The Ride - by Kostya Kennedy

Book Synopsis

USA Today Bestseller

Timed for the 250th anniversary of America's revolution and founding: Paul Revere's heroic ride and its aftermath

On April 18, 1775, a Boston-based silversmith, engraver, and anti-British political operative named Paul Revere set out on a borrowed horse to fulfill a dangerous but crucial mission: to alert American colonists of advancing British troops, which would seek to crush their nascent revolt.

Revere was not the only rider that night, and indeed, he had completed at least 18 previous rides throughout New England, disseminating intelligence about British movements. But this ride was like no other, and its consequences in the months and years to come--as the American Revolution morphed from isolated skirmishes to a full-fledged war--became one of our founding stories.

In The Ride, Kostya Kennedy presents a new narrative informed by fresh research into archives, family letters and diaries, contemporary accounts, and more. Kennedy reveals Revere's ride to be more complex than it is usually portrayed--a coordinated series of rides by numerous men, near-disaster, capture by British forces, and finally success. While Revere was central to the ride and its plotting, Kennedy reveals the other men (and, perhaps, a woman with information about the movement of British forces) who helped to set in motion the events that would lead to America's independence.

Thrillingly written in a dramatic, unstoppable narrative, The Ride recreates an essential American story for a new generation of readers.

Review Quotes

"As recognizable as the name is, we did not know the real Paul Revere until Kostya Kennedy revealed the man in full in The Ride. Thanks to a fascinating, detailed narrative, we discover not only Revere's heroism but also the larger and dangerous role Revere played with other famous patriots in creating a new republic." --Tom Clavin, New York Times bestselling author of Bandit Heaven

"Fascinating...dramatic...a skillful separation of truth, legend, and what lies between in a canonical American story."--Kirkus Reviews

"An important book for readers seeking a deeper understanding of a crucial moment in American history. It will captivate history scholars, students, and enthusiasts from start to finish." --Library Journal

"A richly detailed, congenial, and dryly humorous account of Paul Revere's 1775 ride to Lexington and Concord and his legacy. ... The perfect read to mark the 250th anniversary of this foundational act." --Booklist (starred review)

"With The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America, Kennedy brings his clear prose and flair for play-by-play storytelling to unravel fact from legend in one of the best-known stories in American history: the midnight ride of Paul Revere." --Deborah Hopkinson, Book Page (starred review)

"This thrilling book corrects the record." --People

About the Author

KOSTYA KENNEDY is the Editor in Chief of Premium Publishing, including LIFE magazine, at People Inc. He is a former Senior Writer at Sports Illustrated and is the New York Times bestselling author of 56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports and Pete Rose: An American Dilemma as well as True: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson. All three won the CASEY Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year. He has taught at Columbia and NYU, and lives with his wife in Westchester County, NY.