Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Samuel Adams Is Here to Stay?(In History Of-course!)
Here it goes!You are about to read and comprehend a facinating book.That is the book of the world that Samuel Adams had and belive me this book is so great that I have already read it 30 times.I love it so much that when my friends have a BIG essay and help them study about Samuel Adams and they read it and this is their exppressions,"Wow! Girl friend,Why you didn't tell me of this incredible book.All of my entire family have read this incredible novel.this same expression came on their face.Radical Puritan by Lillan M.Fowler, William M. JR. Fowler, Oscar Handlin,is a novel of Samuel Adam's life.This novel tell from how he became an original born baby to a very onorable man.Samuel Adam was born in Boston,Massachusetts on September 27,1722. He was a leader of the fight against British colonial rule,and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Adams was a cousin o John Adams who became President of the Unted States.

Samuel Adams graduated from Harvard College with a Master of Arts degree in 1743.After college he entered private business,and throght out this period was an outspoken

A good factual account but not the spirit ...
Samuel Adams: Radical Puritan recounts the major events in it's subject'slife, but doesn't leave you with a feeling about the essence of the man.Sam Adams does not speak for himself enough via quotes from his ownwritings.The coverage of the Sons of Liberty is reduced to 13 superficialpages.It does provide a glimpse of an old revolutionary not changing withthe times after the war has been won.But it is not the full colorportrait of a life like thatVan Doren has provided for Benjamin Franklin. ... Read more

Book Description
A slight figure clad in a threadbare coat, Samuel Adams was an unlikely portrait of a dangerous revolutionary. The man who would later be called the Father of the American Revolution, however, worked tirelessly behind the scenes to achieve the goal of American independence, uniting his genius for words and his passion for politics to urge countless numbers toward revolution. In this insightful biography, Dennis Brindell Fradin traces Adams's life from boyhood to his two terms as one of Massachusetts's most senior senators, for a thoughtful and dramatic account of the pioneer whose indomitable spirit shaped the national character of what would become the United States. Author's note, bibliography, index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Rabble Rouser.
Who would have thought that a man with such an image was a gang leader, an instigator, a trouble maker and by todays standards could be charged as a terrorist.This was Samuel Adams as this biography tells it.This shows that one man's terrorist is another man's hero.It is amazing that Samuel could get so many people to follow him in such an idealistic venture as a countries independence.I do not think he could do it today, in America, because of the attitude of the populace.We are complacent now, maybe then they weren't.I think the were of the bent of Australian prisoners in Australia.They would fight over the smallest thing, thinking they were being persecuted.It is a well written book full of the history of one man who will live in history.

I'm glad I read this book
Dennis Fradin's book on Samuel (as he was known in his time, not "Sam") Adams was a pleasure to read.Although it seems to have been written for high school students, its 170 pages of text really got to the heart of who Samuel Adams was and why we owe him a debt of gratitude.

In short, more than any other colonist, he worked the hardest and most effectively to convince the colonies that they needed to obtain independence from Britain.He successfully orchestrated the Boston Tea Party raid as a propaganda stunt and published thousands of letters during his lifetime advocating independence.He also convinced the super rich John Hancock to join the independence effort and was responsible for organizing the first Continental Congress more than any one else.

The book also begins to explain who he was a a person and what happened to him after we won the war and his personal fame diminished.These aspects of his life were just as interesting.

The book is very well written, and read easily.

This book is so good, it merits being in every classroom.
Although this is a children's book, it is "must reading" for any adult who wants to re-energize their enthusiasm for the origin of America. I got this book for my grandchildren, but after reading it myself, decidedthat it's an adult book as well.

The author has succeeded in making thereader understand the genius of Samual Adams of Boston. The type ofgrassroots politics practiced by Adams and other patriots, clearly is asvalid today as in theirs.

Always focused upon the ultimate goal,"the last Puritan" was given the title by his peers of "thefather of American independence". Author Fradin has been successful inpointing out why Adams deserves the title.

The story is breathtaking. IfI had one wish regarding this wonderful book, it would be that everyAmerican child hears or reads the story. They would be better Americans forit.

