Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner

Adventures of Rush Revere #4

by Rush Limbaugh, Kathryn Adams Limbaugh

Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner is the fourth book in the Adventures of Rush Revere Series, and is the most exciting yet! Substitute teacher Rush Revere is back with his trusty sidekick Liberty and the students of Manchester Middle School. This time, Tommy takes center stage. His grandfather is ill, and Rush Revere hopes a field trip to Washington D.C., will distract and inspire Tommy. There, the Crew visits national landmarks including the Washington Monument and the White House to learn about American government. Back in time they see the writing of the national anthem and witness Dolley Madison save a patriotic American symbol, and so much more. But first they must avoid exploding pickle barrels, museum guards, Redcoats, and a surprise visitor! Tommy writes it all down to bring back in his grandfather’s notebook. Included are full color illustrations, photos, and historical documents.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, American History, Historical, Time Travel

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

American radio host and conservative political commentator.

His nationally-syndicated talk show, The Rush Limbaugh Show, airs throughout the world on Premiere Radio Networks. He has been credited with reviving AM radio in the United States, and is considered to have been a "kind of national precinct captain" for the Republican Party's Congressional victories in 1994.

National Review magazine, in a 1993 cover story, called him "The Leader of the Opposition" during the Clinton presidency. A month after Bill Clinton's defeat of the the Elder Bush in 1992, Ronald Reagan sent Limbaugh, a man he never met, a letter in which he thanked Limbaugh "for all you're doing to promote Republican and conservative principles...[and] you have become the Number One voice for conservatism in our Country."

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mainly wanted to see what the Rush Revere books were like. I don't have any children to read to any more, but these would be great books to read aloud to younger children or to give to middle schoolers to read by themselves.

The books are very high quality, heavy pages and wonderful pictures. Rush Revere and his horse Liberty figure prominently: Rush as the guide, and Liberty as the comic relief.

The books take children on time-travel adventures through the high points of our nation's founding. They get in the middle of actual events, get to know historical characters and see the important documents and emblems of freedom.

Although I didn't read the book all the way through due to time constraints, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to parents and educators who want to know what our country's real founding was like.

[Tyler Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I read was Rush Revere and The Star Spangled Banner by Rush Limbaugh. This book is a fictional historical book written By Rush Limbaugh. Shows how a trip to Washington DC can change a lot if you know the reason behind why it was written or built.

It was about a group of kids with a girl’s grandpa and a magical horse that could travel in time. They went on a trip to Washington DC and went to all the historical documents and monuments. The kids went to the Declaration of Independence and two of the kids were messing around with a yo-yo and one kid was using the yo-yo and then it hit a piece of glass and set off alarms. They went back in time to go talk with James Madison and learn about the Declaration. The little girl’s grandpa would have a little task for the kids to answer, and whoever would get them right would get a point. They went to a baseball game and then questioned why the National Anthem was written and why these are the lyrics. When they go to time travel to see why the National Anthem was written, Liberty made a mistake and they time traveled into a British war ship. They then found Francis Scott Key and talked to him about the Star Spangled Banner. Francis said he got inspired by the bombing by the British of Ft. McHenry, while he was sitting a distance away from the bombing inspired him to write the “the bombs bursting in air’ and such things. At the end of the story the kids were very exhausted from walking around all the time and using their brains to figure out the quest the grandpa had for them.

I rate this book 4 out 5 stars for a couple reasons. One reason would be because it was very interesting and while your reading you learn some cool facts about the history of America. I took one star away because it was more of a children book

[Jason Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first three books in this series are history books dressed up like novels. This is kind of the same, but more like a government course dressed up like a novel. Rush takes the kids to Washington, DC to see some of the sites and learn what they're all about. It's spelled out very basically which is the way it should be for late elementary age kids. As for the trips back in time, Rush and Liberty meet Dolley Madison as she's fleeing the White House (more on that in a moment), Tommy and Cam join them to attend part of the Constitutional Convention, and Tommy and Rush meet Francis Scott Key while he was stuck on a truce ship during the Battle of Baltimore when the British were bombarding Fort McHenry which is when Key penned his poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry" which, of course, was set to music and became the Star Spangled Banner, which then became our official national anthem about a century later.

