Synopses & Reviews
Jeff Shaara dazzled readers with his bestselling novels
Gods and Generals,
The Last Full Measure, and
Gone for Soldiers. Now the acclaimed author who illuminated the Civil War and the Mexican-American War brilliantly brings to life the American Revolution, creating a superb saga of the men who helped to forge the destiny of a nation.
In 1770, the fuse of revolution is lit by a fateful command "Fire!" as England's peacekeeping mission ignites into the Boston Massacre. The senseless killing of civilians leads to a tumultuous trial in which lawyer John Adams must defend the very enemy who has assaulted and abused the laws he holds sacred.
The taut courtroom drama soon broadens into a stunning epic of war as King George III leads a reckless and corrupt government in London toward the escalating abuse of his colonies. Outraged by the increasing loss of their liberties, an extraordinary gathering of America's most inspiring characters confronts the British presence with the ideals that will change history.
John Adams, the idealistic attorney devoted to the law, who rises to greatness by the power of his words...Ben Franklin, one of the most celebrated men of his time, the elderly and audacious inventor and philosopher who endures firsthand the hostile prejudice of the British government...Thomas Gage, the British general given the impossible task of crushing a colonial rebellion without starting an all-out war...George Washington, the dashing Virginian whose battle experience in the French and Indian War brings him the recognition that elevates him to command of a colonial army...and many other immortal names from the Founding Family of the colonial struggle Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Joseph Warren, Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee captured as never before in their full flesh-and-blood humanity.
More than a powerful portrait of the people and purpose of the revolution, Rise to Rebellion is a vivid account of history's most pivotal events. The Boston Tea Party, the battles of Concord and Bunker Hill all are recreated with the kind of breathtaking detail only a master like Jeff Shaara can muster. His most impressive achievement, Rise to Rebellion reveals with new immediacy how philosophers became fighters, ideas their ammunition, and how a scattered group of colonies became the United States of America.
Review
"Rise to Rebellion, not surprisingly, reads much like the print original of a television movie, but here's the thing: with few exceptions, books are better than their cinematic adaptations fuller, more subtly shaded, more pleasingly detailed and Shaara's first novel set in colonial times will inevitably outshine the film someday based on it. The book is true to history no accepted facts are knowingly contradicted, no lines of dialogue have been altered to suit Shaara's needs but the story is wholly the author's own...." Dave Weich, Powells.com (read the entire Powells.com review)
Review
"Once more breathing vigor and passion into the dusty annals of our nation's history, [Shaara] demonstrates an ever-growing level of literary competence....[A] masterful dramatization..." Publishers Weekly
Review
"A rousing novel recounting the events that led to the Declaration of Independence." The Washington Times
Review
"As in all good historical fiction, Shaara's novel gives historical figures flesh-and-blood viability. At nearly 500 pages, this novel requires a major investment in reading time, yet it is an investment painlessly made for it pays profitable dividends." Booklist
Review
"Rise to Rebellion is by no means disgraceful; it's simply dull....One hopes Shaara will take more time with its successor, and produce a novel that compares more favorably with the best of its predecessors." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Ultimately, what raises this fine novel above jingoism is the author's ability to make our national myths sing and our country's history come to vibrant life. Recommended." David Keymer, Library Journal
Review
"Dazzling....All the drama of a revolution is brought to light in Rise to Rebellion....A stellar endeavor, its an unforgettable saga about special men and women who helped forge the destiny of a nation." Rocky Mountain News
Review
"This may be [Shaara's] best book yet....A highly readable tale, history disguised as entertainment." Seattle Times/Post Intelligencer
Review
"History master Jeff Shaara scores again...with historical accuracy and a you-are-there immediacy." The New York Post
Synopsis
Jeff Shaara dazzled readers with his bestselling novels Gods and Generals, The Last Full Measure, and Gone for Soldiers. Now the acclaimed author who illuminated the Civil War and the Mexican-American War brilliantly brings to life the American Revolution, creating a superb saga of the men who helped to forge the destiny of a nation.
Synopsis
4 Cassettes, 6 hrs.
Performance by Victor Garber
RISE TO REBELLION is set in the tumultuous years leading up to the American Revolution in 1776. In chapters, narrated by a wide variety of characters both British and colonist, listeners are made to understand the complex issues and circumstances that are leading to the inevitable war.
Benjamin Franklin, the colonist's senior diplomat, is living in London in 1770 as the novel opens. In his wise observations and conversations with his British counterparts, Franklin relates the growing hunger for freedom that is building in the colonies. Already in 1770 some of the more radical of the colonists, such as Sam Adams, are doing all they can to rouse their fellow citizens to active rebellion. Others, such as John Adams, are more cautious about rushing to war, though we see their patience wear thin when they realize that the British have no intention of giving in to even their smallest demands for everyday freedoms.
RISE TO REBELLION succeeds not only by dramatizing the events of the time The Boston Tea Party, and The Battles of Concord and Bunker Hill, most prominently but also by engaging us in the personal lives of the main characters. Whether it is Franklin thinking of his wife whom he has left behind in the colonies while he serves his country in London, or John Adams reflecting on the imminent birth of his son and the kind of country he is being born into, we are always struck by the power of these remarkable men to shape their times and their destinies.
About the Author
Jeff Shaara is the New York Times bestselling author of A Chain of Thunder, A Blaze of Glory, The Final Storm, No Less Than Victory, The Steel Wave, The Rising Tide, To the Last Man, The Glorious Cause, Rise to Rebellion, and Gone for Soldiers, as well as Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure—two novels that complete the Civil War trilogy that began with his father’s Pulitzer Prize–winning classic, The Killer Angels. Shaara was born into a family of Italian immigrants in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, and graduated from Florida State University. He lives again in Tallahassee.