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State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey
On a late summer day in 2009, Al Frazza began a journey of exploration. His goal — to visit, research, and photograph hundreds of New Jersey Revolutionary War historic sites. While thoroughly exploring the physical landscape of his home state, he encounters a history that is often heart-breaking, sometimes uplifting, but always interesting.
Working alone, with no prior training as a historian, and no financial backing, his life slowly becomes dominated by the project. Increasingly unsure if and when he will ever complete his journey, he moves ever onward in his 1994 Oldsmobile. Ultimately, he explores nearly 650 historic locations, and creates the Revolutionary War New Jersey website.
'State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey' tells the story of Al’s journey in his own words, including some humorous experiences he had along the way. It also describes the New Jersey experiences of famous figures such as George Washington and Ben Franklin, as well as ordinary New Jersey residents whose lives, farms, and homes stood in the midst of a war zone. Told in short chapters that flow from one topic to another, the book moves at a brisk pace.
State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey creates a unique reading experience that will keep you engaged. You might even find yourself inspired to go out and explore the history around you — wherever you may live.
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Al Frazza is a proud lifelong resident of North Jersey, who has had a passion for history for much of his life. He is the creator of the Revolutionary War New Jersey website, which is used by thousands of people every week to help them explore New Jersey’s Revolutionary War historic sites. Al’s history work and photographs have been featured in many New Jersey publications. 'State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey' is his first book.
Working alone, with no prior training as a historian, and no financial backing, his life slowly becomes dominated by the project. Increasingly unsure if and when he will ever complete his journey, he moves ever onward in his 1994 Oldsmobile. Ultimately, he explores nearly 650 historic locations, and creates the Revolutionary War New Jersey website.
'State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey' tells the story of Al’s journey in his own words, including some humorous experiences he had along the way. It also describes the New Jersey experiences of famous figures such as George Washington and Ben Franklin, as well as ordinary New Jersey residents whose lives, farms, and homes stood in the midst of a war zone. Told in short chapters that flow from one topic to another, the book moves at a brisk pace.
State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey creates a unique reading experience that will keep you engaged. You might even find yourself inspired to go out and explore the history around you — wherever you may live.
------
Al Frazza is a proud lifelong resident of North Jersey, who has had a passion for history for much of his life. He is the creator of the Revolutionary War New Jersey website, which is used by thousands of people every week to help them explore New Jersey’s Revolutionary War historic sites. Al’s history work and photographs have been featured in many New Jersey publications. 'State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey' is his first book.
198 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2022
6 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Al Frazza
2 books8 followersHistorian Al Frazza is a proud lifelong resident of North Jersey, who has had a passion for history for much of his life. AL began his history work by creating of the Award-Winning website, RevolutionaryWarNewJersey.com, the Ultimate Field Guide to New Jersey’s Revolutionary War Historic Sites.
In 2022, AL published his first book, State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey. The book allows the reader to relive AL’s extensive journeys throughout the state, and the interesting and sometimes humorous experiences he had along the way. It also contains historic Revolutionary War stories and reflections on the importance of history. State of Revolution is part history, part memoir, part travelogue, part love letter to the state of New Jersey.
His second book The Past Still Present: Revolutionary War New Jersey in Photos is a coffee table book of his photos of Revolutionary War historic sites in his home state. It consists of large-scale reproductions of many of AL’s favorite photos he took for the Revolutionary War New Jersey website, along with historic anecdotes chosen to accompany them.
For the past several years, AL has embarked on a new area of historic research. He is currently doing extensive research for a book which will be about Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1964.
AL’s history work and photographs have been featured in many New Jersey publications, including The Record, The Herald News, The Star-Ledger, New Jersey Monthly, NorthJersey.com, Passaic Valley Today, The Home News Tribune, The Courier News, The Asbury Park Press, The Burlington County Times, The Vorhees Sun, The New Jersey Herald, Patch Across New Jersey, The Advertiser-News, The Paramus Post, The Sicklerville Sun, The Township Journal, Pascack Press, The Sparta Independent, The River View Observer, The Berlin Sun, The Atlantic Highlands Herald, Jersey Shore Online, The Beverly Bee, The West Milford Messenger, The Brick Times, The Howell Times, The Southern Ocean Times, The Toms River Times, and The Hunterdon Review.
AL's history work has won awards from the Chinkchewunska Chapter of the New Jersey D.A.R. “in recognition of his outstanding dedication to the preservation and sharing of New Jersey History,” and from the New Jersey Society of the Sons of the American Revolution for his work to inform his “fellow citizens of New Jersey’s role in the American War for Independence.”
