies, people struggled against financial insolvency, made worse by duties levied by the far-off crown. Without an infrastructure that would enable them to unite against their oppressors, little could be done; it was this vulnerability that Adams and the other Sons sought to correct by installing chapters of their society all across the continent. Standiford makes a point to draw intriguing parallels to the current Occupy movement and other political grass-roots campaigns, arguing that the Sons of Liberty were successful because they garnered support from the general populace and didn't rely exclusively on the political elite. Spurred by well-timed radical (and at times, violent) actions and an increasingly focused and powerful cohort, the Sons of Liberty readied the colonies for what would become an inevitable war for their freedom. Bolstered by ample historical documents--including one especially fascinating exchange between Benjamin Franklin and the House of Commons--the author provides a compelling real-time account of those heady prewar years. A timely, exciting exploration of how the underground agenda of a few radicals paved the road to American democracy.

      COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Library Journal

      June 1, 2012

      Author of the best-selling Bringing Adam Home, Standiford goes behind the glossy surface of iconic events like Paul Revere's midnight gallop to explain how dangerous (and admittedly illegal) they really were. His aim: to show that we are more bound together by the chances those "desperate Sons" took than divided by the petty politics of today. Billed as a political thriller, so expect excitement.

      Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading