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Lexington and Concord: The Battle Heard Round the World
"A wonderful addition to the literature on the American Revolution, full of enlightening facts and figures." ― Kirkus Reviews , starred review George C. Daughan’s magnificently detailed account of the battle of Lexington and Concord challenges the prevailing narrative of the American War of Independence. It was, Daughan argues, based as much on economic concerns as political ones. When Massachusetts militiamen turned out in overwhelming numbers to fight the British, they believed they were fighting for their farms and livelihoods, as well as for liberty. In the eyes of many American colonists, Britain’s repressive measures were not simply an effort to reestablish political control of the colonies, but also a means to reduce the prosperous colonists to the serfdom Benjamin Franklin witnessed on his tour of Ireland and Scotland. Authoritative and thoroughly researched, Lexington and Concord is a “worthy resource for history buffs seeking a closer look at what drove the start of the American Revolution” ( Booklist ). 3 maps
368 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2018
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383 people want to read
About the author
George C. Daughan
6 books17 followersGeorge C. Daughan earned a Ph.D. in American history and government from Harvard University. He has taught at the United States Air Force Academy, Connecticut College, the University of Colorado, the University of New Hampshire, and Wesleyan University.
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January 31, 2025
Renowned for his previous works on the War of 1812 and the Revolutionary War in New York, Historian George C. Daughan takes on the two famous battles that would ignite the American Revolution and set the world ablaze. It’s apparent from the beginning that Daughan’s account is different from others, in his comparisons between the Boston colonists and that of their British counterparts whom live in grandeur and thrive as aristocrats. After discussing the perceived similarities of British Rule over the Scotch-Irish from that of the American yeoman, he suggests that not only were their cultures unrelated, but the American colonial also had bountiful resources and was privileged to the opportunities of unrestricted land in North America. With a background of the steps and acts that Parliament and George III imposed following the Boston Tea Party, Daughan brings the reader alongside the Revolutionary tumult in Massachusetts.
As the opening chapters proceed, Daughan’s approach is a bit slow and weighted down in describing the steps taken and communications between the newly appointed commander-in-chief, Thomas Gage, and that of His Majesty’s government, prior to his embarkation back to the colonies. The pace picks up as Benjamin Franklin—then serving abroad on behalf of the unrepresented colonists—sends the angry and bitter correspondence of Royal Governor Hutchinson, the details of which call for action and drastic measures needed to quell an unlawful rabble. Daughan informs the reader that while it is still unclear as to how Franklin came upon these inflammatory letters, they brought a windfall of resentment and a call to action from across the Atlantic. With Gage boarding a ship back to enforce the new Coercive Acts designed by Parliament, and with Franklin now disregarded and on thin ice, William Pitt the Elder offers a stunning and prophetic speech regarding the inevitable failure of British policy on its colonial subjects—advising that they let the colonies tax themselves and keep these independent-minded radicals at an acknowledged distance—which of course falls on deaf ears.
With a celebrated greeting honored to Gage upon his arrival, his overall approval would take a quick turnabout when he moves the courthouse to Salem, at the same time implementing the Port Act and other economic measures in an effort to punish the Bostonians into obedience. He would be further thwarted when his plan of bribing the notorious Samuel Adams’ sympathies with the British is at once turned down—a generous offer of 1,000 pounds annually for life for the patriot leader and his son. As tensions begin to rise after Gage’s ill-advised Powder Alarm backfires and brings in thousands of militia, it becomes apparent to the reader that a more appropriate title and theme may have been more along the lines of the Bostonians and their path to revolution—as a majority of the book deals with events prior to the two battles. This is frustratingly evident when Daughan uses his own agenda to discuss the hypocrisy of slavery in terms of the colonists’ cries for liberty, in which a good portion of the book argues this dilemma even though it clearly has no actual significance to the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
The excitement that Daughan brings to the build up and execution of the battles easily awakens and catches the reader’s interest, explaining that with the arrival of orders from London after much concern from Gage, it becomes clear that the powers at be still don’t comprehend the level of unrest and resilience of their distant countrymen. This leaves Gage the unfortunate task of either quelling the rebellion soon, or being replaced by one of three distinguished officers, one of which—Sir William Howe—is already on his way. With John Hancock and Samuel Adams in hiding at Lexington due to warrants for their arrest issued by Gage, this sends Dr. Joseph Warren to step up as the de facto leader and prevent and disrupt at all costs Gage’s planned raid on the supply lines at Concord. Daughan claims this secret operation was unearthed presumably by Paul Revere, rather than by recent speculations of Gage’s American wife Margaret Kemble having a hand in helping the rebels.
Daughan argues that had Gage put more focus on rounding up these alarm riders who went to great lengths to gather the necessary militia, there may actually have been quite a different outcome to the proceeding events. With the massacre of the first battle of the day at Lexington, and revenge on all of the militiamen’s minds, Daughan questions the motives of previous historians who have failed to point the blame on John Hancock. At the time, this wealthy merchant all but begged for an open engagement with the redcoats, where as the command of Captain Parker was scrutinized instead—an officer who was not counseled or given orders to disperse the militia under him, nor had he any prior experience with how quickly events could unfold. As events come to a boiling point at Concord later that same morning on April 19th, Daughan makes it clear that the recruitment and overall call to arms from American alarm riders had led to a swift rebuke, leaving the British agitated from the general alarm of the populace, as well as their expert sniper fire. Nonetheless, casualties would be noticeable on both sides:
Militiaman Jonathan Harrington Jr., like the rest of his comrades, was running away when he was shot in the back. He instinctively staggered toward his home on the other side of Harrington Road, which abuts the green. His wife was watching from an upstairs window, horrified, praying that he’d get back alive. Racing downstairs, she opened the front door, only to have him expire in her arms, his warm blood seeping through the hole in his chest onto her dress.
