The Friday Review: The Rifleman

By Oliver North

Technically a fiction book, The Rifleman is a very detailed non-fiction-like account of Daniel Morgan’s ill-fated assault on Quebec during the early days of the American Revolution. I had seen that one of my favorite authors was using this book for research, so I added it to my Goodreads list. Unable to check it out from the library, I was able to find it for free on Audible. Since then, The Rifleman has kept me company while baking and on long car rides.

Nathaniel Newman is a young man when he receives the news that his older brother is among the militia killed in the battles of Lexington and Concord. As part of a prominent Virginia family, Nathaniel’s backwoods skills and advanced education make him a sought-after recruit in Captain Daniel Morgan’s famed rifle company. Though he joins with a rifle, he fights with a pen, becoming the records keeper for the company. The narrative follows Morgan’s Riflemen, through Nathaniel’s diary, as they train, march north, and join Benedict Arnold’s men on the doomed campaign to capture Quebec from the British. 

Pros: I loved learning about the American Revolution and the people involved. The fortitude of the Patriots in the face of extreme adversity is incredible. I’m also a nerd when it comes to geography and military strategy, and this book delivered. The Quebec Campaign was frustrating to study, but also necessary. We often pick and choose our Revolutionary War facts, sticking to the big things like Lexington and Concord, Washington Crossing the Delaware, and Yorktown, forgetting what a miracle it was that the Americans won the war. Stories like this illustrate the resilience of America, the courageous characters of our heroes, – and our history of squabbles and infighting.

Cons: If you’re reading this as a straight-up fiction book, you’ll probably fail to finish. It’s long and dry, full of minute details that would only interest a military history aficionado or an absolute American Revolution geek. There were times when I was even bored – but I was driving and committed or my hands were too full of flour to switch to something else. After 80% of slogging through each day of the campaign, the last 20% of the book, (mostly fiction by this point) took off like a horse that sees home. My other, minor critique, was the intentional modernized language that occasionally pulled me out of the story – just when it was getting interesting.

Bottom Line: A detailed account of a relatively unknown tragedy in the American Revolution – perfect for educational readers, not perfect for escapist readers.