Thanks to Dennis Fradin for writing it. I was so impressed with it,that after reading it I called the author to personally thank him.

This book is so good, it merits being in every classroom.
Although this is a children's book, it is "must reading" for any adult who wants to re-energize their enthusiasm for the origin of America. I got this book for my grandchildren, but after reading it myself, decided that it's an adult book as well.

The author has succeeded in making the reader understand the genius of Samuel Adams of Boston. The type of grassroots politics practiced by Adams and other patriots, clearly is as valid today as in theirs.

Always focused upon the ultimate goal, "the last Puritan" was given the title by his peers of "the father of American independence". Author Fradin has been successful in pointing out why Adams deserves the title.

The story is breathtaking. If I had one wish regarding this wonderful book, it would be that every American child hears or reads the story. They would be better Americans for it.

Thanks to Dennis Fradin for writing it. I was so impressed with it, that after reading it I called the author to personally thank him.

An exciting experience awaits young and old when they pick up this book.

This is an excellent book on a great patriot leader.
My wife and I like to read books on American history to our sons (ages 7 and 8) and were absolutely delighted with this book.Samuel Adams was one of the most important of the patriot leaders, but one about whom little issaid these days.That is too bad because no one was a truer, moreconsistent believer in freedom than he was.Samuel Adams opposed England'staxes and mercantilist trade restrictions; he was just as vociferous anopponent of slavery.Fraidin's writing is clear and easily understood bychildren, but this is not a childish book.The parents enjoyed and got asmuch out of it as did the children did.If you think it is important foryoung Americans to know the history and philosophy of our independence,this book is one give them. ... Read more

Book Description
Samuel Adams: America's Revolutionary Politician offers a fresh full-life biography of the man Thomas Jefferson once described as the helmsman of the American Revolution. In his study, historian John K. Alexander uses narrative history to argue that Samuel Adams was both America's first professional politician and its first modern politician. Adams, Alexander argues, was an unwavering politician who strove to protect the people's basic rights and who emphasized the importance of virtue, liberty, a sense of duty, and education in fashioning a republican society. John Alexander's fresh reading of Adams' record, and a uniquely close look into his personal life, uncovers a masterful politician and a man consistent in his beliefs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A spellbinding biography of America's greatest political warrior
Samuel Adams comes alive in John K. Alexander's enthralling biography of the pioneer of American political warfare.

Separating myth (that Adams operated by mob rule) from reality, Alexander carefully shows how the Boston patriot - steeped in the ancient classics, John Locke and an abiding Christian faith - combined reason, rhetoric, political organization and perseverence to achieve the goal he arguably founded of American independence.

Alexander's book chronicles how Adams pioneered modern political agitprop by organizing the Committees of Correspondence to link Massachusetts towns, sympathizers in Europe and ultimately all the 13 colonies in a communications underground. It describes Adams' masterful political takeovers of town and colonial legislatures, hugely successful political theater, economic warfare, social stigmatization of enemy collaborators, and the creation of extralegal parallel institutions that usurped political power from the crown and empowered the common citizen.

Adams is an underappreciated Founding Father: he helped pen the Declaration of Independence, served on the Constitutional convention and almost singlehandedly wrote the original language of much of the Bill of Rights. Alexander acknowledges Adams' human flaws while demonstrating how the Boston revolutionary remained true to his beliefs for half a century without seeking personal profit or aggrandizement.

The book is unfortunately lacking in footnotes and it paraphrases Adams more than it quotes him, though it contains a substantial bibliographical essay.

Alexander has authored an important biography of the founder of American political warfare. He is one of the few Adams scholars who gets the nuances about Samuel's political warfare genius. In reading the book, one understands Thomas Jefferson's emphatic comment that, if anyone was the helmsman of the American Revolution, "Samuel Adams was the man."