This is easily the most enticing and profound portion of Daughan’s study, and he captures the battles in all their glory with a militaristic eye, and a style that brings new life to the research and historical facts being brought forth. As Daughan deviates from here to the subsequent Siege of Boston, this section feels appropriate in the sense that there’s not a multitude of filler content like that of the first half of his work, as it is noticeably geared more towards the aftermath of the battles and their effect on both the British populace and colonial morale at home. Dr. Joseph Warren comes front and center in the conclusion as he painstakingly struggles to get news of the battles across to the London press. He succeeds, and his extensive account easily trumps Gage’s brief reflection of the events, which conveniently left out the disaster that a frustrated George III and Parliament had already picked up on—leading to his subsequent recall. Written more so a general history of the events that lead up to the colonists’ frustration and eventual breaking with their mother country, Daughan completes his account with a concise conclusion, and includes maps and illustrations.
As the opening chapters proceed, Daughan’s approach is a bit slow and weighted down in describing the steps taken and communications between the newly appointed commander-in-chief, Thomas Gage, and that of His Majesty’s government, prior to his embarkation back to the colonies. The pace picks up as Benjamin Franklin—then serving abroad on behalf of the unrepresented colonists—sends the angry and bitter correspondence of Royal Governor Hutchinson, the details of which call for action and drastic measures needed to quell an unlawful rabble. Daughan informs the reader that while it is still unclear as to how Franklin came upon these inflammatory letters, they brought a windfall of resentment and a call to action from across the Atlantic. With Gage boarding a ship back to enforce the new Coercive Acts designed by Parliament, and with Franklin now disregarded and on thin ice, William Pitt the Elder offers a stunning and prophetic speech regarding the inevitable failure of British policy on its colonial subjects—advising that they let the colonies tax themselves and keep these independent-minded radicals at an acknowledged distance—which of course falls on deaf ears.
With a celebrated greeting honored to Gage upon his arrival, his overall approval would take a quick turnabout when he moves the courthouse to Salem, at the same time implementing the Port Act and other economic measures in an effort to punish the Bostonians into obedience. He would be further thwarted when his plan of bribing the notorious Samuel Adams’ sympathies with the British is at once turned down—a generous offer of 1,000 pounds annually for life for the patriot leader and his son. As tensions begin to rise after Gage’s ill-advised Powder Alarm backfires and brings in thousands of militia, it becomes apparent to the reader that a more appropriate title and theme may have been more along the lines of the Bostonians and their path to revolution—as a majority of the book deals with events prior to the two battles. This is frustratingly evident when Daughan uses his own agenda to discuss the hypocrisy of slavery in terms of the colonists’ cries for liberty, in which a good portion of the book argues this dilemma even though it clearly has no actual significance to the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
The excitement that Daughan brings to the build up and execution of the battles easily awakens and catches the reader’s interest, explaining that with the arrival of orders from London after much concern from Gage, it becomes clear that the powers at be still don’t comprehend the level of unrest and resilience of their distant countrymen. This leaves Gage the unfortunate task of either quelling the rebellion soon, or being replaced by one of three distinguished officers, one of which—Sir William Howe—is already on his way. With John Hancock and Samuel Adams in hiding at Lexington due to warrants for their arrest issued by Gage, this sends Dr. Joseph Warren to step up as the de facto leader and prevent and disrupt at all costs Gage’s planned raid on the supply lines at Concord. Daughan claims this secret operation was unearthed presumably by Paul Revere, rather than by recent speculations of Gage’s American wife Margaret Kemble having a hand in helping the rebels.
Daughan argues that had Gage put more focus on rounding up these alarm riders who went to great lengths to gather the necessary militia, there may actually have been quite a different outcome to the proceeding events. With the massacre of the first battle of the day at Lexington, and revenge on all of the militiamen’s minds, Daughan questions the motives of previous historians who have failed to point the blame on John Hancock. At the time, this wealthy merchant all but begged for an open engagement with the redcoats, where as the command of Captain Parker was scrutinized instead—an officer who was not counseled or given orders to disperse the militia under him, nor had he any prior experience with how quickly events could unfold. As events come to a boiling point at Concord later that same morning on April 19th, Daughan makes it clear that the recruitment and overall call to arms from American alarm riders had led to a swift rebuke, leaving the British agitated from the general alarm of the populace, as well as their expert sniper fire. Nonetheless, casualties would be noticeable on both sides:
Militiaman Jonathan Harrington Jr., like the rest of his comrades, was running away when he was shot in the back. He instinctively staggered toward his home on the other side of Harrington Road, which abuts the green. His wife was watching from an upstairs window, horrified, praying that he’d get back alive. Racing downstairs, she opened the front door, only to have him expire in her arms, his warm blood seeping through the hole in his chest onto her dress.
This is easily the most enticing and profound portion of Daughan’s study, and he captures the battles in all their glory with a militaristic eye, and a style that brings new life to the research and historical facts being brought forth. As Daughan deviates from here to the subsequent Siege of Boston, this section feels appropriate in the sense that there’s not a multitude of filler content like that of the first half of his work, as it is noticeably geared more towards the aftermath of the battles and their effect on both the British populace and colonial morale at home. Dr. Joseph Warren comes front and center in the conclusion as he painstakingly struggles to get news of the battles across to the London press. He succeeds, and his extensive account easily trumps Gage’s brief reflection of the events, which conveniently left out the disaster that a frustrated George III and Parliament had already picked up on—leading to his subsequent recall. Written more so a general history of the events that lead up to the colonists’ frustration and eventual breaking with their mother country, Daughan completes his account with a concise conclusion, and includes maps and illustrations.
September 15, 2023
A wonderful history of the events leading up to the battle and beyond. A great account and analysis of the people at play, the factions and divisions both in America and in Britain, and the side characters who made a mark on history as well. A fantastic book that can be summed up as the American Revolution should never had happened and that if cooler heads prevailed, we might still be a colony or at least still part of the commonwealth today.
July 11, 2021
We're going to have a loooong discussion about this one, but I'll just quickly say: pure pro-American propaganda. Absolutely do not recommend.
