By Jeff Shaara

After my trip to Boston, I’ve been super-excited to dive deep into Revolutionary War history. Using Audible, I got the 23+ hour audiobook by famed historical author, Jeff Shaara. It took a while to get through, but I relished long road trips just so I could catch up with the breaking news of the Revolution.

Starting at the time of the Boston Massacre in 1770 and ending shortly after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Rise to Rebellion follows the lives of four key individuals.

Benjamin Franklin, isolated from the plight of the colonies, is living abroad in England. Already famous and respected, he represents the interests of the colonies and works as a mediator. Sadly, the longer he stays, the more he realizes the hopelessness of his mission. England’s stiff arrogance has no room for fair representation. As he finds himself ostracized, he becomes involved in intrigue. Before long, though, the kettle boils over and he needs to get home. But will the conservative peacemakers in America listen to his warnings?

John Adams would love nothing more than to farm his land outside of Boston and raise his children with his beloved wife, Abigail. But his thriving law practice continually embroils him in the tense politics of his firebrand cousin, Samuel Adams. When his best efforts to keep the peace are ground in the mud by British military rule, he finds a new calling as a member of the fledgling congress. But how can he warn the other members of the congress that the horrible treatment of Massachusetts is knocking on their door? If Massachusetts falls, they all fall.

General Thomas Gage is an ambitious military leader, placed in charge of the Thirteen Colonies by King George III. Longing for England, he does his best to keep law and order in the rebellious colonies. But orders from England are slow to arrive. His hands are tied. With his unsettled marriage on one hand and the powder keg of the Sons of Liberty on the other, he is doing everything he can to keep things under control. Just one spark…

George Washington is fulfilling his duty by attending the Continental Congress as a delegate from Virginia. A military career was not a part of his plans. However, when he is appointed as commander in chief, he puts aside his dreams and answers his country’s call. But while he may be commander in chief, the army is a disjointed, poorly supplied assembly of independent militia who have no respect for a Virginian. Can he keep the British army at bay long enough to form an equipped Continental Army?

Pros: I was thoroughly invested! At times, I ground my teeth in rage, laughed out loud, gasped in horror, and nearly cried at the sacrifice. While I love history, it’s been a while since I studied the Revolutionary War. I learned quite a few things – especially in regards to the causes and events leading up to the shots at Lexington. 

A huge bonus was having been to Boston and many of the famous historical sites mentioned in the book!

Cons: 23 hours is a long time and I felt the author could have worked a bit harder at tightening things up. The characters waxed eloquent and went off on long mental monologues. Yes, it did help put the reader/listener in the character’s shoes, but still…

There were also a few times where I looked up some of the info I was hearing, only to find out the “facts” were speculation or didn’t even happen at all. I understand that some of the stuff had to be streamlined and simplified (you could write a 23 hour audiobook on Ben Franklin’s activities in England alone), but let’s not sensationalize things too much.

Bottom Line: A great audiobook for people who are interested in the American Revolution, and who have a lot of time on their hands!