“It seems we
have troublesome times a Coming for there is a great Disturbance
a Broad in the earth & they say it is tea that caused
it.”
– Diary of Jemima Condict, October 1774
One
can only imagine what it was like as our forefathers labored
to build a new country and dealt with England’s government
and taxes. Resentment was a given. The author explains why
the subject of Taxes became so heated and how the resent became
unbearable as the Crown’s troops took over colonists’
homes. Boston had become an "occupied" town. On
December 13, 1774 Paul Revere (silversmith/rebel) delivers
news to Samuel Cutts (merchant/rebel). George the III’s
government has banned the import of arms and gunpowder. A
cache of arms are stored at a Fort in New Hampshire and Revere
thinks they should retrieve it before the British march that
way. And so it begins…
In American
Spring readers/listeners get a close up look at the first
few months of the American Revolutionary War – a war
that was never planned. The author relays the first battles
involving the minute men, the colonist militias and the British
Army -- battles that would seal our history. He presents the
views of all involved -- colonists, slaves, women, as well
as loyalist. He doesn’t come across as a writer taking
sides. The most interesting to me was Ben Franklin’s
trip to England and the game of Chess meant to sway him from
patriot to loyalist. I love history and found it highly informative.
Borneman’s personal description of the historical period
is memorable. The book includes Maps.
Tom Taylorson’s
narration of the audio version is incredibly smooth -- perfect
for this historical period. He has a voice that allows me
to time travel. Whenever I stopped what I was doing and closed
my eyes, I could actually see Taylorson in historical clothing
delivering the Borneman's lesson in history.
Tom Taylorson
is a Chicago-based actor. He narrates various genres, including
Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier: The Secret
Files (The Junior Novelization) which again fits his
youthful, clear tone. Taylorson also narrates TV and Radio
commercials.
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