August 24, 2021
I lived in Lexington for five years. I'm also directly related to several founders of Concord and graduated from high school in Concord, so I appreciate the history of the two towns. This book published in 2018 has an abundance of fresh material. It's concise and flowed very well making it a complete history.
May 10, 2018
Five stars and three cheers for this unabashed pro-patriot telling of the events before, during and after the 19th of April of '75.
January 31, 2020
It is noteworthy and laudable that the author expresses and generally fulfills a desire to be even-handed in his treatment of the battles of Lexington and Concord. This book provides an extremely detailed look at the road to war and examines the choices that were made which prevented peace from being sought. The author mixes a discussion of diplomatic and imperial political history on the one hand with a look at individual atrocities that took place on the battlefield that fateful April 19, 1775 day in rural Massachusetts that began a revolution that was based on a fatal combination of American resistance to authority and British arrogance in their own strength and in the absence of power that the Americans could bring in self-defense. Using a sound reading of a wide variety of primary sources, including recollections long after the fact, the author still finds it impossible to say who exactly fired first on Lexington Green, only that it must be lamented that heavily outnumbered minutemen were there in the first place rather than having been prevented from their suicidal stand. Overall this book provides an excellent discussion on Lexington and Concord, and one that works well in coordination with other related volumes.
This book is not quite 300 pages long and is divided into 39 generally short chapters. The author begins with the Boston Tea Party and the way that it marked the decisive break between the colonists and Britain concerning questions of authority and taxation (1). The author then looks at the relationship of Gage and George III (2), Franklin's embarrassing day being subjected to a harsh and public dressing down over the publishing of Hutchinson's letters (3), and the response of Britain to close the port of Boston (4) and make war on Massachusetts (5), which was gaining support from other colonies (6). The author talks about the deepening defiance (7) and growing sense of crisis (8) that followed, along with with the response of the Massachusetts counties (9) and the refusal of the king to back down (10). After this there is a discussion of the Powder alarm (11), the first Congressional Congress (12), and the Suffolk Resolves (13) that marked American efforts to prevent the coming hostilities. Although congress completed its work (14) the author reflects upon the matter of slavery (15) and the perverse response of the British to the Powder alarm (16). The march to war continued on the side of the imperial government (17) despite the effort by Chatham (18) to stop it as well as the secret efforts of Lords North and Dartmouth for peace (19). After this the decision for war (20) and the vote for war (21) made conflict inevitable. The author turns his attention to the country people (22) and their supporters (23) who sought to unite in the face of growing tensions (24) while waiting for the British troops in Boston to do something (25). It is only at this point, after more than half of the chapters, that the author spends the rest of the time discussing Gage's orders, how he sought to put them into practice, and the response of the colonials and how they brought war, and the book ends with the siege of Boston and the news of the British defeat and disaster reaching the English press.
One of the most telling aspects of this particular book is the way that it describes the paralysis of authority on both sides as they blundered into conflict. Patriot forces were intent on not firing the first shot but once the first shots were fired they were quick to fire back with deadly force and surprising skill while causing massive casualties to the imperial army on its way back into Boston. Likewise there was no automatic person to lead the Patriot forces. Each person in charge of a band of Minutemen were engaged in a more or less loose and informal cooperation with others while using irregular tactics and preferring to live to see another day while the British themselves used flank attacks and engaged in plenty of looting and butchery of their own in what quickly became a savage and brutal contest. The author notes that King George III insisted on more aggressive moves and that the British leadership itself was largely ignorant and contemptuous of American capabilities, which was ultimately a fatal flaw in their own efforts to crush a colonial revolt that quickly got out of their control and that should never have begun in the first place.
This book is not quite 300 pages long and is divided into 39 generally short chapters. The author begins with the Boston Tea Party and the way that it marked the decisive break between the colonists and Britain concerning questions of authority and taxation (1). The author then looks at the relationship of Gage and George III (2), Franklin's embarrassing day being subjected to a harsh and public dressing down over the publishing of Hutchinson's letters (3), and the response of Britain to close the port of Boston (4) and make war on Massachusetts (5), which was gaining support from other colonies (6). The author talks about the deepening defiance (7) and growing sense of crisis (8) that followed, along with with the response of the Massachusetts counties (9) and the refusal of the king to back down (10). After this there is a discussion of the Powder alarm (11), the first Congressional Congress (12), and the Suffolk Resolves (13) that marked American efforts to prevent the coming hostilities. Although congress completed its work (14) the author reflects upon the matter of slavery (15) and the perverse response of the British to the Powder alarm (16). The march to war continued on the side of the imperial government (17) despite the effort by Chatham (18) to stop it as well as the secret efforts of Lords North and Dartmouth for peace (19). After this the decision for war (20) and the vote for war (21) made conflict inevitable. The author turns his attention to the country people (22) and their supporters (23) who sought to unite in the face of growing tensions (24) while waiting for the British troops in Boston to do something (25). It is only at this point, after more than half of the chapters, that the author spends the rest of the time discussing Gage's orders, how he sought to put them into practice, and the response of the colonials and how they brought war, and the book ends with the siege of Boston and the news of the British defeat and disaster reaching the English press.
One of the most telling aspects of this particular book is the way that it describes the paralysis of authority on both sides as they blundered into conflict. Patriot forces were intent on not firing the first shot but once the first shots were fired they were quick to fire back with deadly force and surprising skill while causing massive casualties to the imperial army on its way back into Boston. Likewise there was no automatic person to lead the Patriot forces. Each person in charge of a band of Minutemen were engaged in a more or less loose and informal cooperation with others while using irregular tactics and preferring to live to see another day while the British themselves used flank attacks and engaged in plenty of looting and butchery of their own in what quickly became a savage and brutal contest. The author notes that King George III insisted on more aggressive moves and that the British leadership itself was largely ignorant and contemptuous of American capabilities, which was ultimately a fatal flaw in their own efforts to crush a colonial revolt that quickly got out of their control and that should never have begun in the first place.
April 7, 2019
Lexington and Concord is just about perfect for the thoughtful student of American revolutionary history: a richly detailed and richly sourced account of the embattled farmers of Massachusetts who gave the British lobsterbacks a real whuppin’ on April 19, 1775, without any gooey sentimentalism about the “shot heard round the world.”
Daughan offers a satisfyingly realistic analysis of the fighting and the dying at Lexington and Concord, and on the “battle road” back to Boston. He makes it plain that a significant outcome of the fighting that day (122 killed, 213 wounded, and 31 missing for all American and British forces engaged) was the British commanders in Boston suddenly and dramatically realized that the colonials were not a rabble who would run at the sight of leveled British bayonets.
It is a sad and compelling truth that King George III and his ministers and the British parliament never really figured that out until the bitter end.
Lexington and Concord is a good, solid read. Even if you already know a lot about Paul Revere and “the British are coming!” and the Minutemen shooting from behind stone walls, you’ll learn a lot of the context of the Revolutionary War and the blind stupidity of the British leaders.
Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
www.richardsubber.com
Daughan offers a satisfyingly realistic analysis of the fighting and the dying at Lexington and Concord, and on the “battle road” back to Boston. He makes it plain that a significant outcome of the fighting that day (122 killed, 213 wounded, and 31 missing for all American and British forces engaged) was the British commanders in Boston suddenly and dramatically realized that the colonials were not a rabble who would run at the sight of leveled British bayonets.
It is a sad and compelling truth that King George III and his ministers and the British parliament never really figured that out until the bitter end.
Lexington and Concord is a good, solid read. Even if you already know a lot about Paul Revere and “the British are coming!” and the Minutemen shooting from behind stone walls, you’ll learn a lot of the context of the Revolutionary War and the blind stupidity of the British leaders.
Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
www.richardsubber.com
September 23, 2021
Well researched and well written. This was the first real battle of the war for independence. Daughan does a great job of setting up the events that lead to this day along with introducing us to the key players. Sometimes historical authors go too far down rabbit trails. This is not the case with this book.
June 23, 2018
Great book. Does a fantastic job on what lead up to the "shots heard around the world". Highly recommend this book!
April 3, 2018
This book was supposed to go out on the sales floor tomorrow morning, but I saw it in the back of the store and bought it and took it home (bookseller privilege) and started reading it. I have to say this book is amazing! It provides a fresh and very thorough account into the events leading up to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. What I find most interesting is the economic reasons he describes behind the people of Massachusetts deciding to take up arms against the most powerful fighting force of the time. This book also displays the perspectives of both the Americans and the British, providing insight into how they viewed one another and their motivations and reasoning. This is truly a groundbreaking and exciting addition to the field of early American history!
January 3, 2021
This book is so awful I could not finish it, which is a true feat. I had such high hopes from a Harvard historian, but it ended up being an unbearably long episode of “America is the super bestest and everyone else are, like, total losers introduction to the battle of Lexington and Concord”. From the constant subtle undermining of every person or fact that didn’t scream Red White and Blue, to downright historical inaccuracies, like repeatedly referring to George III as an idiot (dim-witted king, etc), it’s not for historians or people who like an even basic sense of objectivity. How it got over 4 stars is beyond me, unless the readers simply live a book that has unsubstantiated bald eagles flying out of the pages. The basic premise is “England was so super jealous of how super awesome America was, and they wanted to take away their liberties: here are 50 quotes that support my point of view. Aren’t Americans so super brave and noble?” I like my facts served to me objectively, without 35lbs of adjectives and subtext shoving opinion down my throat. Especially when it’s so childishly black and white. William Pitt (E) was so noble. Look at all the wonderful things he says about America. General Gage was a morally inferior coward, who just wanted to shoot American babies in the face to keep his job. Benjamin Franklin published private letters that did irreparable damage to colonial relations, and all that as he was postmaster general, and so particularly not supposed to be doing that, but really, everyone opened letters back then. I can’t believe the evil British held him accountable! They didn’t even let him continue being postmaster general after publishing people’s private letters. Aren’t they unreasonable monsters?
My suggestion? Avoid this book at all costs. Rick Atkinson gratefully wrote a book covering the same era (not to mention 30 other authors and books). If you just want some history, opt for them.
My suggestion? Avoid this book at all costs. Rick Atkinson gratefully wrote a book covering the same era (not to mention 30 other authors and books). If you just want some history, opt for them.
February 26, 2020
An unapologetically pro-American telling of the events leading up to arguably the most important war that America has ever seen. Daughan's careful structure leads the events in a logical and interesting manner. While he may get repetitive sometimes the book gives a lot of information that many will find eyeopening. I'm assuming the repetition will shore up with a re-read. It is fascinating to hear about how British officers subjugated their own infantrymen by the same strategy they used against the Americans: fear. Soldiers were executed often. They were mostly poor and uneducated so it was easy to rile them up against the colonists. Their loyalty was easily bought. It is also interesting to read about how the colonists adapted to the British "laws" that were enacted. If county council meetings were banned then the colonists met in their individual towns. The main leaders of the Revolution had different agendas. Daughan really shines when he is retelling the actual events of Lexington and Concord as well as the aftermath. It reads like a thriller. This may be one I revisit down the road. Highly recommend.
September 6, 2025
A history surrounding the geopolitical events that culminated in the first shots fired in armed combat. These official battles between two armed sides initiated the American Revolution. (Of course, the Boston Massacre was only firearms on one side).
The first 2/3 of the book is a lengthy detailing of the political events that led to armed conflict. They include the usual cracking down on dissidence and taxation that preceded such events in the buildup to this conflict, with a focus on luminaries Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Dr. Joseph Warren, all of whom played significant roles in the buildup to the first exchanges of fire in this conflict.
