Revolution

Sparrowhawk #5

by Edward Cline

Following the passage of the Stamp Act of 1765, Hugh Kenrick attends the Stamp Act Congress in New York while Jack Frake forms a local chapter of the Sons of Liberty. After they foil a plan to smuggle the stamps into the colony, Dogmael Jones debates repeal with his allies in British Parliament, earning himself more enemies. Through these vividly drawn characters and events, Sparrowhawk Revolution continues the story of resistance to the Stamp Act, the true beginning of the American Revolution.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Literature, Epic, American

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 16, 2005

About the author

Edward Cline is an American novelist and essayist. He is best known for his Sparrowhawk series of novels, which take place in England and Virginia before the American Revolutionary War. He is also the author of First Prize and Whisper the Guns. Outside of his work as a novelist, Cline is known for his writings on esthetics and his defense of capitalism and of free speech. As a writer, his strongest influence has been the philosopher-novelist Ayn Rand. Currently, he is a policy analyst for the Center for the Advancement of Capitalism. He lives in Yorktown, Virginia.





from wikipedia.com

Reviews

[Rob Spykstra]

Once again, Edward Cline, does an amazing job of taking the historical events that lead up to the Revolutionary War and putting into them into story form. His depth of knowledge not only of what happened in the colonies but also what was going on in the United Kingdom is remarkable. As in all of his books, you have to be ready for details. Not an easy read if you are looking for light historical fiction. But if you want depth, Cline is the author for you.

[K.]

Bah

Enjoyed the previous volumes in the series - this one dragged through too many pages & pages of the discussions surrounding the Stamp Act & it's repeal. Not nearly enough focus on the relationships between the 2 main characters & their brides. Debating whether to bother with the last book in the series ... None has been as good as the first book, which I really enjoyed.

[Kent]

too slow

[Pat]

Illuminating

Great detail, exposition of motives, and the greed of the powerful in our country’s struggle for independence. A bit wordy, yet readable in all its aspects.

[Shane]

Hugh and Jack really come of age in an intellectual sense during this tale. They fight for freedom both physically and mentally. The Stamp Act has brought out the best and the worst of the actors on both sides of the ocean.

The arguments for and against the Stamp Act are enlightening. It compares to modern arguments about 'taxing the rich' even total confiscation wouldn't cover the expenses of government for more than a couple weeks but even admitting that fact doesn't stop the argument.

On the human side' we learn much more about Dogmel Jones and Hugh finally gets a love interest. This story can still stand on its own, but this is accomplished by much repetition of segments from earlier books.

Looking forward to the final book, this has been a very interesting tale.

[Bob Hinnant]

The story is very good and the series very informative. It teaches a side of the American Revolution not generally taught. The only reason I give these books 3 stars versus 4 or 5 is that the author seems enamored with his vocabulary, tries too hard to use the vernacular of the period or both. I appreciate his efforts but it can detract from the story. I was glad to be reading the series with a Kindle so as to have the instant dictionary immediately available. In some cases, there were words used that Kindle couldn't define. I am considered to have a more than serviceable vocabulary myself but found myself challenged. On one hand it is good to expand your knowledge of our language but not to the point of detracting from the flow of the story itself.

[Dwayne Roberts]

Very interesting creative nonfiction, but I've preferred the earlier volumes (1-4).

Colonial America (primarily Virginia) and mother England a few tens of years before the American Revolutionary War. The Stamp Act and other parliamentary actions from the perspective of revolutionary thinkers including Henry and Franklin, plus those of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Pragmatists and ideologues; manufacturers, planters, merchants and governors.

[Kristina]

This book gets 5 stars for content, but only 3 stars for writing style. There was a bit of repetition throughout the book of various facts and events, that, while perhaps necessary to establish context, did not need to be elaborated on every time with the same (or even greater) depth. Otherwise, I very much liked the development of the storyline, particularly with Reverdy.

[Meire]

I enjoy every page. Great series.

[Jeffrey Falk]

This really is the best kind of historical fiction, and the best kind of fiction.

[Carisa Dahl]

More of the same

This series is starting to feel a little soap-operish. The characters a little droll but yet I'm still hooked. Gonna download the next one...