The choicest bits are the unexpected details ... The book’s tone can be uneven, however. Bell’s occasional colloquialisms prove welcome...but his awkward direct addresses, not so much ... An apt guide for readers revisiting 'the shot heard round the world' ... A solid addition to any semiquincentennial reading list.
Propulsive, beautifully crafted ... [Bell] brings a mesmerizing outsider perspective to the Spirit of ’76 ... Rich with delectable trivia ... Bell’s trick here is one of organization: by moving between individuals and upheavals — by creating dioramas around actual characters and their respective peoples — he makes a broader argument.
An entertaining history ... Will no doubt help many readers understand the Revolution more completely than they had before. Yet it’s hard not to think that most will also close the book feeling a bit dissatisfied, as if Bell starts his narrative too late and ends it too early ... People should read Bell’s book, certainly, but it also wouldn’t hurt to watch a little Schoolhouse Rock too.
A fresh perspective on a familiar subject ... Fascinating ... Bell’s international emphasis occasionally leads him to overreach...but his basic argument is sound ... Based on solid and deep research, his book is written in clear, accessible prose—with entertaining minutiae such as the fact that the minutemen at Lexington and Concord fired guns made in Spain—that will appeal to general readers with an interest in history.
Particularly riveting is the story of Molly Bryant ... Such riveting profiles provide a clear-eyed accounting of a formative conflict for the modern world.