I have the same general comments to make with this one that I made with the first three. Rush isn't a professional writer, but this is fine for the target audience. His head is still big in the pictures, but there weren't very many with him in it. No works cited. Etc. I also think he might've rushed (no pun intended) this one to the printing press because there was a mistake with one of the dates. He tells the kids "The eagle has long been a symbol of strength and freedom in the United States. As a matter of fact, the bald eagle was chosen way back on June 20, 1772, when the Continental Congress created the Great Seal of the United States. Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson made the eagle prominent and it remains so today." History nerds, like myself, know there was no Continental Congress going on in 1772, so I had to dig into it. It looks like someone must've just fat-fingered the keyboard since the Eagle thing happened on that date in 1782, but the editor really should've caught that. And if you want to be a complete asshole about it, you can say that the decision technically occurred during the Congress of the Confederation, though that is considered to be one of the Continental Congresses even if it's never called that.

I think this nit-pick proves that I'm taking this thing waaaaaaay too seriously. It's a kids book designed to give children some basic information about the founding of our country in a fun way that might make them more apt to remember it. It does all that just fine. If they're interested in learning more, they can get the nitty-gritty details when they're older and more able to learn them. It also has silly side plots with the talking horse and the kids getting into shenanigans. These do nothing for me, but they're not supposed to. Most 10-year-olds enjoy this kind of stuff, though.

The historical information is mostly accurate, but it gets a little tricky with this installment because he goes into a couple of matters for which the details are a bit fuzzy. Here's a quote concerning Dolley Madison saving a portrait of George Washington:

"As we turned a corner behind the White House we saw two men helping a woman roll up a large canvas painting. I knew it was the rare and priceless portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart... As we approached I saw Dolley place the rolled-up portrait into the hands of a young African-American man."

The "young African-American man" was actually 15-year-old slave Paul Jennings. Rush then helps them to roll it up while he chats with Dolley to get information for the reader. Obviously that part didn't happen, but the way it's presented isn't entirely accurate either. In fact, historians aren't 100% sure exactly how it happened. Dolley told Paul to save the portrait if he could and destroy it if he couldn't, but "under no circumstance allow it to fall into the hands of the British.” (That dramatic quote is from the National Park Service, but I don't quite trust their account since they don't cite any sources and nowhere else is that quote mentioned). Paul was supposed to save it, frame and all, but after finding this an impossible task with the British so near, Dolley then ordered him and two other servants (the door-keeper and the gardener who were probably also slaves, though that wasn't made explicit in what I looked up) to break the frame which was screwed to the wall so they could pry the canvas off with a knife and roll it up. This was done, and the portrait was entrusted to two friends of the Madisons who carted it away and stored it in a farmhouse outside of DC until it was safe to retrieve it.

And here's something else: The painting they saved isn't even the original! (That belonged to William Petty Fitzmaurice, the first Marquess of Lansdowne and former British Prime Minister during the closing years of the Revolutionary War; he was an advocate for American Independence.) The one in the White House was painted by the same artist, but it was a copy with noticeable variations and even has, for lack of a better word, a typo. (One of the books by the table leg is entitled The Constitution and Laws of the United Sates. Artists did this kind of thing so you could tell which was the original and which was the replica, though I suppose it's possible he ran out of room while painting that word, didn't feel like redoing the whole area, and just hoped nobody would notice; I don't know and neither does anybody else.) Personally I think the original looks better.


(GW looks kind of constipated in the White House copy which is the one on the left.)

I'm sure the copy is the more valuable one simply due to the effort it took to save it during the War of 1812 and the story behind it, even if said story is kind of muddy and has slight variations depending on who's telling it, but this is more information than younger readers need to deal with.