Ultimately, I felt a little bit let down. The conflicts at Lexington and the immediate follow up at Concord received a few pages each (18 or so pages total for both combined) though they were fairly brief. However, it felt a little piecemeal and less cohesive than I had hoped. Then again, that is probably how it felt to the participants. Both events (really a two part, two site singular response to British incursions outside of Boston) represented the first time colonial patriots stood their ground armed with muskets in response to redcoat use of force to tamper down dissent. In the end, Americans were killed in front of their homes and family in Lexington, and redcoats were mowed down over a bridge in Concord (though only a few dozen total, the British had more casualties total and retreated. They were then sniped at on their retreat across the countryside back to Boston, incurring more casualties in retreat).
This volume will serve for a person interested in this particular opening of the revolution, this particular event 250 years ago. I have read accounts of L-C in larger accounts of the entire revolution that suffice as well. Ultimately, there are no larger military strategies really worth discussing because militiamen were defending their home territory and redcoats were following orders to sweep up contraband munitions and impose some type of order through showing up in force and reminding the colonials "who is boss". Of course, it only hardened resistance leading to the repulse of the British assault on Bunker Hill shortly thereafter, a monumental symbolic victory for the Americans in that it showed that the colonists would literally stand upon the hills of their adopted land and not give an inch until no longer tenable and live to fight another day (though they suffered more losses at BH, America won a symbolic victory in holding their own as long as possible and earned a martyr in Dr. Warren. Bunker Hill literally signified that this would not be a quick or easy victory for the British Empire). After these encounters, though not mentioned here, George Washington felt emboldened to step forward and require the Continental Congress to establish an official standing army of militiamen (we still commemorate that day just a few weeks from my writing this as the 250th anniversary of the army - the spot is commemorated by a plaque in Cambridge, MA just across from Harvard yard in a public park that looks not unlike Lexington).
I still recommend visiting the sites themselves - about a 30 minute drive west of Boston. Hit Lexington first, the visitor center is very helpful! The Green is right there and you can do Lexington in a leisurely hour including the museum. Go to Concord (ten-15 minutes MAYBE away - maybe less). Good places to eat lunch. Good museum there. If you want to see a bunch of literary homes - Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Walden Pond, and their graves all in Concord, give yourself a few more hours start. The Old Manse, where Hawthorne was living after Emerson, and witness to the Concord battle, stands right there and well worth visiting. The museum for Concord is where to start, then walk down to the North Bridge where the returning of fire took place. Multiple redcoats are still buried at the side of the bridge! Pick a nice day for weather, start early, and take your time. There are also plenty of Ranger guided activities to choose from.
The first 2/3 of the book is a lengthy detailing of the political events that led to armed conflict. They include the usual cracking down on dissidence and taxation that preceded such events in the buildup to this conflict, with a focus on luminaries Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Dr. Joseph Warren, all of whom played significant roles in the buildup to the first exchanges of fire in this conflict.
Ultimately, I felt a little bit let down. The conflicts at Lexington and the immediate follow up at Concord received a few pages each (18 or so pages total for both combined) though they were fairly brief. However, it felt a little piecemeal and less cohesive than I had hoped. Then again, that is probably how it felt to the participants. Both events (really a two part, two site singular response to British incursions outside of Boston) represented the first time colonial patriots stood their ground armed with muskets in response to redcoat use of force to tamper down dissent. In the end, Americans were killed in front of their homes and family in Lexington, and redcoats were mowed down over a bridge in Concord (though only a few dozen total, the British had more casualties total and retreated. They were then sniped at on their retreat across the countryside back to Boston, incurring more casualties in retreat).
This volume will serve for a person interested in this particular opening of the revolution, this particular event 250 years ago. I have read accounts of L-C in larger accounts of the entire revolution that suffice as well. Ultimately, there are no larger military strategies really worth discussing because militiamen were defending their home territory and redcoats were following orders to sweep up contraband munitions and impose some type of order through showing up in force and reminding the colonials "who is boss". Of course, it only hardened resistance leading to the repulse of the British assault on Bunker Hill shortly thereafter, a monumental symbolic victory for the Americans in that it showed that the colonists would literally stand upon the hills of their adopted land and not give an inch until no longer tenable and live to fight another day (though they suffered more losses at BH, America won a symbolic victory in holding their own as long as possible and earned a martyr in Dr. Warren. Bunker Hill literally signified that this would not be a quick or easy victory for the British Empire). After these encounters, though not mentioned here, George Washington felt emboldened to step forward and require the Continental Congress to establish an official standing army of militiamen (we still commemorate that day just a few weeks from my writing this as the 250th anniversary of the army - the spot is commemorated by a plaque in Cambridge, MA just across from Harvard yard in a public park that looks not unlike Lexington).
I still recommend visiting the sites themselves - about a 30 minute drive west of Boston. Hit Lexington first, the visitor center is very helpful! The Green is right there and you can do Lexington in a leisurely hour including the museum. Go to Concord (ten-15 minutes MAYBE away - maybe less). Good places to eat lunch. Good museum there. If you want to see a bunch of literary homes - Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Walden Pond, and their graves all in Concord, give yourself a few more hours start. The Old Manse, where Hawthorne was living after Emerson, and witness to the Concord battle, stands right there and well worth visiting. The museum for Concord is where to start, then walk down to the North Bridge where the returning of fire took place. Multiple redcoats are still buried at the side of the bridge! Pick a nice day for weather, start early, and take your time. There are also plenty of Ranger guided activities to choose from.
April 11, 2019
John Adams once wryly, perhaps with something more than frustration, stated that the American Revolution would be boiled down to "that Dr Franklin’s electric rod smote the earth and out sprang General Washington. Then Franklin electrified him, and thence forward those two conducted all the Policy, Negotiations, Legislations, and War." The war, at least, has often been boiled down to the agency of certain great American leaders, Washington highest among them all, leaving little sense of who was in it, how it started, and what came before (for surely we all know what it resulted in).
