In THE REVOLUTIONARY, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Stacy Schiff resurrects an enigmatic figure who was posthumously lauded as the “Father of the American Revolution.”

Boston firebrand Samuel Adams argued early on for independence, encouraged the removal of British troops sent to enforce royal and parliamentary decrees, masterminded the Boston Tea Party, and was the individual whom Paul Revere warned that the British were coming on his famous midnight ride. Both a pious Puritan and a man of action, he “muscled words into deeds” for the cause of American freedom from the British yoke.

"THE REVOLUTIONARY is a wonderful biography and history of the pre-Revolutionary era.... This book is a must for anyone interested in the period and the beginnings of our American Experiment."

But unlike his cousin John Adams, Thomas Jefferson or many other Founding Fathers, Adams did not write about his life --- he burned his personal papers --- so the stories often come from his enemies, not his many friends and admirers. He attracted a loyal following, and when he needed to attend the First Continental Congress, several of them pooled their resources to have him properly outfitted to look like the statesman he was.

Schiff focuses on Adams' life leading up to and beyond the American Revolution, though his later life was marred by quarrels and resentments. Adams was not a selfless hero who flew above the fray; he was in the thick of things, often creating misinformation to ensure that his cause --- the just cause --- was the only cause to defend. He also was uncompromising and impatient: “I am apt to be displeased when I think our progress in war and in politics is slow,” he wrote. Over time, as he became more intransigent, he lost the loyalty of his early supporters. As Abigail Adams said of him, “I respect his virtues though I regret his weaknesses.”

THE REVOLUTIONARY is a wonderful biography and history of the pre-Revolutionary era. Boston and New England were at the forefront of the movement, and Adams was at the head of that phalanx. Though his methods were often dubious, his motives were honorable, and Schiff manages to show both sides of this complex man. This book is a must for anyone interested in the period and the beginnings of our American Experiment.