By Nathaniel Philbrick
Philbrick has written another well-researched story about legendary New England history. I hadn't realized that the battle of Bunker Hill predated the Declaration of Independence, that George Washington had been stationed in the Boston area when he assumed responsibility of the American army (such as it was), or that a Boston physician (33-year-old Joseph Warren) was the man who led the patriots before and during the battle. While written from an American perspective, Philbrick has also fleshed out the stories of British governors and generals (Howe, Gage) and the reader comes to see the tenuous relationship between the loyalists and patriots leading up the battle. Many familiar towns (Dorchester, Cambridge, etc) and areas (Back Bay, the heights) figure prominently in the story. Helpful maps and illustrations are included.
The record for this book on the Barrington Public Library website includes some bio notes on Philbrick, including the fact that he was Brown University's first intercollegiate All-American sailor in 1978, "the same year he won the Sunfish North Americans in Barrington, RI." Interesting! - No wonder he has published so many books (not this one - but Mayflower, Sea of Glory - June 22) dealing with the sea!
Happy 4th!
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