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 2, 2022
State of Revolution details the author’s fascinating journey through New Jersey. Frazza was highly interested in the history of his home state of New Jersey, he was especially fascinated by the historical monuments that were from the Revolutionary War. After he explored nearly 650 historic locations, he created the Revolutionary War New Jersey website.
Author Al Frazza successfully shows both his trials and triumphs on his journey. It is refreshing to read about the author’s passion for learning more about the history of his hometown. I enjoyed reading about the author’s process and even though he was unsure if he would be able to complete this journey he continued on.
It’s inspiring to see the author take his lack of experience as a historian and create a website that is dedicated to teaching others about the history of the New Jersey Revolutionary War. While I enjoyed this enlightening book, I would have liked to have seen some of the pictures that the author took on his travels to be incorporated in the book as I think it would enhance the reader’s experience.
Frazza does an excellent job of teaching readers about history while keeping the reader entertained with compelling storytelling. I was engaged from the turn of the first page. It was like I embarked on my own journey through New Jersey. This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to travel, readers who are interested in history, and anyone living in New Jersey that wants a fresh perspective on the state.
State of Revolution is a fascinating travelogue that colors an intriguing memoir with interesting historical facts. Author Al Frazza has written a fantastic book for anyone who wants to broaden their horizons and learn something new about a place and a person they might not have known about otherwise.
Author Al Frazza successfully shows both his trials and triumphs on his journey. It is refreshing to read about the author’s passion for learning more about the history of his hometown. I enjoyed reading about the author’s process and even though he was unsure if he would be able to complete this journey he continued on.
It’s inspiring to see the author take his lack of experience as a historian and create a website that is dedicated to teaching others about the history of the New Jersey Revolutionary War. While I enjoyed this enlightening book, I would have liked to have seen some of the pictures that the author took on his travels to be incorporated in the book as I think it would enhance the reader’s experience.
Frazza does an excellent job of teaching readers about history while keeping the reader entertained with compelling storytelling. I was engaged from the turn of the first page. It was like I embarked on my own journey through New Jersey. This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to travel, readers who are interested in history, and anyone living in New Jersey that wants a fresh perspective on the state.
State of Revolution is a fascinating travelogue that colors an intriguing memoir with interesting historical facts. Author Al Frazza has written a fantastic book for anyone who wants to broaden their horizons and learn something new about a place and a person they might not have known about otherwise.
September 27, 2022
State of Revolution is a travel memoir filled with the author’s experience of not only life but also his journey of exploring. He decides to document many New Jersey Revolutionary War historic sites, and with that comes much storytelling and exciting tales that you experience when reading this book.
The author also adds humor to the mix, making it fun. What’s more important is how it takes over 7 years to go through, and much detail is involved in the trip. This is the author’s first book and is written well.
What I predominately enjoyed about this read was how educational it also was. I learned a lot from the trips and about history. I recommend this book to memoir readers and those who like to travel.
The author also adds humor to the mix, making it fun. What’s more important is how it takes over 7 years to go through, and much detail is involved in the trip. This is the author’s first book and is written well.
What I predominately enjoyed about this read was how educational it also was. I learned a lot from the trips and about history. I recommend this book to memoir readers and those who like to travel.
March 15, 2023
I found this book highly enjoyable. The way it mixes memoir and history is very well done. Some of the stories the author tells about his time driving around New Jersey are quite funny.
It’s mainly told with a light, humorous touch, but when he turns to more somber topics, the tone of the writing changes to a more serious one. This is most obvious in a chapter called “A Sorrowful Past,” which is about the sad life of a young woman who lived in Revolutionary times.
If you are looking for a book that only gives straight historical facts about the American Revolution, this may not be the book for you. But if you are a fan of authors like Bill Bryson who mix their discovering experiences with history and locations, I highly recommend this book.
It’s mainly told with a light, humorous touch, but when he turns to more somber topics, the tone of the writing changes to a more serious one. This is most obvious in a chapter called “A Sorrowful Past,” which is about the sad life of a young woman who lived in Revolutionary times.
If you are looking for a book that only gives straight historical facts about the American Revolution, this may not be the book for you. But if you are a fan of authors like Bill Bryson who mix their discovering experiences with history and locations, I highly recommend this book.
July 28, 2022
A great read about the author's time researching Revolutionary War sites in New Jersey. It was a very enjoyable read.
April 11, 2023
Great Jersey book! It's a bit hard to categorize this book, because it goes in different directions from chapter to chapter. But all of it was enjoyable to me. It's also quite funny in places.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews