Liberty Or Death

It began in Boston, with angry colonists objecting to the tyranny of a king who ruled from an ocean away. It was voiced ... (more)

It began in Boston, with angry colonists objecting to the tyranny of a king who ruled from an ocean away. It was voiced by patriots such as Sam Adams and Patrick Henry and echoed by citizens from New England all the way to the Carolinas. It was fought by many -- colonists and patriots, Loyalists and slaves, Frontiersmen and Indians, British and French soldiers. Over more than ten years, sides were taken, guns drawn, lives lost. But through it all, one man -- a general from Virginia named George Washington -- held the young colonies together and led them to victory, beating almost impossible odds. History lovers Betsy and Giulio Maestro tell this true story of extraordinary times, incredible drama, and the birth of a new nation. (less)

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The French Revolution has fascinated, perplexed, and inspired for more than two centuries. It was a seismic event that r... (more)

The French Revolution has fascinated, perplexed, and inspired for more than two centuries. It was a seismic event that radically transformed France and launched shock waves across the world. In this provocative new history, Peter McPhee draws on a lifetime{u2019}s study of eighteenth-century France and Europe to create an entirely fresh account of the world{u2019}s first great modern revolution{u2014}its origins, drama, complexity, and significance. Was the Revolution a major turning point in French{u2014}even world{u2014}history, or was it instead a protracted period of violent upheaval and warfare that wrecked millions of lives? McPhee evaluates the Revolution within a genuinely global context: Europe, the Atlantic region, and even farther. He acknowledges the key revolutionary events that unfolded in Paris, yet also uncovers the varying experiences of French citizens outside the gates of the city: the provincial men and women whose daily lives were altered{u2014}or not{u2014}by developments in the capital. Enhanced with evocative stories of those who struggled to cope in unpredictable times, McPhee{u2019}s deeply researched book investigates the changing personal, social, and cultural world of the eighteenth century. His startling conclusions redefine and illuminate both the experience and the legacy of France{u2019}s transformative age of revolution. (less)