George Daughan impressively and minutely recounts the prelude to the War of Independence, taking the reader through the Boston Tea Party to the Siege of Boston in 1775. While the book offers some interesting day-by-day insights of the Massachusetts proto-rebels, its most unique contribution to the literature is the focus on the British Parliament and Ministry. Lexington and Concord are portrayed not so much as the inevitable and righteous result of a noble protest, but the agglomeration of misunderstandings, both large and small, that lead an obtuse King and sycophantic Parliament into overconfidence and war. Indeed, the years 1775 comes to resemble the back-and-forth pull of the Summer of 1914 in international politics, with moderate voices on both sides increasingly silenced and bloodshed left as the sole recourse.
The paths of the British and American colonists (though perhaps they would not call themselves "colonists" at the end of that day) are traced in a workmanlike narrative, the blows of each skirmish and point of the battle told clearly and succinctly. Daughan's narrative never quite rises to the resonance of a Rick Atkinson, but there are memorable details in the pages, such as the blood spattered on a young man fighting on the North Bridge in Concord who would go on to serve in the Continental Army through Yorktown.
Hubris dogs the British, from King to General, throughout this narrative. The War of Independence becomes, for the 18th Century English-speaking world, an utter failure of both imagination and empathy on the one side, and the seizing of a limitless political, economic, and social imagination on the other.
George Daughan impressively and minutely recounts the prelude to the War of Independence, taking the reader through the Boston Tea Party to the Siege of Boston in 1775. While the book offers some interesting day-by-day insights of the Massachusetts proto-rebels, its most unique contribution to the literature is the focus on the British Parliament and Ministry. Lexington and Concord are portrayed not so much as the inevitable and righteous result of a noble protest, but the agglomeration of misunderstandings, both large and small, that lead an obtuse King and sycophantic Parliament into overconfidence and war. Indeed, the years 1775 comes to resemble the back-and-forth pull of the Summer of 1914 in international politics, with moderate voices on both sides increasingly silenced and bloodshed left as the sole recourse.
The paths of the British and American colonists (though perhaps they would not call themselves "colonists" at the end of that day) are traced in a workmanlike narrative, the blows of each skirmish and point of the battle told clearly and succinctly. Daughan's narrative never quite rises to the resonance of a Rick Atkinson, but there are memorable details in the pages, such as the blood spattered on a young man fighting on the North Bridge in Concord who would go on to serve in the Continental Army through Yorktown.
Hubris dogs the British, from King to General, throughout this narrative. The War of Independence becomes, for the 18th Century English-speaking world, an utter failure of both imagination and empathy on the one side, and the seizing of a limitless political, economic, and social imagination on the other.
June 10, 2023
I hesitate to call this a disappointment, but it’s certainly my least favorite nonfiction book covering the revolutionary period. There’s a distinct lack of quoting primary sources, which might not be a problem if I was physically reading this book and could check the author’s notes, but listening to the audiobook it comes across as far too speculative for my taste. Major players often “certainly” felt or acted in ways that seemed hard to verify without directly citing a source, which happens only occasionally in comparison to similar books. I felt like I was taking the author’s word for it which was disconcerting. Either that or one source was seemingly extrapolated to define someone’s actions throughout the whole story; as if their attitudes would never change with circumstances.
The above may be a consequence of listening rather than reading, but the author makes several assertions as fact that felt unfounded. Certainly the notion of a full scale revolution with French, Dutch, and Spanish support for the patriots being a guarantee was anything but in 1775. No one could’ve imagined what was going to happen, and certainly the patriots would’ve been apprehensive about allying with Frenchmen who were continental rivals just 12 years before let alone other monarchs. The author’s belief that the British fired first at Lexington is also stated as fact when it’s still just a theory and while his case may seem solid at first a quick internet search finds equally compelling theories to suggest the patriots fired the opening shots. All I know for sure is that I’ll need to explore more books on Lexington and Concord because I feel a sense of wanting after this book.
The above may be a consequence of listening rather than reading, but the author makes several assertions as fact that felt unfounded. Certainly the notion of a full scale revolution with French, Dutch, and Spanish support for the patriots being a guarantee was anything but in 1775. No one could’ve imagined what was going to happen, and certainly the patriots would’ve been apprehensive about allying with Frenchmen who were continental rivals just 12 years before let alone other monarchs. The author’s belief that the British fired first at Lexington is also stated as fact when it’s still just a theory and while his case may seem solid at first a quick internet search finds equally compelling theories to suggest the patriots fired the opening shots. All I know for sure is that I’ll need to explore more books on Lexington and Concord because I feel a sense of wanting after this book.
September 12, 2023
George C. Daughan, who has previously authored award winning work on naval history, explores the dramatic events of the spring of 1775 in Massachusetts with this book. On April 19, patriot forces inflicted major losses on British forces at Concord. How did this happen? Daughan has offered the most thorough answer to this question that I have seen. Part of the answer concerns the determination of the patriots to band together, as people from towns far beyond Concord gathered for the battle along with those who were from Concord. None of these people wanted to submit to the Coercive Acts that the British had recently inflicted on the people of Massachusetts and that took away much of their freedom. Daughan also explains that the patriots had grown up around weapons; this was part of the culture in which they had spent their lives and gave them a sense of preparedness when combat arrived with the French and Indian War and later this war. Part of the answer also involves the missteps of the British, however. Daughan goes to much length in explaining that British General Thomas Gage wanted more troops in Massachusetts, but that officials in Britain disagreed with him. Many British officials underestimated the American forces and were unwilling to listen to Gage's pleas for more support. Many of them also did not get along well with each other. Daughan explains the events, personalities, and emotions of the time well and I recommend the book.
April 7, 2020
Excellent book about the deteriorating relationship between the colonies (Massachusetts and Boston in particular) following the Boston Tea Party to the "shots heard round the world" on the morning of April 19, 1775 and the immediate aftermath.
The author puts well into comparison the state of the colonies during this time versus other British domains like Ireland and how the standard of living and liberties the Americans enjoyed would never be taken without a fight. These rights and liberties were jeopardized when London passed the "Coercive Acts" aka the Intolerable Acts, following the Boston Tea Party and set the colonies and mother country onto an inevitable collision course.
