Boston, 1776, provided real insight into what the city was like at the time. The book gave the reader a real inside look at the rawness of the times. The author drew the reader into the book, making you feel as though you were experiencing life back then firsthand.

The author did a great job of writing the book as if he were providing a tour of the times. He made it interesting without feeling like you're reading a history book for school. He had a conversational writing style that made readers want to keep reading. He did a great job of bringing the reader into the times where you could feel the angst and uncertainty that people at that time were feeling.

If you're interested in American history, this is a must-read!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was an interesting read on how life was back then; even though it was simpler, it was much harder. It tells what happened in Boston during the turbulent times that America was wanting to break free from British rule. I like how it’s an insider’s look at Boston as if he is on a walking tour. If you’re into American history, this is a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Diversion Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have a category for Revolutionary War books that I read, and I really think more Americans should do so. Then, we wouldn’t have all these people saying wE aRe A cHrIsTiAn NaTiOn, or some other nonsense that the Heritage Foundation spews. Boston 1776 is a great book that examines how Boston was laid out as a city during the early years of the war; they were the heart of the American Revolution.

As the reader strolls through 1776 Boston, the author introduces the nameless people who kept the city running during this tumultuous time, the people who kept the docks and general store and the taverns running. Oh, sure, some of the big-name people that we remember in the history books appear, but they are not the focus, and that’s refreshing. The author also shows in many ways that the birth of our nation was not foretold, that it was not inevitable, and was just as violent as and confusing and messy as any other war in history.

JD Dickey has written the book in a way that brings the reader into the heart of the city in an immersive way. I highly recommend this book.

Forget the sanitized version of the era of the American Revolution we were taught in school. This is Boston, 1776, in all it's raw grit, determination, grime, shady characters in back alleys, and often seedy chaos. Small, only slightly more than a square mile at the time, by 1776 it had lost much of its status in commerce and trade while dealing with contagious diseases like smallpox, unemployment, street brawls, rabble rousers, and increasingly loud grumbling about what it saw as an unfair burden and treatment from it's British overseers. Toss in England's own increasing financial woes and it was a powder keg ready to explode.

And, explode it did. The history shared here of the goings on leading to the outburst of outright rebellion is a fascinating one. Forget any idea you have of genteel, learned gentlemen in fancy wigs having learned discussion and debate. While that certainly happened, real change came from the people. Common people just like us. It was interesting to sort of flip back and forth as I read, something the author actually recommends upfront, once you get into the guidebook of sorts to Boston's historic sites and see the mutiple, frequently interconnected events and feelings that lead them there. The Old North Church may be a familiar landmark to most of us thanks to our schooldays but this one takes us far, far deeper into the city. Into those same seedy taverns and the growing desperation that lead to the Old North Church's utilization in the first place.

Needless to say, familiar names from those same history classes pop in and out of the narrative but the focus remains the city itself. It was interesting to see some of those now familiar names in a different light, I must admit. For instance, rich John Hancock of the flashy Declaration of Independence signature a smuggler? Maybe. You'll also see various legislative acts whose names once occupied out minds at least long enough for an exam such as the Stamp and Townshend Acts, the symbolically nicknamed Intolerable Acts, and such, but you'll have a much greater grasp of what lead to them and the colonists' reactions in the first place.

Bottom line, the ol' history major thoroughly enjoyed my virtual trip not just to the Boston of 1776 but to the events that created the setting for the rebellion that has so shaped the world. It's all there with illustrations, maps, and such for you to read and digest. Change isn't pretty. Nor is it easy. I recommend this one to history teachers, of course, but it would make an excellent addition to not just your local library's shelves but your own. Thanks #DiverionBooks and #NetGalley for this intriguing look at where we came from.

This was a good look into what Boston looked like during a pivotal time. Having been to Boston before, I could picture myself in the action as it was described. Only complaint was it got a little wordy at times, but overall great book!

Pretty interesting look at the real Boston of 1776. Author JD Dickey pulls back the curtain to reveal what Boston was really like in 1776. Sure some of the prominent figures of the time show up, but it's mostly focuses on the city itself, and the every day people that keep it running. Tense, chaotic, hopeful, worried. Those describe Boston of 1776.
A wonderful insight into how Boston actually looked and how it felt in such a pivotal moment for American history.

J.D. Dickey delivers a visceral, immersive portrait of Revolutionary Boston by stripping away the sanitized textbook version to reveal a city that was chaotic, dangerous, and ferociously alive. This is not the Boston of powdered wigs and genteel tea parties. It's a place that smelled of tar, gunpowder, and rebellion, where revolution was born in taverns and back alleys as much as assembly halls.
While iconic figures like Revere and Adams appear, Dickey emphasizes the forgotten men and women who fought, bled, and brawled for independence in Boston's streets. This democratization of Revolutionary history feels important because it shows that the birth of America was messy, violent, and driven by ordinary people as much as famous patriots.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.