Rush addressed slavery and the inconsistency of "all men are created equal" running up against freedom, though he does so very lightly and in just a couple of paragraphs. Many people would probably prefer to see more, not to mention a sharper rebuke, but he mostly points out that the constitution outlawed the slave trade and a start was made to get rid of slavery (though this is not 100% accurate either, and arguments can be made against it.)

There was one ironic quote in here due to events that have transpired since it was written (2015). Rush and crew, obviously conservatives, are about the visit the US Capitol building, and Liberty, who has to wait outside because he's a horse, tells them to...



First off, anything that alludes to The Princess Bride is A-okay in my book, but that's not the ironic part. Rush is solidly conservative and rather patriotic, and so are the kids with him. On January 6, 2021, a group of conservatives, many of whom consider themselves to be quite patriotic, "stormed the castle," so to speak, when they invaded the Capitol during a misnamed "insurrection."


"You call that an insurrection? Amateurs!"[1]

It was actually a riot and one that pales in comparison to plenty of the BLM riots from the previous year. Most of the BLM rioters were let off scot-free while the vast majority of the "insurrectionists" were detained without due process, some for two and a half years at this point (7/19/23), before being tried and thrown in the clink with the maximum penalty allowable by law over the flimsiest of misdemeanors. (I'm referring to the grandmotherly folks who were wandering through the Capitol like they were part of a tour group, taking pictures with their smart phones and doing nothing more deleterious than trespassing. Some of the Capitol guards even opened the door for them and let them in. I'm not referring to the more violent offenders causing trouble who obviously need more scrutiny even though they, too, were entitled to due process which they didn't receive for months.) The ever hypocritical ACLU is completely silent about this abuse of civil liberties... And I better veer off before I get completely bent out of shape and blow a gasket. Anyway, "have fun storming the castle" is more amusing now though for a completely different reason.

This is a great tool to supplement some history/civics lessons for elementary age kids, but no others really need apply. You'll be fine as long as you remember that it's not a strict history book, but rather a fictitious story incorporating pared-down historical facts which omit nuances for the sake of simplicity for a young audience.

(Link to my review of the entire series which also provides links to my reviews of the individual books.)

[1]My apologies to Rush and Kathryn for including a picture of Fidel Castro in this review.

[Kyle Miguel Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok. So I just felt the overall feel of this book (and every other book he's been part of) is a little creepy and self-centered. Limbaugh writes himself in as this heroic, sly, cunning, witty hero that we're supposed to relate to and cheer for. No shade no tea but he is the Carl Azuz of fiction characters. The one plus is that the book that I own smells like strawberries and the paper is soft.

[Aaron.W · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book. You learn who wrote the national anthem and the story behind it.

[Elizabeth Dietz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 • This was a cute book that told the story of the Constitution & inspiration behind the Star Spangled Banner. Was almost tough read after my last book which had made me question how well we really learned American history in school. But overall a cute and informative read.

[Stephanie | Books_and_Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

{Rated G - 4.5 ⭐️’s} My 10 yr old and I are loving these books! What a great and fun way to learn about our American history. The only thing that I wish this book had was more in depth explanation during the battle with the British Navy and the Star Spangled Banner. There was a few extra details and events that lead to our great anthem that was not shared in this book and I just wish there had been more, but overall.... I still loved it!

[Alejandro Heracles al-Mu'minin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rush Revere's Field Trip
Historical fiction seems to be a secondary focus in this book as the gang spends a lot of time in modern day. Readers affectionate of the characters or fans of Limbaugh will find the most enjoyment as he explores his personal side more.

Although the fourth book in the Rush Revere series the narration is welcoming to new readers, at times feeling redundant as dialogue is seemingly forced in to refresh the reader of recent events.

I was excited to hear about the era of this book; there is a lot unappreciated about what is sometimes called the third American revolution. While Limbaugh briefly explores those struggles everything comes in tidbits, perhaps hoping to inspire young readers to continue their learning after the book. The historical focus of this book above all is James Madison.

I was annoyed with continuity in the story telling. Rush Revere has us jumping all over decades, and having overlook certain little things like accommodating for a horse while on vacation in the city.