The chapters about the actual battles are towards the end of the book and are fairly brief. David Hackett Fischer's account in his book, " Paul Revere's Ride", in my opinion, is a much better book about Revere's (et al.) ride to Lexington and the battles that followed.
This book's strength is in the detailed path to war, the personalities and political ambitions of London's ministers and the military leaders deployed to Boston. I think the book could have included more maps that included troop positions and movements throughout the day of April 19, 1775 but otherwise this was an excellent book and very easy read.
The author puts well into comparison the state of the colonies during this time versus other British domains like Ireland and how the standard of living and liberties the Americans enjoyed would never be taken without a fight. These rights and liberties were jeopardized when London passed the "Coercive Acts" aka the Intolerable Acts, following the Boston Tea Party and set the colonies and mother country onto an inevitable collision course.
The chapters about the actual battles are towards the end of the book and are fairly brief. David Hackett Fischer's account in his book, " Paul Revere's Ride", in my opinion, is a much better book about Revere's (et al.) ride to Lexington and the battles that followed.
This book's strength is in the detailed path to war, the personalities and political ambitions of London's ministers and the military leaders deployed to Boston. I think the book could have included more maps that included troop positions and movements throughout the day of April 19, 1775 but otherwise this was an excellent book and very easy read.
May 14, 2018
Too often history books, especially recounting this era of America's history, are tough to get through and are dry reads. Daughan makes the story of the "shot heard 'round the world" compelling and dare I say it "fun" to read.
We've always known the "how" but through character and political assessment, we get a better understanding of the "why". Daughan in his story telling gives us a view from the American and British perspectives while allowing us a deeper insight into the character of the key players that really hasn't been explored up to this point. He also gives us a better understanding by explaining how the conditions got set, through politics and economics, and how those motivated the colonists to rally and take up arms against the British.
Not to mention Daughan posits that not only was it British hubris that made them indeed "strike first", against the orders that were given, because the ungrateful colonist colonists needed to be taught a lesson but it was British planning blunders and the actions of a few of their irreverent ground commanders that actually led to the American Revolution. When in fact, it could've all been avoided.
A great fresh, new take on those fateful events and a MUST read for any fan of American History!
We've always known the "how" but through character and political assessment, we get a better understanding of the "why". Daughan in his story telling gives us a view from the American and British perspectives while allowing us a deeper insight into the character of the key players that really hasn't been explored up to this point. He also gives us a better understanding by explaining how the conditions got set, through politics and economics, and how those motivated the colonists to rally and take up arms against the British.
Not to mention Daughan posits that not only was it British hubris that made them indeed "strike first", against the orders that were given, because the ungrateful colonist colonists needed to be taught a lesson but it was British planning blunders and the actions of a few of their irreverent ground commanders that actually led to the American Revolution. When in fact, it could've all been avoided.
A great fresh, new take on those fateful events and a MUST read for any fan of American History!
July 6, 2020
Lexington and Concord is the tale of US independence from Great Brittain. General Gage was the British Military force in Boston. When London passed the "Coercive Acts" aka the Intolerable Acts after the Boston Tea Party General Gage put his thumb on the locals (farmers and towns people). King George III wanted to bomb his own people as the Colonies at this time were part of Great Brittain. This book seems to gleen information that would be better used in another publication. Even though it is an easy read I felt like it would never get to the "Shots heard round the World". I wonder if this is just another book that the author had some research that didn't fit in an earlier publication and he is stretching to eek out another book. I would suggest that either abbreviate some of the opening pages for example the battle didn't start until well after page 200, the book was over at about 290, or the author could add another 150 to 200 pages and possible end at the signing of the declaration of Independence. The writer gave a great deal of information without truly painting the characters such as Samuel Adams and Dr. Warren. This book is worthy of reading if you are a true history nerd, but I would not suggest it as a first book on the subject for the novice reader.
August 22, 2025
The beginning of this book was slow and drawn out, spending almost more time on the lead up to the battles than on the battles themselves. I'm glad I moved passed the slow start of this book because the author does a great job recounting the events of the day and the narrative picks up a lot. This account was just as bias as other books on the topic but this time in favor of the Americans. I have to admit, I found his arguments about the Redcoats firing first to be more compelling than arguments in favor of the rebels firing first. He discusses that most of the dead in Lexington were shot in the back and that many of the bodies fell face down while retreating. I wish we had more forensic information about the battlefield. I imagine not much exists on the topic so the bits that the author could retrieve from primary sources were welcome and left me wanting more. I felt that the author also did a great job giving exact locations, noting streams, ponds, common crossroads names, and other cultural and geographic landmarks. I think to date this book paid the most attention to small and personal details of the battles and particularly the British Retreat, which I found well documented and detailed.
December 9, 2025
Found this at a thrift store. Had never seen it before but was excited to read it. I knew some of the basics of the battles of Lexington and Concord but wanted to learn more. And I did learn more. I found the information in this volume fairly thorough. The author began by setting up what had happened leading up to the battles. He tried to get into the mindset of both the American and English actors in this drama. And he does a good job laying out how the battle played out.
But I did have some issues with this book. It seems to me that the author tended to repeat himself quite a bit. He seemed to say the same thing but in a different way numerous times. I would almost shake my head trying to determine if any new information was presented.
I also don’t think the writing was the most engaging. At times I felt like I was reading because I thought I should instead of because I wanted to. This was not really one of those books I couldn’t put down. Still, there is value in reading this book so I would not discourage it.
But I did have some issues with this book. It seems to me that the author tended to repeat himself quite a bit. He seemed to say the same thing but in a different way numerous times. I would almost shake my head trying to determine if any new information was presented.
I also don’t think the writing was the most engaging. At times I felt like I was reading because I thought I should instead of because I wanted to. This was not really one of those books I couldn’t put down. Still, there is value in reading this book so I would not discourage it.
