Synopses & Reviews
In this stirring biography, Samuel Adams joins the first tier of founding fathers, a rank he has long deserved. With eloquence equal to that of Thomas Jefferson and Tom Paine, and with a passionate love of God, Adams helped ignite the flame of liberty and made sure it glowed even during the Revolution's darkest hours. He was, as Jefferson later observed, "truly the man of the Revolution."
In a role that many Americans have not fully appreciated until now, Adams played a pivotal role in the events leading up to the bloody confrontation with the British. Believing that God had willed a free American nation, he was among the first patriot leaders to call for independence from England. He was ever the man of action: He saw the opportunity to stir things up after the Boston Massacre and helped plan and instigate the Boston Tea Party, though he did not actually participate in it. A fiery newspaper editor, he railed ceaselessly against "taxation without representation."
In a relentless blizzard of articles and speeches, Adams, a man of New England, argued the urgency of revolution. When the top British general in America, Thomas Gage, offered a general amnesty in June 1775 to all revolutionaries who would lay down their arms, he excepted only two men, John Hancock and Samuel Adams: These two were destined for the gallows. It was this pair, author Ira Stoll argues, whom the British were pursuing in their fateful march on Lexington and Concord.
In the tradition of David McCullough's John Adams, Joseph Ellis's The Founding Brothers, and Walter Isaacson's Benjamin Franklin, Ira Stoll's Samuel Adams vividly re-creates a world of ideas and action, reminding us that none of these men of courage knew what we know today: that they would prevail and make history anew.
The idea that especially inspired Adams was religious in nature: He believed that God had intervened on behalf of the United States and would do so as long asits citizens maintained civic virtue. "We shall never be abandoned by Heaven while we act worthy of its aid and protection," Adams insisted. A central thesis of this biography is that religion in large part motivated the founding of America.
A gifted young historian and newspaperman, Ira Stoll has written a gripping story about the man who was the revolution's moral conscience. Sure to be discussed widely, this book reminds us who Samuel Adams was, why he has been slighted by history, and why he must be remembered.
Review
"Ira Stoll here manages the daunting task of anchoring Sam Adams in his own time yet making him relevant to ours. A triumph of learning and understanding." -- James Grant, author of andlt;iandgt;John Adams: A Party of Oneandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Samuel Adams was a life-long journalist who left a meager paper trail; a pious believer who was a flaming radical; the jumpstarter of our independence whom we have unaccountably lost track of. Ira Stoll lets the Founding Firebrand shine once more." -- Richard Brookhiser, author of andlt;iandgt;George Washington on Leadershipandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"In order to understand the moral and religious roots of America's zeal for liberty, you need to know and appreciate Samuel Adams. Ira Stoll does a glorious job bringing to life this agitated and revolutionary apostle of liberty, whose passions still reverberate in our nation's soul. This book will help you understand our founding, and our future." -- Walter Isaacson, author of andlt;iandgt;Benjamin Franklin: An American Lifeandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;Einstein: His Life and Universeandlt;/iandgt;
Synopsis
The gripping story of the man who was the American Revolution's moral compass--Ira Stoll tells readers who Samuel Adams was, why he has been forgotten, and why he must be remembered.
Thomas Jefferson called Samuel Adams "truly the man of the Revolution." Adams, filled with religious fervor, inspired others to fight on and overcome the challenges of the Revolutionary War. He was the editor of the influential Boston Gazette, planner of the Boston Tea Party, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, and yet, he is largely ignored and unknown today. Understanding the leading part Adams played in building and sustaining support for the revolutionary cause gives readers new insight into the way religion motivated the founding of America.
Synopsis
The gripping story of the man who was the American Revolutionand#8217;s moral compassand#8212;Ira Stoll tells readers who Samuel Adams was, why he has been forgotten, and why he must be remembered.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Thomas Jefferson called Samuel Adams and#8220;truly the man of the Revolution.and#8221; Adams, filled with religious fervor, inspired others to fight on and overcome the challenges of the Revolutionary War. He was the editor of the influential andlt;Iandgt;Boston Gazetteandlt;/Iandgt;, planner of the Boston Tea Party, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, and yet, he is largely ignored and unknown today. Understanding the leading part Adams played in building and sustaining support for the revolutionary cause gives readers new insight into the way religion motivated the founding of America.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Ira Stollandlt;/bandgt; was vice president and managing editor of andlt;iandgt;The New York Sun,andlt;/iandgt; which he helped to found. He has been a consultant to the editorial page of andlt;iandgt;The Wall Street Journal,andlt;/iandgt; an editor of the andlt;iandgt;Jerusalem Post,andlt;/iandgt; managing editor and Washington correspondent of the andlt;iandgt;Forward,andlt;/iandgt; editor of Smartertimes.com, and a reporter for the andlt;iandgt;Los Angeles Times.andlt;/iandgt; He is a native of Massachusetts and a graduate of Harvard College. He lives in New York City.
Table of Contents
Prelude
"Pillar of Fire by Night": 1777
Introduction
"Truly the Man of the Revolution"
Chapter 1
"Born a Rebel": 1722-1764
Chapter 2
"Zealous in the Cause": 1765-1769
Chapter 3
Massacre: 1769-1773
Chapter 4
Tea Party: 1773-1774
Chapter 5
Congressman: 1774-1775
Chapter 6
Lexington and Concord: 1775
Chapter 7
Congressman, II: 1775-1779
Chapter 8
Back to Massachusetts: 1779-1793
Chapter 9
Governor: 1793-1797
Chapter 10
Passing of the Patriarch: 1797 to the Present
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
Index