I really enjoyed the historical element to this book, it had that element that I was looking for and thought worked as a nonfiction book, it was able to tell the story about the Paul Revere story in an engaging way and was beautifully written. Kostya Kennedy has a great way of telling the story and can't wait for more.

As we enter the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, I anticipate I will be picking up more and more books related to America's founding, even outside my regular book club reads. Paul Revere's Ride has been a popular topic lately with "The Ride" being my third book focusing on just Paul Revere or his legendary ride.

Here's my breakdown:
Structure/formatting: 4/5

I enjoyed the build up and background that this book provided leading up to "the ride." This book is not meant to be an autobiography of Paul Revere, but it gives enough information about him and the local area to appreciate the impact of this event. While it bounces around a little bit to introduce other key characters to the narrative, for such a narrowly-focused book, it says a lot with relatively few pages.

Thoroughness of research: 2.5/5

I do not like history books that don't have fully cited notes and sources. "The Ride" features a "selected bibliography" and some articles and websites for reference, but it doesn't cite individual passages or statements in the book. Some citations occur within the text itself, and those individual credits were great to me. Based on those few references, I can appreciate the reference materials that were named (including J.L. Bell's fantastic blog), but they didn't make this particular book stand out to me as a book offering new ideas or offering any new resources on the topic.

Storytelling: 3/5

The writing in this book was very different than the scholarly style I've been used to in other books on the topic. This may be something people new to the topic will enjoy, but it was not a style that worked well for me. I don't need to know that April 18th, 1775 was "the 14,717th day of (Paul Revere)'s life." It doesn't help me understand the scope of the events about to occur and instead takes me out of the story. The flow of the story being told was otherwise quite enjoyable, and I enjoyed the chapter titles and the way they helped set the scene.

Enjoyment: 3/5

Prior Knowledge Needed: 4/5 (5 meaning no prior knowledge needed, and 1 meaning you already need to be an expert in the subject matter)

This is a relatively short book, so some knowledge about Paul Revere and his "midnight ride," even just having heard the beginning of the Longfellow poem, may be helpful to understanding this book. On the other hand, I did feel that I had a little too much knowledge going into this book. I had recently read "Paul Revere's Ride" and previously read "Why Longfellow Lied" (and books on John Hancock and Samuel Adams) in addition to having just returned from a trip where I toured Boston, the Old North Church, and traveled along the trail marking Paul Revere's ride. While those tours and books assisted in my ability to visualize the locations being mentioned and to understand the obstacles the men encountered along the way, it lessened any potential impact this book may have had on me otherwise since I had already been immersing myself in the story for many days.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about Paul Revere's Ride or anyone looking to kick off a reading list related to the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution. One of my favorite chapters in this book was the one on William Dawes. Dawes is one of my favorite "characters" from this tale, so it was great to see him get a moment to shine. I would love to see more books on Dawes in the future!

8 This was a really interesting book.Because you can see how Paul revere took this.
R Ride from the north end and to concord. I like it because there was different chapters in the book and you can see how this came about because of the british. And there was a woman who helped too which was really surprising because I never knew that. I like the story behind.Also the bells in the north and church and how they play the very important part two. Also about the lantern how it was in a museum as well This is a really good book.Because it showed paul rivera going to different places on his horse as well before this happened. You can see how the colonies wanted to be free from Britain.Because they were being Tax terribly. Book explain how everybody came together to make this happen. Reboot

The Ride is a well-researched, well written short history biography about Paul Revere's (and other's) ride on April 18, 1775-250 years ago. This is a short work, but it is highly informative and sticks to the title's theme. You get information about the man, his decedents, and the night that influenced history.

If you already know anything about that night, this book will fill in gaps and offer a more complete picture.
If you are interested in biographies, American Revolutionary history, or simply want to know more about events that shaped America as we approach our country's 250 birthday, then this book is a great, quick read you should check out.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review

While i loved reading and learning more about Paul Revere, i felt that the book meandered a bit from its ride to go into the woods. While the lead up to and the Ride itself were thrilling I felt there was not enough emphasis put on Revere's later life and instead the author chose to seek out and speak to relatives. I wanted to learn more about the man and his later life (he lived to 83 and the ride was when he was 40 so was there nothing else of note in 43 more years?) I also felt that the entire chapter on Slavery could be eliminated as it brought nothing to the story. I felt it was worthy of mention but not in this book

Like most people, I hear Paul Revere and immediately think "The Regulars are coming!" This book does a great job of giving us a much more well-rounded picture of the man behind the legend and what may have driven him to join the revolution as well as his dedication to it. I always enjoy Kostya Kennedy's biographies - they are well researched and very accessible. Highly recommend!

