WILLIAM DIAMOND'S DRUM

by Arthur Bernon Tourtellot ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

Report repeated from the April 1st bulletin, when scheduled for earlier publication, as follows: ""This excellent and myth exploding book tells the story of the day the American Revolution began, April 19, 1775, when 700 British soldiers marching from Boston to Concord to seize illegally hidden powder stores collided with Massachusetts Minute Men; it also includes excellent brief accounts of important men involved in the affair. The story is not entirely one of glory. Hoping to avoid trouble, the British, preparing to march at night, were delayed by a series of ridiculous errors; some of Paul Revere's night riders, raising the alarm, got lost on dark roads; when the Minute Men assembled many of them at once went home; by daybreak of April 19, however, 38 Minute Men were gathered on Lexington Common and their Captain, John Parker, ordered his 16-year-old drummer, William Diamond, to beat the call to arms- the American Revolution had begun. When the British arrived, a panicky British soldier disregarded the order not to fire- the British wanted no bloodshed- and shot one of the Minute Men, starting the 'Battle of Lexington' in which 8 Americans were killed; at Concord more Minute Men actually marched with the British into the town; later however, the Minute Men, firing from behind walls and trees, turned a British retreat into a rout.... Witty and readable, this delightful book should appeal to teachers, students, non-historians who like good books. Historical accuracy and careful documentation make it a must for all Revolutionary War collections.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1959

Categories: NONFICTION