American Rebels: How the Hancock, Adams, and Quincy Families Fanned the Flames of Revolution

· Macmillan Audio · Narrated by Suzie Althens
4.5
2 reviews
Audiobook
15 hr 54 min
Unabridged
Eligible
Want a free 19 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline. 
Add

About this audiobook

Nina Sankovitch’s American Rebels explores, for the first time, the intertwined lives of the Hancock, Quincy, and Adams families, and the role each person played in sparking the American Revolution.

Before they were central figures in American history, John Hancock, John Adams, Josiah Quincy Junior, Abigail Smith Adams, and Dorothy Quincy Hancock had forged intimate connections during their childhood in Braintree, Massachusetts. Raised as loyal British subjects who quickly saw the need to rebel, their collaborations against the Crown and Parliament were formed years before the revolution and became stronger during the period of rising taxes and increasing British troop presence in Boston. Together, the families witnessed the horrors of the Boston Massacre, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and Bunker Hill; the trials and tribulations of the Siege of Boston; meetings of the Continental Congress; transatlantic missions for peace and their abysmal failures; and the final steps that led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

American Rebels explores how the desire for independence cut across class lines, binding people together as well as dividing them—rebels versus loyalists—as they pursued commonly-held goals of opportunity, liberty, and stability. Nina Sankovitch's new book is a fresh history of our revolution that makes listeners look more closely at Massachusetts and the small town of Braintree when they think about the story of America’s early years.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

Ratings and reviews

4.5
2 reviews
Janice Tangen
March 25, 2020
US history, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, historical-figures I was kind of afraid that this would turn out to be as exciting as "the begats" of the Bible. No! It is infinitely more interesting and well written but just as meticulously researched. It does have fun with the begats as necessary to understand the entwining of the families noted in the publisher's blurb but also the individuals, their religious and political proclivities that embodied the reasons for their involvement in the coming division with England even as these attitudes were evident almost since their arrival in North America. Don't get me wrong, it is very readable! But I am part of a family of history geeks who used to be involved in reenacting the American Revolution. I loved the reading of it and learned a lot, but if I buy a print copy it will walk away, so I will get the audiobook for my personal use. I requested and received a free ebook copy from St Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
Did you find this helpful?

About the author

Nina Sankovitch is the author of several nonfiction books, including American Rebels and The Lowells of Massachusetts. She has written for the New York Times, the Huffington Post as a contributing blogger, and was formerly a judge for The Book of the Month Club. A graduate of Tufts University and Harvard Law School, Sankovitch grew up in Evanston, Illinois, and currently lives in Connecticut with her family.

Rate this audiobook

Tell us what you think.

Listening information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.