WOW!! I now feel that I have a more sound understanding of the historical figures and their contributions to the driving forces of the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the abolition of slavery. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free audioARC in exchange for my honest review.

Before listening to this book, I had only vague ideas about the Boston Tea Party, other events, and the inner circle of men who brought about the American Revolution. Perhaps I just was not interested when these things were taught to me as a Canadian child, but I surely did not get half of the intrigue included in this story. I wish I had access to this forty years ago when learning about American History, (which I thought was excessively boring).

This history is anything but dry. The multiple narrators brought out the characters well in this intriguingly laid out work. Much thought was given to how all the events were related and what the individuals behind the scenes were thinking and planning. The author even shows how some things went wrong, but also contributed in their own way. I had no idea that Benjamin Franklin was such a mastermind behind it all. I also did not realize that he is the only person to have signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the Treaty of Versailles in 1778, the Peace of Paris & Great Britain in 1782, and the American Constitution in 1787. What a consummate politician!

I would really recommend this book to anyone who would like to know more about the why and how of it all.

This book was fun! (Not something I typically say about a nonfiction history book.) Something about the writing of this book really elevated the reading experience, despite doing things I traditionally don't enjoy in a nonfiction book. Let me see if I can break it down.

Structure and Formatting 4/5
The author starts in the introduction clarifying the title of the book as compared to the subject within. The way this book is set up is fairly chronological, with a sidebar of the "interlude" about Somersett. He comes back into the story later, but without the heads up in the introduction of the interlude and its ability to stand alone, I don't think I would have enjoyed the book nearly as much. With the note, however, it helped get my head in the right space for the book and the interlude when I got to it.

Thoroughness of Research 4/5
This book introduced me to some new sources to check out, which I always love! A lot of the sources seem like other biographies though rather than going straight to primary sources. Still, I'm excited to look up some of the books he used.

Storytelling/Writing 4/5
This book does something I don't traditionally enjoy in nonfiction history: It provides dialogue between historical figures. For some reason, the way it was done here worked for me. The dialogue felt appropriate and like it could have come from a letter or courtroom transcription. The rest of the writing was so easy to relate to and made the history of the people and the events that took place understandable to anyone. It was even funny at times, which I always enjoy. The audiobook format with the full cast portraying various "characters" in this story was interesting, but I had a hard time distinguishing who was who from time to time. (I struggle in general with full-cast audiobooks, so that was probably just a personal issue.)

Level of Enjoyment 5/5
This book was great! Again, without the introduction warning me about the interlude and the disconnect between the title and the bulk of the book, I don't think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much, but the author did a great job of preparing me for what was to come in those first few pages that it really helped. The audio production of the story was quite fun. It brought the characters to life and made an already interesting story more engaging and almost interactive. Highly recommend the audio version!

Prior Knowledge Needed 5/5
This can be read, understood, and enjoyed by anyone. Highly recommend to those new to the subject or not.