Fight for Freedom: The American Revolutionary War

by Benson Bobrick

Renowned historian Benson Bobrick has written a moving chronicle of the American Revolution for young readers. From the first stirrings of unrest under British rule at the Boston Tea Party, to the treachery of Benedict Arnold at West Point, to George Washington's Christmas Eve surprise attack at the Battle of Trenton, to the British surrender at the Battle of Yorktown, Fight for Freedom explores the war that created one independent nation out of thirteen diverse colonies.
Fight for Freedom contains personal anecdotes from soldiers and civilians, as well as profiles of the many historical luminaries who were involved in America's fight for independence, such as George Washington, King George III, Abigail Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Paul Jones, Thomas Jefferson, and Lord Cornwallis. Bobrick also explores the origins of colonialism in the New World, the roles women and Native Americans played during the American Revolution, the intricacies of building a new government, and the fate of those who remained loyal to the British crown after the onset of war.
Bobrick's dynamic narrative is highlighted with many period oil paintings, political cartoons, and key campaign and battlefield maps, making Fight for Freedom the ultimate book on the American Revolution for kids.

Genres: History, American Revolution, American History, Nonfiction, Childrens

96 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2004

About the author

Benson Bobrick earned his doctorate from Columbia University and is the author of several critically acclaimed works. In 2002, he received the Literature Award of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. He and his wife, Hilary, live in Vermont.

Reviews

[Eric H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the author did an excellent job on describing the setting and the battles and characters it is like a movie but each chapter is about one character or battles I think I Should have found it earlier in my book case I recommend this book to any one who likes war books and I give it 5 stars

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very thorough but a little disjointed in timeline. I really liked the 'Quick Facts' sidebar on each page.

On another note, I didn't know about King George's supposed mental illness, but it certainly makes sense, :P.

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

It gives me so much to learn in it about multiple topics. It gives great photographs on the setting of the war to show what it was like being on the battlefield during that time. But it shows different facts than other books.

[Adele Auchincloss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Benson Bobrick’s book, Fight for Freedom: The American Revolutionary War, is an information- and image-packed book. Even though it is only 92 pages of content with 4 pages of resources, Fight for Freedom covers many aspects of the war. I found the all images very helpful, as they were relevant to the text on the accompanying page. However, as a 13-year-old I found the text hard to read. The text on each page is rich and contains a lot of information, including “quick facts” on the side of the pages. However, this makes just looking at a page overwhelming. It is so much information, that the moment I moved to the next section, I forgot what I had previously read. There are many important people mentioned, but after they are introduced once, the next time they are mentioned it is only by their name. This caused me to be constantly confused about who the book was talking about, what side they fought for, and any other details that might have helped me have better comprehension. In addition, the font is small, making it physically harder to read. Overall, Fight for Freedom provided a lot of useful background knowledge for me, but its presentation was confusing.

[Kelly Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fight for Freedom, by Benson Bobrick, is a great book with informational and captivating writing. It is clearly written in a manner that is easy to understand. Each topic is between 1 to 2 pages and on each page there is a box with “Quick facts.” These are facts that are quick to read and are interesting about the subjects it talks about. There is also a timeline on the the inside cover with events from the American Revolution. The images in this book are what really makes it unique. At least one picture or painting for every subject, really helps you understand what is going on. As a 12 year old, I think that this book is perfect for ages 12 and up, for it is not very long but has a lot of content. In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book and think that it is perfect for someone trying to learn about the Revolutionary War.

[Peter Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to the Revolutionary War aimed at Middle School kids I would guess but would be a benefit to anyone whose history of the war is weak. He hits all the main points, including the main characters, without getting too bogged down. There are a lot of interesting side bars. It will only get you so far, as it is an introduction. Nonetheless it is a great place to start.

[Tony Pursel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geared toward middle-schoolers but an excellent overview of the Revolutionary War. Could get youngsters interested in the history of that period.

[Kifflie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this but I wanted more. I hadn't realized how little I knew about the actual fighting of the Revolution, particularly in the South.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bookful of 2 page articles, with pictures and interesting background info.

[Laurie Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures on one side with text on the other, detailing topical facets of the American Revolution. We used this in our Dialectic homeschool history studies.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the American Revolution. I learned several facts even though this was written for kids! The inclusion of battle maps was also a great addition.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is challenging to distil something as important as the American Revolution down to a series of short essays, but this book does provide a good overview of key events taking place. This book lead to our having discussions about how the U.S. government was formed, why revolution was necessary, the principles that the "founding fathers" were using to guide their choices, and ultimately what brought them to the decision that breaking away from Britain would do more for the pursuit of happiness than remaining its loyal subjects.

[Jonah G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had great illustrations, reader friendly pages and writing, age appropriate, and extra fascinating facts that demonstrated the author's interest in the American Revolutionary War and it's causes. I would use this as a useful reference tool in the classroom.

[sarafem · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for kids researching the Revolutionary War.

[Brittnay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great illustrations(battle scenes) and 1 battle per page with easy to read information.