[Lugene Lancaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional series and I hope he writes more and more books.

[Deborah Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't do as much time travel as the other books in this series. It also took to chapter nine which is page 177 to talk about the Star-Spangled banner.
The kids are on vacation and they goo to Washington DC for a field trip. They go see the Washington Monument and the National Achieves. They do go back in time to talk with James Madison and ask or talk with him about the writing of the Constitution. Not until they visit a baseball game do they go back in time to learn about how the National Athem was written. There is one part in Chapter nine that I want to share because it had my son and myself laughing so hard tears were coming. When Liberty brings them to see Frances Scott Key they actually end up in the haul of the British ship. In the haul are barrels of pickles. Liberty is hungry so he starts eating the pickles. He has eaten way to many it is starting to come back on him. So he warns them that in about 20 seconds he is going to have to degasify. He starts counting down and the others decide they need to leave like now. Here is the part that is funny so I will copy it from the book. Tommy and I ran toward the mast of the ship. Just as we got to the other side, footsteps of British soldiers pounded across the deck toward the door we just exited. We crouched behind some wooden crates and observed the closed door to the pickle room. I hoped Liberty turned invisible in time! Suddenly the door creaked. "What's that noise?" said one of the soldiers. "It's coming from inside the storage room," said the other. The soldier in front began to open the door, and as he did I turned to Tommy and whispered,"Here it comes." Tommy grinned,"I hope nobody lights a match." The second soldier cried out,"Ugh! Knock me into a cocked hat; what's that smell?" The second soldier gagged. "Good Heavens! It smells like a sewer of rotten pickles. You should go in and check it out." "I'm not taking my smeller down there," said the first.
As you can see it's not all about learning it can be fun. Also remember not everything will be 100% accurate either. It's just a different way to learn history. I'm enjoying these books and I'm glad I can read something like this to my child to teach him about our past. I would recommend these books only giving it a 3 star because of how long it took to get to the subject.

[Terry R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rush Revere and the Star Spangled Banner by Rush Limbaugh – Completed 07/04/2023 – Fourth of July, & G.J.M Birthday, how about that?
To my Grandson G.J.M., my children, B.J.M.; A.N.C.; T.L.L., and their spouses.
How great is the song that starts with “Oh Say Can You See”? It’s a question.
On September 14, 1814, the Battle of Fort McHenry inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner." He was working to negotiate the release of an American political prisoner on board a British Naval Ship in the Baltimore harbor. The British were bombing Fort McHenry at the time. That is where “And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air” came from. The next early morning light, through the haze, gun smoke “gave proof through the night that our flag was still there”. The fort was still in American hands. How brave were the American soldiers to hold the fort, bombs coming from all directions?
This is book four of the five-volume series, covering the most important parts of our history and how we organized. It took a while but the founding fathers knew it was very important work to be different from the British rule they had come from. Freedom, Free Speech, Freedom of religion, right to bear arms, and due process of law are some of the topics that needed to be agreed to, written down, and approved by the founding fathers. The government has three regulating bodies: legislative, executive, and judicial branches, which receive their powers from the U.S. Constitution.
I hope my Grandson, G.J.M. finds these books interesting and becomes a proud American like his father and grandfather. Please share the book with him.
The Star Spangled Banner or the National Anthem always makes me so proud to be born in the greatest country on earth and proud to be an American. Stand up, place your right hand over your heart, and sing proudly the words. It’s ok to tear up, I always do.
God Bless America!
Love Harley (grandfather name) T.R.M.