Actual Rating 2.5

This nonfiction work discusses Paul Revere and the most famous night he (and others) rode to warn the revolutionaries about the British movements. And it's released just in time for the 250th anniversary of America's battle for independence and Paul Revere's ride.

The narrative of this one could have been stronger. There was a lot of wandering and backstory and doubling back that weakened its readability in my opinion. It was indicative of the level of research the author put into this book, which is quite impressive. And there's a lot to learn from this work if you don't mind a more wandering history.

I appreciated the author's focus on trying to separate the myth/legend from what actually happened that night. But this work was a weird in between. There wasn't enough information to be a full biography of Revere. But the details included were much more expansive than the single night or the events leading up to that night. Then there were also a lot of imaginative scenes included that were more fiction than nonfiction, which added to the oddness of the mix.

This history wasn't the most engaging, but it was informative. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

THE RIDE by Kostya Kennedy is subtitled "Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America," but this book encompasses so much more. Kennedy, an award-winning author, writes about the others (William Dawes, Samuel Prescott, possibly Sybil Ludington) who rode that night and about the other rides which Revere undertook on behalf of the Sons of Liberty. This text is full of fascinating facts and additional insight into Revere's character and motivation. For example, he describes Revere's life as an adolescent and the friendships formed then (one of Revere's sons is named for fellow Patriot Joseph Warren). Another interesting tangent is the discussion of the portrait by John Singleton Copley, saying "You step away from the portrait and you come back to it, and you recognize something of the irreverent. You get the strong feeling that Paul Revere is up to something.". THE RIDE (which includes an extensive bibliography) received a starred review from Booklist and praise from other reviews like Library Journal ("An important book for readers seeking a deeper understanding of a crucial moment in American history. It will captivate history scholars, students, and enthusiasts from start to finish"). Definitely worth a read and reflection on America’s founding values. 4.5 stars

Compared to other books I've read in the last few years pertaining to the American Revolution, the Ride was one of the most digestible. Kostya Kennedy builds Paul Revere's world, contextualizing his personal connections and how he came to be one of the two main riders to alert the countryside of the advancing Regulars (yes, there's also a chapter on Dawes). I might have liked to see a chapter about the battles of Lexington and Concord themselves, and maybe some more information about Revere's life after the Revolution, but I also appreciate the succinctness of the book. All in all, well done!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance review copy!

In his book, Paul Revere and the Night that Saved America, Kostya Kennedy gives a well-researched, well-written account, not only of Paul Revere’s most famous ride, but of his background, his work and his family. He provides information about the lead up to the revolution and tells about other riders including the possibly untrue ride of a young girl. Kennedy’s writing style avoids the too often dry pedantic style of many historians making this a very interesting, accessible, and, dare I say, entertaining account of probably the most famous ride in all history. I read an eARC of the book while listening to the audiobook narrated by Johnny Heller who does an excellent job.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for this book in exchange for an honest review

As schoolchildren, we are told an abbreviated and abridged tale of the role Paul Revere played. The Ride, by Kostya Kennedy, expands on that tale and fills in many of the gaps by detailing the role Revere's contemporaries played, It also details the previous trips Revere took prior to the American Revolution and his relationship to the burgeoning rebellion.
The book is crisply written and easily read as it lays out the timeline in a narrative fashion. The style allowed for suspenseful storytelling even in a tale we know the ending of.
I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Paul Revere's famous ride is discussed in detail along with alternate accounts and the famous poem in this riveting and exciting read.

My plan was to post this review on the date of Paul Revere's ride, but I didn't manage to get it done. The book, I thought, was supposed to center on Paul Revere's ride, but to be honest, it was all over the place. I found the book choppy and in need of a good editor. The flow was horrible and didn't appear to make any logical sense as we jumped back and forth here and there without any sense of purpose. My main complaint was the the style of writing, for whatever reason, it seemed like the book needed to be cut by a third by the use of a good editor. Too much minutia was shared. Others my have found it fascinating, but at times I felt like I was reading a book intended for a teenage audience. It wasn't my cup of tea. I was thankful when I finished, and didn't feel like I learned much new about "the ride."
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It's been a long time since I learned about Paul Revere's ride in my American History class. Reading Kennedy's book I find that there is much more to the story. We are nearing the 250th anniversary of that ride (April 18) and this would be a good time to read more about Revere. Kennedy gives a very readable account of Revere's childhood, family, and career. I had no idea he had been a bell wringer when younger. I did not know he was a self taught dentist. I did not know of the many rides he had made previously to this famous one and the fees he charged. Kennedy includes the involvement of others as he takes us through the actions leading up to the Revolutionary War. This is a good book for anyone who wants to know more about the time in American history and those involved. It is very informative, bringing the events to life. It is well written and very readable.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

There are couple of things this book is not: It is not historical fiction and it is not pulled together on a whim.. This is a detailed and well researched account of one of the most noted events in American history. There are no frills or artistic license here, other than a.few occasions where the author provided some insights, also well researched, to why someone supported or did not support a cause. I found myself intrigued by the material and sharing insights with others as I progressed through the book. If you enjoy history, you will enjoy and be much better informed by reading this book.