Well-Written Political Biography
This biography focuses on the political life of Samuel Adams and his key role in leading Massachusetts to rebel against Britain to protect its liberties.Little is written about Adams' personal or family life and the coverage of his participation in the Continental Congresses is also slim, apparently due to a lack of sources, since Adams destroyed most of his correspondence and Congressional deliberations were secret.There are issues that I wished would have been discussed in more detail, e.g. the author has only a limited discussion of Adams' alleged role in replacing Washington as commander-in-chief (apparently a canard spread by his enemies).

The author explains well the development and sources of Adams' political philosophy and how it guided his actions before, during, and after the Revolution.

The prose is well-written with many short quotations from Adams.Overall, an informative and fairly interesting biography of a key and often overlooked figure of the American Revolution. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Let the others wear the ruffled shirts and ride grandly on horseback; Sam Adams, Massachusetts rebel leader, was a plain and plain-spoken fellow, both in history and in Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? Adams, it turns out, was horseless for a good reason. On the way to figuring out just what that reason was, the reader gets a nice, personal look at a leader and his times.

In this book, as in the rest of her series of histories, Jean Fritz sneaks plenty of information into her story about Adams, the American Revolution, and the answer to the title question. (For ages 7 and up) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Warts and all!
Oliver Cromwell wanted Sir Peter Lely to paint him "warts and all," showing who he really was. Jean Fritz's wonderful biography, Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? apparently does the same for a Founding Father.

Sam Adams' attitudes revealed in this history book for young readers may be somewhat objectionable to some, however, it is important to note that people are the product of the time and society in which they live. Adams is no different.

This is our history, and you cannot tell the truth with lies. Jean Fritz's book is both humorous and accurate. Let us never lose signt of the need for accuracy, despite our objections to what truth may be.

Peculiar Guy, But...
Who's Sam Adams that someone would write a book about him?Well, he's the guy that pretty much started the Revolutionary War.How could a shabbily dressed fellow who refused to ride a horse (EVERYBODY who was ANYBODY rode a horse) start a war between England (the mother country) and us?There's only one way to find out: R E A D.

A Non-Workbook, Non-Textbook Approach to Teaching Language Arts: Grades 4 Through 8 and Up

Why don't you get a horse, Sam Adams?
Fun Children's book!Kids will enjoy this book.

Revolutionary style
Fritz has the rare talent of making historical figures more than interesting.She makes them human.Immersing the usual boring caricatures of her subjects in the small true stories that she has discovered in their lives, she gives us an entirely different way of looking at our American heroes.In this book, her talent for storytelling has been expertly paired with Trina Schart Hyman's intricate and intriguing pencil drawings.Sam Adams suddenly becomes somebody you'd like to sit down and have a mug of Guinness with.Without a doubt he is boisterous and a bit of a braggart.But he's also a great man, and this book never looses sight of the fact that, though ridiculous at times, Adams did great things and deserves to be remembered for them.There is little debate that Fritz's books remain some of the best historical children's biographies today.I well remember her stories from when I was a child myself, though I half wish Hyman illustrated ALL her books.This book would be absolutely perfect to teach to children during Revolutionary War history classes.Pairing it with all of Fritz's books would also be an exceptionally bright idea.

I love this book!
Many years ago I did a report on Samuel Adams for school. This book by Jean Fritz helped me get a high grade. It did not give me the impression that people who are smarter should be excused from being a soldier or any other ideas. In fact I enjoyed it so much that to this day I love learning about the American Revolution, because Jean Fritz made learning fun for me. I suggest that everyone read it. ... Read more

Book Description
The story of one of the most important -- and most elusive -- figures of the American Revolution, Samuel Adams traces the life of the "Man of the Revolution," as he was called by Thomas Jefferson, from his childhood as a fifth-generation New Englander to his pivotal role in the Boston Tea Party and war that followed to a life spent in public service. Benjamin Irvin explores the fascinating contradictions of Samuel Adams's life: he was born into a family of high rank, but lived a humble, almost impoverished life; he could barely manage his personal household, but brilliantly managed the Massachusetts House of Representatives; he pushed for the Revolution, but resisted the Constitution; he spearheaded resistance to the English government but staunchly opposed resistance to the U.S. government. A perceptive look at the life of a complex man, Samuel Adams is an evocative portrait of one of our nation's most interesting Founding Fathers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Much More Than a Great Beer Maker!
There are literally hundreds of volumes written on John Adams, but only a handful on his equally important founding cousin, Samuel. This book, SAMUEL ADAMS, SON OF LIBERTY, FATHER OF REVOLUTION, by Benjamin Irvin, is a fine place to learn about the forgotten Adams.

