As If an Enemy's Country: The British Occupation of Boston and the Origins of Revolution

Oxford University Press: Pivotal Moments in US History

By: Richard Archer

Narrated by: Fred Stella

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

In the dramatic few years when colonial Americans were galvanized to resist British rule, perhaps nothing did more to foment anti-British sentiment than the armed occupation of Boston.

As If an Enemy's Country is Richard Archer's gripping narrative of those critical months between October 1, 1768, and the winter of 1770, when Boston was an occupied town. Bringing colonial Boston to life, Archer deftly moves between the governor's mansion and cobblestoned back alleys as he traces the origins of the colonists' conflict with Britain. He reveals the maneuvering of colonial political leaders, such as Governor Francis Bernard, Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson, and James Otis Jr. as they responded to London's new policies, and he evokes the outrage many Bostonians felt towards Parliament and its local representatives.

Archer captures the popular mobilization under the leadership of John Hancock and Samuel Adams that met the oppressive imperial measures - most notably the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act. When the British government decided to garrison Boston with troops, it posed a shocking challenge to the people of Massachusetts. The city was flooded with troops; almost immediately, tempers flared and violent conflicts broke out. Archer's vivid tale culminates in the swirling tragedy of the Boston Massacre and its aftermath, including the trial and exoneration of the British troops involved. A thrilling and original work of history, As If an Enemy's Country tells the riveting story of what made the Boston townspeople, and with them other colonists, turn toward revolution.

The “Pivotal Moments in American History” series seeks to unite the old and the new history, combining the insights and techniques of recent historiography with the power of traditional narrative. Each title has a strong narrative arc with drama, irony, suspense, and - most importantly - great characters who embody the human dimension of historical events.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2010 Richard Archer (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A lively and sympathetic history of pre-Revolutionary Boston under British occupation." ( The New Yorker)

"Combining engaging prose and a wealth of interesting characters, Archer has provided students and general enthusiasts alike with a concise, appealing work of first-rate scholarship." ( Library Journal)

Illuminating

If you could sum up As If an Enemy's Country: The British Occupation of Boston and the Origins of Revolution in three words, what would they be?

A book that digs behind the stories and myths we learned in school.

What did you like best about this story?

It humanizes history, clears away the idealizing nonsense, and really helps you understand Boston's part in sparking the American Revolution.

Kinda dry

While the topic is well researched and certainly interesting, it's a dry audio book. Probably better read than listened to. It's the kind of book that's perfect for reference, but less of a source of entertainment. One other reviewer said it read like a thesis and that is the best way to describe it. Reader is a little mechanical for such a topic, although I suspect that has more to do with the content. Bet the foot notes are fantastic...it's that kind of a book.

A fascinating topic, but reads like a Ph.D. thesis

As a former Boston resident, I really, really wanted to like this book...but for my taste, it was pretty dry stuff. I generally like histories featuring cultural, societal, and biographical tidbits -- I want a story about colorful individuals, vividly set in a different world -- but this book focuses largely on groups. Near the end it picks up energy, and the description of the Boston Massacre is absolutely gripping... But the book could have been so much better. The narration is a bit odd: the narrator has a very resonant voice, but his delivery is so mechanical it sounds almost artificial.

It's OK.

The story of how the American colonies went from loyal British citizens to rebels in only 10 years is a tale filled with heroes and villains, the innocent and the guilty, wise statesmen and those unwilling to think about the results of their actions. It is the stuff of thriller novels, but in real life, and any book about those times ought to be riveting and read like a cliff-hanger. Instead we have a rather academic and mostly boring retelling of what was one of those turning points in the history of the world.

The facts are all there - the riots, the legal and illegal actions taken in response to the British Government's actions, the efforts to keep the import exclusions in place, the actions that worked and the ones that did not and, of course, the story of the Boston Massacre, including the trial afterwards. The facts are there, but I had the felling that I was reading one of those boring High School history books. I have come to love history through authors that know how to tell a tale, but could barely get through this book.

If you are interested in what happened between 1766 and 1770 (the period covered by this book) you will find the facts here. If you are interested in being caught up by the events of a truly historic period you probably want to look elsewhere.