Kostya Kennedy has quickly become one of my favorite nonfiction authors. Despite it being his first non-sports book, his portrayal of Paul Revere's history, from his childhood to that fateful night in 1775, is masterful. The book reads like a novel, though it is entirely based on fact, and offers unique, new-to-me information about the mid to late 1700s colonies before the Revolution and the personalities and relationships involved. I found the subject matter to be laser-focused, engaging, and far from dry. I've been in a nonfiction slump, and The Ride has pulled me out of it. Thank you to Kostya Kennedy and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with the digital ARC that has reinvigorated my interest in nonfiction!

Just in time for the historic 250th anniversary of the night the future of the American colonies changed forever, the Ride is published.
I thought the boom was a good beginning point for any novice American history buff who wants to learn more about not only Revere but also the other riders who spread the alarm.
The writing is straight forward and I did like the snippets of Revere’s personal life I wasn’t aware.
Revere earned his place in American history long before Longfellow’s poem firmly entrenched him in the American psyche. I doubt if school kids are even exposed to the poem anymore.

This is an excellent, in depth view of a man who most know only through one night's event. Right from the first few pages I learned more about Paul Revere that I had ever known. And that discovery continued through the book.

This would be a good book to introduce youth as well as adults to the background to our American Revolution and the people who motivated it.

Paul Revere’s famous 1775 late-night journey to warn American colonists about approaching British forces was far from his first ride. Revere’s activist years before the Revolution. Was a laborer of the Revolution, Paul Revere was not born into money. He received no high-shelf education. He worked.” Revere came into contact with the Revolution’s early architects—John and Samuel Adams and John Hancock—through Boston high society, first as a prominent member of the Masons (perhaps because he simply showed up to more meetings than anyone else.). In his capacity as a silversmith but not a good one, leaving him ever in debt. The cash-strapped Revere was thus well positioned to help the Revolution with such arduous physical tasks as couriering messages.

The author has written a dramatic narrative, “The Ride” retells an essential American story for a new generation of readers. The author reveals Revere’s ride to be more complex than it is usually portrayed. It was a loosely coordinated series of rides by numerous men, near-disaster, capture by British forces, and finally success. Revere was central to the ride and its plotting. There were other men who helped to set in motion the events that would lead to America’s independence. It’s a fascinating book to read. I learned about parts of this historic ride that was not taught in my high school history class.

4.5 out of 5 stars
I am going to be a bit biased here. Revolutionary America is my favorite period of American history, and I am drawn to books focusing on this topic, so this book gets bonus points for that alone.

Kostya Kennedy delivers at thoroughly researched and well-written history on Paul Revere, covering his historic ride and the qualifications that made him the perfect man for the job. Although Paul Revere is the main subject of the book, Kennedy branches out and discusses other important figures involved in the fateful ride. Kennedy does a good job highlighting the fact that Revere could not have accomplished his mission on his own. He paints a clear picture of the atmosphere in Boston and the surrounding areas in the early to mid-1770s. He shows how the colonists had to work together, and the connections Revere made through his careers and social clubs gave him the resources necessary to stay one step ahead of the British.

Even though Kennedy focuses on many aspects of Paul Revere throughout the book, the part that stood out the most to me was the brief discussion on the other riders during that critical night. In particular, Kennedy discusses William Dawes, who was also instrumental in alerting the colonists about the approaching troops. Although Dawes played an important role, Kennedy argues that this man did not have the same charisma and connections as Paul Revere and the ride would not have been a successful with Dawes alone. This analysis could lead to more insight on lesser-known figures in the fight for American independence.

With this book, Kennedy built upon the existing historiography concerning Paul Revere, but he did not provide any astounding breakthroughs. He goes into great detail about Revere’s life and what characteristics he possessed to make him the perfect person to accomplish a monumental task. Kennedy also discusses other important people and how they connected to Revere. Kennedy did an outstanding job exploring Paul Revere and the significance of the ride. Even though The Ride does not necessarily shed new light on the historic ride, the book is highly enjoyable and should be read by anyone who enjoys Colonial America and the build up to the Revolutionary War.