Sankovich tells a fascinating story of the entanglement of a group of families from the same town in MA. The details about the relationships between figures who became prominent in founding the US and fighting the war are really interesting. I would have enjoyed this book a bit more with fewer minute details. I got a little lost sometimes and it lost my interest at times.

This one took me quite a while to read and I am not sure why - I may have simply read too many books on the Revolutionary War too closely together. It's a well-researched and well-written book, anyone with an interest in the subject will find it quite interesting.

Taking a walk back in history, this was a great book! I have always loved reading more on the background of the men and women who were a large part of the American Revolution.

This book did not disappoint! Considered rebels at the time, these American Patriots have become some of the best-known names in American history. Not each person who became influential was from a wealthy background. This was a movement not only for some but for all.

Grab this book - you will not regret it!

Great addition to the currently popular American Revolution genre!

Nina Sankovitch is a brilliant writer because she makes a history lesson feel like you are reading a fictional narrative. The story is that vibrant and alive.

I was so invested in each of the subject of American Rebels, which is not something I say a lot when reading nonfiction. Especially, the harrowing story of Josiah Quincy Junior.

I was heartbroken, inspired, and captivated while reading American Rebels. Sankovitch turned historical figures into people and historic events into real life tragedies.

An excellent book on the founders of The United States of America. The history was fascinating, with Josiah Quincey and John Hancock being the most interesting to me. The book covers from the early happenings in the the Massachusetts colony to the Declaration of Independence. It was a sad read at times as the fate of each historical figure unfolded.

This book is about the roles of the Quincy, Adams and Hancock families, of Braintree, Massachusetts, in the separation of the American colonies from British rule. It describes early discontent with England and the causes underlying the ultimate rebellion. One of the prominent characters in the book, about whom I need to learn more, is Abigail Adams who was a lot more enlightened in her thinking than her husband.

While I appreciate the fact that the author did a tremendous amount of research for this book, the result was a book that bored me a lot of the time. I like political history and social history, but trivial biographical details don’t interest me. The author described wedding gifts, every person who attended a funeral, the perpetual health issues of Josiah Quincy Jr., the birth and death of every child, the weather etc. I know there is an audience for that sort of history book, it just isn’t me. I’ve rounded a 3.5 star rating up to 4, because I did learn things from this book, even though I learned more than I wanted too about certain things.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

A well researched book going into depth about the lives of those revolutionaries we've all read a little about, but don't always give much thought to what influenced them towards rebellion. There were definitely parts that I thought could have been consolidated a bit, but overall it was well written.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found American Rebels: How the Hancock, Adams, and Quincy Families Fanned the Flames of Revolution to be a fascinating read. I enjoy reading about this time in American History and this book does not disappoint. I learned so much more information about these important people from that time. I think readers who want to find out more about what led up to the American Revolution should most definitely pick up this book. I am giving it five plus stars and highly recommend it.
I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

A readable and engaging look at three families who provided key leaders in the American Revolution. the Quincy's, Adam's, and Hancock families all came from Braintree Massachusets. Sankovitch provides a view of how these interconnected families provided leaders on both sides of the conflict. A good addition to the various Revolution histories.

Filled with great facts and thoroughly researched this book weaves together the facts to turn an interesting tale of a wonderful topic into a must read.

This was a good book, thoroughly researched, and does a good job of bringing to life in particular John Adams and John Hancock. Adams, Hancock, and the Quincy family are shown throughout the book in the ays they worked together towards the same goal: protecting America from the tyranny of the English Parliament, a goal that only slowly turned to independence. Sometimes the book dragged a bit for me, but I found it overall a good book for anyone interested in early American movements in politics and law and independence. Definitely more detail than would often be found in a casual book on the subject, and highly readable for even younger history readers.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Nina Sankovitch's American Rebels is a fresh take on the early Revolutionary period. By looking at the early events through the lens of these three families (the Hancocks, the Adams, and the Quincys), I think it brought something new to scholarship on the period. For me at least, the Quincys are names mentioned in passing in most American Revolution histories and I was glad to see them get their due in this book.

Sankovitch's writing style was another thing that really worked for me. The American Revolution is a fun topic but often I've seen books make it dry. There was no issue with that here! I was pleased to find her style thought-provoking and engaging. I look forward to diving into her backlog and seeing what else she has.

Ms. Sankovitch presents such a vivid and detailed account of these key colonial players that one feels as if they are witnessing the events as they unfold. It feels as if you become part of the local Bostonian community. I thoroughly enjoyed the depth and psychological portrayal of the many unique personalities. Take it slowly and relive the confusion and decisions that revolutionary New Englanders faced in their day.