May 2, 2023
It's not bad. Very pro-American and well, I guess we won so I understand. Unlike others in the genre it is never dull or dry to the point where I had to set it down and is at least well researched and sourced. It's one of the few books I set out to read the bibliography of. 5 stars for research even if I disagree with the conclusions set forth.
Emotional take: My man NEEDS people like Major Pitcairn to be Disney villain levels of both evil and incompetent. Like, wakes up and thrives on the idea of British lobsters in men's skin suits. The insistence on collusion sent me to the next dimension.
Not to go full 'BuT bOtH SiDeS' here, but we are not blameless. The Revolution was not an invading force we gallantly took down. It was our friends, neighbors, families... That means something. And that nuance is missing.
Emotional take: My man NEEDS people like Major Pitcairn to be Disney villain levels of both evil and incompetent. Like, wakes up and thrives on the idea of British lobsters in men's skin suits. The insistence on collusion sent me to the next dimension.
Not to go full 'BuT bOtH SiDeS' here, but we are not blameless. The Revolution was not an invading force we gallantly took down. It was our friends, neighbors, families... That means something. And that nuance is missing.
February 7, 2024
I listened intently to this 9 disc CD audio recording and was not disappointed. If you are to read just one book about the lead up to the American Revolution, then this may well be the book for you.
There is great detail shown as to the mood of the colonists in New England and the wheels of power turning in London, and how both sides were out of touch with each other. There were only a few in London who had a real handle on what was happening on the other side of the pond, and really felt that they could hold things together, (Such as Pitt), but they were far out numbered by the hardliners.
The battles are described quite accurately, however I withheld one star because at the end, it was as if the author pulled the plug on the book.
In writing about the "shot felt round the world", it would be nice to recount the immediate "echoes" of that shot.
There is great detail shown as to the mood of the colonists in New England and the wheels of power turning in London, and how both sides were out of touch with each other. There were only a few in London who had a real handle on what was happening on the other side of the pond, and really felt that they could hold things together, (Such as Pitt), but they were far out numbered by the hardliners.
The battles are described quite accurately, however I withheld one star because at the end, it was as if the author pulled the plug on the book.
In writing about the "shot felt round the world", it would be nice to recount the immediate "echoes" of that shot.
June 21, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I never knew the depths of contempt held by the King for his American colonies, and how that contempt fueled the movement toward war. America’s colonial leaders, on the other hand, tried every avenue to pursue a peaceful resolution to the budding conflict. And the King and English Parliament ignored General Gage, who seemed to be the only one who understood the potential threat the colonists were. Their refusal to grant him the additional forces he requested while simultaneously brow beating him for not crushing the rebellion virtually guaranteed both the initiation and the outcome of the battle of Lexington and Concord. Excellent reading for anyone wanting to learn more about this important time in our Nation’s history.
June 3, 2022
Amazing story of how a superpower misjudged the situation in their American colonies leading to revolution. The great majority of Americans had no intention of breaking away from Great Britain but, they were unwilling to be subjugated like Ireland. Due to an inexplicable hatred and contempt for the colonials, George III and his minions were determined to make them knuckle under and pay for the "Boston Tea Party" and other perceived transgressions. Colonial fighting prowess and resolve were demeaned and coupled with numerous blunders from seasoned British officers, the unimaginable breakaway occurred. The sequence of events and the triggers that caused them were well presented. You are left to wonder why the British could not see them.
May 27, 2024
I particularly enjoyed the fact that this book didn’t ignore the legacy of slavery at the time - on the decline and increasingly unpopular in New England, but with leaders amongst the patriots not wanting to offend the southern colonies and destroy their loose alliance against the British government. And the there’s Prince Estabrook, an enslaved man who won his freedom by fighting at Lexington and throughout the American revolution. Earlier read the comment from another reviewer that the book is pro-American “propaganda,” and truth be told, the writing seemed somewhat bias at times, but that doesn’t take from the primary points given regarding the context for the outbreak between the mother country and her American colonies.
August 17, 2021
There are many books out there about the battles of Lexington and Concord, and if, like me, you've visited the battle sites a few times, it can be hard to find something new. In this case, Daughan provides a lengthy and informative look at the times leading up to that fateful day, with a special emphasis on the machinations of king and parliament in England. Also interesting is his depiction of the colonists living in relative splendor compared to non-elite citizens of England and especially of Ireland. The pace really picks up once the redcoats start marching toward Lexington, resulting in a detailed, but no overly so, account of one of the most important days in western history.
December 28, 2024
This event (the Battle of Lexington and Concord) is a special interest of mine. I live in the middle of these two towns, reenact this battle yearly, and spend a great deal of time going over these details and blah blah. I picked this book up because why wouldn’t I? I was let down in a big way. While he obviously read some primary sources, it’s VERY clear the author has an agenda. I can only guess it’s to sell books by convincing the reader that British = bad and stupid while American = smart, perfect, good, righteous. Because of this, I couldn’t really trust anything he was saying which makes reading nonfiction kind of pointless, don’t you agree?
October 4, 2022
This book looks at the history behind the battle at Lexington and Concord that set off the American Revolution. The author looks at it from an economic lens, arguing that New England colonists were relatively wealthy at the time, and feared impoverishment (as had happened to numerous other British colonies, particularly the Irish). It is an interesting argument, but the author doesn't really keep it up throughout the book. Instead, he quickly launches into a fairly standard account of the battles and the war in New England, although he does provide more detail than I have seen elsewhere.
June 19, 2023
Best for its account of the battle itself, but be warned the author apparently wrote this piece for leisure and not for academic research. Often tautological or speculative, especially in its treatment of English ministers, officers, and policy in contrast to views from the American side.
Even so, not a bad way to learn about the unfolding of the battle itself, particularly as it might well have been seen in the minds of the patriots who turned out in the field when the Shot Heard Round the World was fired - whoever fired it.
Even so, not a bad way to learn about the unfolding of the battle itself, particularly as it might well have been seen in the minds of the patriots who turned out in the field when the Shot Heard Round the World was fired - whoever fired it.
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