I love a well-told, easy to follow book about history. Kennedy is great with satisfying that desire.

I really enjoyed learning more about Revere and the night of his ride. My only wish is that there was more history in the book!

Thank you, Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook.

The Ride is well written and concise. Repeatedly, I thought to myself that the reader is given enough context and detail to immerse into the historical moment and yet only just enough so that it didn't feel like a slog. Johnny Heller is a great narrator, easy to listen to, and very clear to understand even at a quick speed.

I learned many new things from this book and was excited to add new detail to the names, events, and places that I've previously read about. The author does not go on tangents, but he does include some fascinating insights on life in that time and place and Paul Revere (such as the section of the book that explores his ability to perform under pressure and mentions the pop science book Choke by Sian Beilok on that topic).

I've added this book to my growing list of history nonfiction highlighting well-known names that were never well explained in school! I recently read a similar book about Benedict Arnold, and following that one with this book highlighting the details of Paul Revere's famous ride is super neat! There seems to be a trend in writing approachable, shorter (though not too short) nonfiction, and I'm stoked to see it! This story is taught in schools, but only in the briefest detail. It was very cool to dive in! It's a fascinating and significant bit of our American past, and though nonfiction can be challenging to read, I find it highly rewarding to read books such as this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an e-arc to listen and review honestly and voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Audio ARC!

The Ride is a fascinating look at the man behind the myth. Paul Revere is known for one thing only, and it was really nice to learn more about his fascinating life. I especially enjoyed learning about the other important rides made by Revere, and learning about the other people who rode at the same time, or in subsequent days, carrying the message of the onset of hostilities. In addition, it was very interesting to learn about Revere's military career during the American Revolution. A must-read for American history buffs!

Wow, what a stunning narrative around Paul Revere’s contribution to the American Revolution. Filled with relevant and captivating stories about direct and adjacent events, Kostya Kennedy’s The Ride was the most interesting version I’ve ever read (well… listened to). Johnny Heller’s narration was riveting (albeit sped up to 1.75x, which is pretty standard for me!). Heller’s voice and intonation were so good that my three year old even asked to be able to “listen to that story” with me.

An excellent history lesson! Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

ONE night that saved America
April 18, 1775 was the night before the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The night before the infamous "Shot Heard Around the World." What if the ride had never happened? A big thank you to Brown Beauty, the horse who carried him with excellence on that night.

TWO lanterns if by sea
The tower of the North Church was briefly illuminated by two lanterns at Revere's request to signal that the British were moving by water to invade.

THREE score Patriots were on the Crown's list of "enemies." Paul Revere was one of them having assisted with the Boston Tea Party and participated in other rebellious activities.

FOUR professional hats for Revere. He was a self-taught silversmith, engraver, and dentist as well as being a rider for the Patriots.

FIVE stars for a book that is perfect for reading as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of this famous night on April 18, 2025. Go with a print version if you can to see the fabulous photos and historical documents.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a DRC as well as Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC. I was glad I paired the two so I could see the visuals in the print copy.

I was able to get this through NetGalley. I received both the ebook and the audiobook. This book was a well researched telling of events in Paul Rever's life as the relate to his famous ride. It provides information on a few others that were also involved in this ride. The audiobook is narrated in a way that makes the liatener interested in the information. The voice is easy to listen to.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the digital copy of this book and audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I previously read Kennedy’s work on Jackie Robinson True: The Four Seasons of #JackieRobinson by #KostyaKennedy and had to admit that while I generally do not like a hyper-focused history book, I loved it. The same can be said for The Ride, with one exception. I did not care for Johnny Heller’s narration at all! He sounded like a crotchety older history professor, his gravelly voice showing little emotion. But I soldiered on and listened to the whole book while following along with the text.

My favorite subjects in school were writing and United States history, especially the Revolutionary War. Not the battles, but the stories of the people involved in the revolution. Many of us learned the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” and Kennedy actually devotes a chapter to it.

The author does a more-than-adequate job of showing what life was like in Massachusetts for Paul Revere, including the fact that he once rang the bell at the Old North Church as a teenager every weekend. In fact, the depth of discussion of what life was like for many people in Massachusetts is explored (even slaves). The book also does a good job of showing the many other ways Revere helped the cause of the patriots besides his famous ride. The famous ride was not the first time Paul took to his horse, either. He delivered messages as far away as Philadelphia! Kennedy also gives credit to numerous others, including William Dawes, the other rider on that night.

There should be some introspection here when reading about the beginning of the American Revolution, especially these days, and what people were willing to do to break free from England. I highly recommend this book, but stick to the physical book or digital version, not audio!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this audiobook.

I love history so this is a fun audiobook. The narrator is perfect for this type of work and was easily understood and well paced.

The book itself was very well done for how short it was. It gave very straightforward information on Paul Revere and his infamous ride. With that said this is more like a true history book like Stephen Ambrose than a book with a story like The Wager. So that was slightly disappointing but understandable as this is a history book.

I would highly recommend this book and think it would be great for any revolutionary war enthusiast.