A familiar story with a new twist. The author focuses on the prominent families of Braintree, Massachusetts, especially the Hancock, Quincy and Adams families. The book follows the families beginning several years before the Revolution and chronicles how they became leaders in the movement to separate from England.
Three characters are the primary focus of the book: John Hancock, John Adams and Josiah Quincy, Jr. Adams' life has been thoroughly chronicled, but I was unfamiliar with Josiah Quincy. He was a young lawyer who practiced with Adams in Boston. A sickly man suffering from consumption (tuberculosis) he was a firebrand whose writings and speeches motivated the people to separate from England. In many ways, Quincy is one of the great heroes of the revolution, even though he died before the fighting started.
Another aspect of the book that is unique is the attention the writer gives to the women of these families. The book is largely written from the perspective of the wives of the prominent male actors. It chronicles their sacrifices and bravery that built a foundation for the bold actions that were taken.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was given an advance reading copy (arc) from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This was an excellent read. Not only did Nina Sankovitch tell the harrowing story of Boston and the Massachusetts colony in the days leading up to the Revolutionary War, but she brought to life the bold men (and women) who were brave enough to stand up for what was right. She gave personalities to such historical figures as John (fair-minded lawyer) and Abigail Adams (forward-thinking suffragette), John Hancock (wealthy philanthropist) and Josiah Quincy, Jr. (a man with principles and a deadly disease). This book should be required reading for every American. A war with England was the last thing on their minds. They believed in the goodness of the King and his parliament, but when their backs were against the wall, they did what they had to do. There is nothing boring about history and there are still lessons to be learned from our founding fathers--even in these turbulent times. We can all benefit from the examples they set. Were they perfect? Absolutely not, but they rose to the occasion to ensure life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness would be their legacy. I look forward to more books by Nina Sankovitch. Her research and writing skills are beyond excellent.

Sankovitch seems to effortlessly weave together the history of the Hancock, Adams, and Quincy families during the time leading up to and through the American Revolution. The book is clearly well-researched, informative, and follows a narrative that successfully fulfills the thesis. The language and tone are easy to follow and isn't unnecessarily complicated like many nonfiction books tend to be.

I learned a lot about many of the more fringe members found in History books that pushed toward revolution such as the Quincys and more about John Hancock. I enjoyed learning not just about perfection and dedication that is often espoused, but about failures and wrong moves that are mentioned in this book. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to know about the mindset and actions taken that led to the Revolution.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the DARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Received from Net Gallery! This was not only a historical read but it was a personal read of the relationships between the very important people who helped form what we now call the United States! Quincy 's family,Hancock's family,you name it,they are in the story. Yes there are a lot of facts about what was and when but it has more of a personal side to why they did what they did,the personal relationships that they had as family and as friends and also enemies of I just don't like you! This would be a very great book for kids to read to really get to know who these people were instead of just what they did or just dates we have to know in school! I really recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history and to know who the real person is behind the scenes so to speak!!There should be more of these!! I do try to read books like this one! A lot of research went into this book and thought and you can tell it through the entire book!! I will be reading more from this most talented author!! I don't usually do 5 stars but this one does!! 🙈🙉🙊

I received an ARC from Net Galley

Bravo author Nina. Once you get through the mandatory who married who and why this book goes into areas generally ignored to bring these "founding families" to life.

The lesson here is in the LESSONS these families learned and the characteristics that it formed in them over the long term. Josiah Quincy Jr is just another true star pulled out of a research file somewhere that really makes this book go! A great style with great facts. Enjoy this one

American Rebels, How the Hancock, Adams and Quincy Families Fanned the Flames of Revolution by Nina Sankovitch was received direct from the publisher and I chose to review it. The books subtitle kind of tells the reader the plot of this historical book. The names and locations may be familiar but the generation is different than what you may be expecting. For those who really want to get into American history, beyond the common knowledge area, this book is recommended.

4 Stars

US history, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, historical-figures

I was kind of afraid that this would turn out to be as exciting as "the begats" of the Bible. No! It is infinitely more interesting and well written but just as meticulously researched.
It does have fun with the begats as necessary to understand the entwining of the families noted in the publisher's blurb but also the individuals, their religious and political proclivities that embodied the reasons for their involvement in the coming division with England even as these attitudes were evident almost since their arrival in North America. Don't get me wrong, it is very readable! But I am part of a family of history geeks who used to be involved in reenacting the American Revolution.
I loved the reading of it and learned a lot, but if I buy a print copy it will walk away, so I will get the audiobook for my personal use.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!