The book begins with a detailed instruction of life in Puritan New England in the 1700's. The book details how Samuel's father, himself a brewer, lost most of his fortune in a banking scheme.This event led the way for Samuel's distrust of British government.

Irvin devotes the major part of the book to a portrayal of the role Adams played in the events leading to the American Revolution. The author details such events as Adams protests against the Stamp Act and Townsend Duties and Adams inevitable rise to popularity with his involvement in organizations and events such as the Sons of Liberty, organizing boycotts of British goods, and writing petitions and resolutions of protest.

Irvin depicts Adams, as he should be, at the center of revolutionary activity protesting the Boston massacre, proposing the "committees of correspondence," and helping initiate the Boston Tea Party. Adams also served in the 1st and 2nd Continental Congress and was a signor of the Declaration of Independence.

In the post-revolution era, Irvin tells of Adams reluctant work in the ratification of the Constitution.Adams somewhat feared the powers being granted the federal government, but gave in to the federalists arguments.

Irvin concludes by telling us that Adams was the single most instrumental person in making the revolution a reality. This brief book is one of the better works available on the life and times of Samuel Adams.
... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (13)

An inspirational account of one of our greatest founders
Compared to the other fundamental founders, hardly any primary sources remain of Adams since he wasn't preoccupied with his place in history and didn't save documents and correspondence.As such, Samuel Adams: Father of the American Revolution is a short read, but is a relatively concise and well-written account of his political life. Adams himself was extraordinary, and after reading this book, it's easy to see that he is exceedingly underappreciated as one of the greatest American revolutionaries. Adams is a testament to the ability of one man to change the political landscape for the better, and he is inspirational as a one-man harbinger of liberty.

The Father of the American Revolution Is Given His Due
No one has articulated it any better than Mark Puls when he states in his concluding remarks that " Americans of his generation came to view Samuel Adams as the spirit of liberty and the patriarch of liberty". Jefferson may have written about the ideals of independence more eloquently; Washington may have acted upon those ideals more directly; and, Franklin may have translated those ideals more concretely abroad to our French allies; however, no one of our founding fathers wrote more frequently, acted more fervently, or lived more fully and focused on the prize of separation and independence than Samuel Adams.

Maybe it's because Adams shunned the spotlight and the attention that others of his era sought so impassionately to grasp, or perhaps, he was content to simply see from the background the ultimate fruits of his prodigious labors. Whatever the reason, Adams emerged as the leading patriot strategist,politician as well as most influential writer in America. The author has truly captured the essence of the man who deservedly is called the Father of the American Revolution. It is a well-witten, if not long overdue, tribute to the mastermind behind the War of independence.

S. A. shows one person can truly make a difference
Give the author an "A" for producing a very interesting and informative look at an Adams family member who has not received the attention from history he deserves.Give the publisher "F" for not being interested enough to have a proofreader correct the numerous grammatical errors before printing it.

Good bio of the Father of the American Revolution
When you read about most revolutionary war figures - Washington, Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson or Madison - their stories more or less start with the American Revolution.Even Ben Franklin, a member of an earlier generation, did not jump on the Independence wagon very early or very easily.Samuel Adams, however, was the most important figure in the early Independence movement and quite rightfully deserves the title Father of the American Revolution.

Mark Puls brief (less than 250 pages of text) biography shows how important Adams was.From an early age, Adams started thinking of independence from England.In 1764, he unsuccessfully opposed the Sugar Act, but laid the foundation for his battle against the 1765 Stamp Act.Showing both good organizational ability and political savvy, he was able to successfully organize a boycott that forced Parliament to repeal the measure.Although it would take a decade to take root, this was really the first blow for independence; it began harder and harder for the British to deal with colonial unrest.