[Nicole(Newbookcats) · Rating 3 out of 5]

History has always been one of my favorite subjects, even though I am not very good at remembering dates. I love Hamilton: The Musical, and I cannot wait to see it when it comes to Texas! As my uncle knows how much I love to read and history, especially when they are combined, he gave me the first three books a couple years ago. Now, I am continuing on with the series. I enjoyed reading the first three books when I was a bit smaller and tinier. These books would be great for middle grade readers; if one is older, these books may feel very young. I LOVE Liberty's puns and fun nature; I also like Freedom as she has a special connection with animals! I do not like Tommy very much though. I hated how Tommy was always talking about football in the 1700s. What is he thinking? No one can just time-travel(time-traveling is true) and just talk about football and how hip everything is.
I am currently reading the fifth books so I might as well just rush, rush, rush to history !
Review coming up soon on www.newbookcatsread.blogspot.com

[Molly Wilson]

Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner is about Mr. Rever, a history teacher, and his time-traveling horse Liberty. He goes back in time with a group of students, known as the Time-Traveling Crew, to see the debates of the Bill of Rights, helping James Madison's wife Dolley save important portraits from the White House, and see who made the flag and Star-Spangled Banner.
I think this was an interesting book. It would be great for history buffs and people who like time travel. I was interested in the book, but sometimes I would lose interest. However, others could really like it. It did have some funny and authentic pictures, which made it enjoyable.
I would have this book on my bookshelf because some boy or girl students could be interested in this concept. On the front, it says Time-Traveling Adventures, and I think this could catch some of the students' eyes. I believe students who are really into history would like this book, and students who are not into history could also like it.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Rush Revere book, and I liked it. My favorite part is the idea of what it might be like to go back in history and see important events. Not just what would I see, but what conversations might I have with important people. It is obvious Rush Limbaugh is passionate about that idea and about the subjects he addresses.
The oddity to me is that only one chapter, or possibly a chapter and a half, actually focus on the Star-Spangled Banner and the events at Fort McHenry. The main emphasis is the American form of government, how it was framed in the Constitution, and how it works today. Fort McHenry was a side trip, based on another side trip. It was all interesting, but not what I was expecting based on the title and the cover. I would have liked to have heard more about Fort McHenry.
And I understand that Liberty, the talking horse, is a popular character, but his antics and "comedic relief" became a little much for me after awhile. But then, I am older than the intended audience.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, the main characters visit Washington DC so it would be a great addition to have on a trip to the nation’s capital. This book explains the 3 branches of government, and they visit each branches location in Washing DC. It provides important information about the writing of the constitution along with the Bill of Rights, and it explains how the star-Spangled Banner national anthem was written by Francis Scott Key. There isn’t as much time travel in this book as in previous books. However, it is a very entertaining book filled with many important historical facts. My child laughed several times during the reading of this book so Rush continues using humor to reach children. It also reaches children who have a sick grandparent. One of the main characters, Tommy, has a grandfather in the hospital. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading these books to my child. He is learning about American history and the importance of our Constitution.

[Drmkk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish authors would number their books - at first I was confused that this book comes before Rush Revere and the Presidency since that book includes the elections of 1796 and 1800 and this one includes the writing of the Star -Spangled Banner during the War of 1812. It turns out it also includes the debate at the Continental Convention in 1787. Time travel is an interesting tool for studying history but it can also be confusing - in this book the we meet James Madison, George Mason, and Francis Scott Key as well as a modern day field trip to Washington, D.C. to visit the monuments of Washington and Lincoln, the National Archives, Congress, the Supreme Court and the White House. It did provide some needed variety to the series but please just number them! We started reading Rush Revere and the Presidency first.

[Kait_Roc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not very impressed by the book, Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner. It did not have a climax nor a resolution, so I kept losing focus. However, it was still very comical, mainly because of Liberty, the time-traveling and hungry horse. Liberty takes Rush Revere and his students back in time to meet Gorge Mason, James Maddison, and Francis Scott Key. They also have fun historical trivia competitions. I think that this book is good for kids nine and up, because it has great role models, it is informational, and it has nothing parents need to worry about in it.

[Coco Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get less and less impressed with Rush Limbaugh’s writing skills, but my 11 yo kiddo adores all the characters and corny jokes. However the historical aspects are factual so we’ll keep going. My biggest pet peeve was the introduction of a new fictional character that has several scenes throughout but never given a name, he’s always referred to as Freedom’s grandpa & that irked me. Fella deserved a name haha!

