A People's History Of The American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence

(Paperback)

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Description

A People's History Of The American Revolution draws upon diaries, personal letters and other Revolutionary-era treasures, weaving a thrilling, 'you are there' narrative - 'a tapestry that uses individual experiences to illustrate the larger stories' (Los Angeles Times Book Review). In the trademark style of Howard Zinn, Raphael shifts the focus away from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to the slaves they owned, the natives they displaced and the men and boys who did the fighting.

Reviews

Praise for the 2001 edition:
"A tour de forceRay Raphael has probably altered the way in which future historians will see events."
The Sunday Times (London)

The unique value of Raphael's work lies in its mining, from extant primary sources, of the extraordinary recollections of ordinary witnesses to history.
Booklist

The nervy energy of this People's History is an arresting antidote to the air of self-satisfied triumphalism that so many Americans casually assume each July Fourth.
Fresh Air (NPR)

A cracking good readRay Raphael writes about the American Revolution as if he had been in the thick of it. His no-nonsense approach and style clarify the big issues and reveal the personal dimensions. This is truly a history of the people for the people.
Roy Porter, author of Enlightenment

Raphael uses his considerable gifts as a writer [to weave] a tapestry that uses individual experiences to illustrate the larger stories of social groups.
Los Angeles Times Book Review

Author Bio

Ray Raphael's books include The First American Revolution, Founding Myths, Founders, Constitutional Myths, and The Spirit of 74 (co-authored with Marie Raphael), all published by The New Press. He lives in Northern California.