Eventually, after acts like the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party, the rift widened and reconciliation, though attempted, was clearly impossible.During the Revolutionary War, Adams played key roles behind the scenes.Although not an author of the Declaration of Independence, his ideas permeated the document; he also helped construct the Articles of Confederation.After the war, however, other figures moved into the spotlight, a role he was fine with giving up.

In ways Samuel Adams was an idealist, willing to sacrifice his health and financial well-being to accomplish his objectives.He was also, however, a pragmatist, able to work behind the scenes to meet his goals.Reading his biography, however, is also a lesson on how we determine who are our "heroes."In certain ways, Adams is little different from John Calhoun, who also felt he was opposing an oppressive government.Adams, however, is generally looked on favorably, while Calhoun - a major proponent of slavery and one who helped start the secession movement - has, at best, a mixed reputation.

Puls biography is a positive one that never really discusses his subject's flaws, but doesn't descend into the cloying sweetness of hagiography.Well-written, this book is readable and informative, providing insight into one of the lesser-known figures of the era.For those who enjoy learning about this period, or who seem to only know Samuel Adams from the beer that bears his name, this book will be a good read.

THE MAN OF THE REVOLUTION
One of the seeming paradoxes of the American Revolution is that, unlike later revolutions, the issues in dispute, centrally the question of taxation without representation, appear from this distance to have been resolvable by essentially parliamentary means until very late in the conflict. This is reflected in the attitudes and political maneuverings of the members of the various colonial leaderships, Samuel Adams included. Unlike the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution there were apparently few conscious revolutionaries ready to take drastic action to gain independence until events forced their hands. Moreover, unlike those revolutions which were more or less predicted by substantial numbers of the people involved based on a whole series of social, political and economic factors the situation in America did not on the surface cry out for such a resolution. However, like those governments the various pre-revolutionary British governments and particularly the person of George III clung to their prerogatives beyond all reason. That is the unifying factor between all three revolutions.

That said, Samuel Adams, by hook or by crook, stands heads above the other colonial leaders in pressing the fight against the Crown to the end. He, unlike others in the various colonial leaderships, did not waiver when it became clear that nothing short of independence would resolve the conflict. From the time of the fight against the Stamp Act through the fight over the quartering of British troops in Boston to the ramifications of the Boston Massacre, the Townsend Acts, the Tea Party, the creation of the committees of correspondence to the call for the Continental Congress his name, thought and pen are linked to the struggles, particularly the struggles in Massachusetts, a pivotal locale of the colonial struggles. Moreover, again unlike other leaders, he was throughout the controversies connected with the plebian masses through the Sons of Liberty. Thus, without exaggeration he can truly be called a tribune of the people. That he has been placed on a lesser level in the pantheon of revolutionary heroes has more to do with how and who writes history than in the measure of the importance of his role in the Revolution.

One can make a strong argument that Adams's organizational skills were critical to the successful union of the colonies into a unitary fighting force against the Crown. His committees of correspondence which he initiated in Massachusettsas a means for dispensing information, producing propaganda and cohering a collective leadership for that colony and which he was instrumental in expanding to the other colonies led to the Continental Congress and thereafter to its call for aDeclaration of Independence. No, he did not have a big role in the Declaration itself nor did he play a national role in the revolutionary struggle but one can clearly see his imprint on the thinking (and doing) of the times. The American Revolution was carried out by big men doing a big job. Sam Adams was a big man. If a closet Tory like his cousin John Adams has, due to recent biographical publicity, emerged as a bigger icon in the revolutionary galaxy then Sam Adams's certainly needs to be reevaluated. Read more.
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Book Description
Political activist Samuel Adams was largely responsible for encouraging the colonists into the war for independence, as well as sustaining their zeal during discouraging periods. ... Read more