This book covered a trip to the state capital and the students visited the National Mall & time traveled back to the writing of the constitution and the writing of the national anthem. A very shallow introduction of American politics, but effective for my kiddo to obtain a general overview that we can build off of.

[Mary Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A teacher and his talking, time-traveling horse lead this fun, patriotic series designed to get kids jazzed about American history. While it's a fairly simple overview, Limbaugh did a good job explaining the basics of, in the case of this installment, the Constitutional Convention, the three branches of government, and the story behind the Star Spangled Banner, while being historically accurate (at least as far as I could see), and doing it in a relatable way. My only peeve with the book was that Limbaugh, in writing for kids, perhaps dumbed-down the dialogue a bit. In particular, I found Liberty, the talking horse with a big appetite that was meant to give him personality, irritating. Maybe that's the old curmudgeon in me; kids might love his wise-cracking and talk of flatulence.

[Mrs. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fourth adventure of Rush Revere and his crew shares historical truths about the people who wrote the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution. I love the pictures of Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. This book renewed my desire to go to D.C. and learn more. I am certain any reader of Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner will want to learn more about our freedoms. "Rush, rush, rush to history."

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read all 5 of Rush's time travel books and loved every one of them. This one in particular gave me goose bumps the way he described how Francis Scott Key came to write the Star-Spangled Banner. Highly recommend reading these books to young children. They will love Liberty the talking horse, the school children who go back with Rush Revere to meet George Washington and all the great men and women who formed the foundation of our wonderful country. So blessed.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fourth entry in the Rush Revere seems out of order, taking place during the War of 1812.

Rush Revere and his time traveling crew take a field trip to Washington, DC. They see the Constitution and the various other archives, and go back in time to see how they were written.

Not bad, but perhaps not as good as the previous entries.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why on earth is this book titled after The Star Spangled Banner? It took nine chapters to get to the song and then ended a chapter later. That’s not to say it was a bad book. Just poorly titled.

Most of the book deals with the development of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Rush Revere and the Constitution.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would be a good book for kids learning our history. The learning process as an adventure is a great idea. Since I already knew almost all of what was in the book it was a little boring. That is what I get for not being a kid, but a grandmother. I bought this book for my grandkids but wanted to make sure of what they were reading.

[Remy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so boring, SOOOO contrived, and the writing is ho hum/mediocre. I can see how young kids would like some of the attempts at humor. It takes forever to get to the part about the Star-Spangled Banner. I don't get all the fantastic reviews. Maybe they are all Rush fans and just can't look past the dull writing? I liked Rush, too, but ugh... DNF/Skimmed.

[Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great book if you are into history. It's a book that involves both fiction and nonfiction. The fiction part is when they time travel using a talking horse. But the nonfiction part is with the real places and people that are in the book. I like it because it is somewhat funny.

[Anne Roszczewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great and fun way to teach kids history! The reader feels a part of history as it’s happening. Great series, highly recommended for kids and adults. I learned things I had never been taught in each one of these great books. I hope Rush and Kathryn Limbaugh write more!

[Steve Ryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another peek into the past.

A wonderful, entertaining reintroduction into our history told in a captivating way. And not just for kids (I am 78). Not just a reminder of dates and influential historical characters, but a reintroduction into what makes our country great.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

After two students recommended the Rush Revere series to me, I had to try at least one. This reminded me a lot of Liberty Kids but with the fun time traveling twist. Facts about the Constitution, branches of government, Founding Fathers, and the American flag are sprinkled throughout a fun plot of several young students going on a field trip with their teacher Rush Revere. They use their time traveling horse, Liberty, to go back in time and meet James Madison and Francis Scott Key to learn more. Definitely fun and educational even if it is kind of cheesy at parts.

[Brittny's Book Talk · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read this book as a family for our homeschool history lesson. It was very entertaining, I do wish the chapters were a little shorter though. But page 158 really got us! We ( meaning us children ) got really excited by the homeschool girl Maddie!