Book Description
Samuel Adams is known as the Father of the American Revolution. Young readers will gain insight and knowledge into the buildup to revolution in America and the important role that Samuel Adams played in it and in what came after, the start of a new nation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Reintroducing young readers to the patriot, Samuel Adams
I have little doubt that to most American students the name Sam Adams is associated with a brand of beer and not with the man who was considered the Father of the American Revolution.In this juvenile biography for the Our People series Ann Heinrichs tries to set the record straight.Yes, Samuel Adams's father, also named Samuel, did own a brewery, but before presenting that fact Heinrichs sets up the book's thesis that while Samuel Adams was famous in his time as one of America's Founding Fathers, today he is one of the least famous members of that group, mainly because after the war was over he slipped back into the background while others sought political office and debated the Federal Constitution (such as Samuel Adams's second cousin John, who because the first vice president and second president of the United States).

The first chapter of this book introduces Samuel Adams as "The Man Who Started Fires," recalling the famous description of him by Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson as "the greatest incendiary in the Empire."Heinrichs develops the background of Adams and his distinguished Massachusetts family, including how the family brewery was lost after his father died in 1748.Chapter Two, "Stirring Up Trouble" covers the period up to the Boston Massacre, as Adams became a leader of the Sons of Liberty.Chapter Three, "Father of the Revolution," details his activities with the Committee of Correspondence and the first two Continental Congresses.The final chapter, "A New Nation Takes Shape," explains how Adams refused to attend the Constitutional Convention because he wanted the states to be stronger than the federal government.He even wanted to vote against his cousin in the 1796 election but was defeated in his effort to become a presidential elector.

Hopefully this book will convince a fair share of young readers that Samuel Adams was an important Founding Father along with Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington.Certainly Heinrichs makes the case for him being on that level, although for most people today he is considered the lesser of the two Adamses from Massachusetts.The volume is illustrated with paintings, etchings, and such from that period as well as a contemporary photograph of the statue of Samuel Adams in front of Boston's Faneuil Hall.There are sidebars on the Adams Family the Boston Massacre, and an Eyewitness Report on the Boston Tea Party, and you will find the usual Interesting Facts in the margins of the book. The Our People series, which excludes American presidents since they have their own series, also has volumes on Alexander Hamilton, Franklin, John Paul Jones, and Patrick Henry from this pivotal period of American history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Out of the mouths of babes!
What a treasure trove of information is to be found in the three volumes of this biographical account of the life of the most important individual in the political fight against the British empire for American liberty.

The author (Wells) does a splendid job of weaving firsthand knowledge of his Grandfather (Adams) with historical fact. To say that Wells didn't lean toward the opinions of his Grandfather would be less than honest. However, after recently reading the story/biography of Samuel Adams written by Harlow, I am very glad I read Wells' account first.

Adams was truly one of the last Puritans in his time and to allege anything about him beyond true Christian patriotism is completely false.

In reading this book you will join the ranks of Joseph Warren, John Hancock and Josiah Quincy as they battle the most virulent British Administrations ever cast against our founding fathers as they battled for our God-given rights. Wells puts you at the scene of the massacre of March 5th and the backroom meetings of the Caucus club. You can almost see the fire in the fireplace that warms them as they steer a course toward independence.

If you are a student of history and a patriot I highly recommend reading all three volumes.

Signed,

Determinatus

IT ROCKED
THIS BOOK WAS REALLY AWESOME. MORE PEOPLE SHOULD BUY IT. BUT THERE ARENT ENOUGH PICTURES ... Read more

Book Description
This is the story of Samuel Adams, American Patriot and a founding father of the new American nation. He wrote and spoke out about the unfair British taxes imposed upon the colonists and helped organize the Stamp Act. He instigated the Boston Tea Party - an act of rebellion by the Sons of Liberty that would lead directly to the Revolutionary War. He was a delegate at the First and Second Continental Congresses, and was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Adams continued to lead the struggle for liberty until his death. In this book, the Adlers offer a compelling hero for young readers - a man passionate about freedom, and determined to make a difference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Boston Tea Party
Samuel Adams ordered the boycott of British goods and that's how the Revolutionary War started. The Johnsons are related to the Adams. They just said he was married to p;rotect his fame. He was fruity. And there's beer in every home now. ... Read more