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5/15/2001 BOOKLIST *STAR*
...In previous books, such as Thomas Jefferson: Man on a Mountain
(1988) and Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution (1995), Bober has
distinguished herself by integrating meticulous research and compelling
anecdotes to inspire readers to sympathize and connect with the history.
She continues that tradition here. In clear, well-documented analysis,
she shows the relationship between events and lends insight into major
personalities...bringing them further to life through a fine selection
of nicely reproduced portraits. In addition, she writes with an almost
cinematic attention to physical detail, describing the rooms where revolutionary
milestones took place and even the weather outside the windows. The
result is a compelling yet scholarly resource that places readers at
the center of the action, encouraging them to learn about the historic
events and people, care about them, and, perhaps, learn more by investigating
the extensive bibliography. Even readers raised on political cynicism
will come away from this feeling stirred by this powerful, exciting
story of their government’s birth.
April 2001 VOYA
This book demonstrates how history should be written.... Award-winning
author Bober’s account is a gift to young readers – a history
book that is too good to put down. ...Bober’s reputation for writing
readable history with appeal for young adults shines with this book.
KIRKUS REVIEWS
February 15, 2001
Historian Bober (Abigail Adams, 1995, etc.) clearly and gracefully
examines the exciting pre-Revolutionary period in Georgian England and
its 13 North American colonies. A "braided" organization –
one chapter devoted to Britain, starting with the accession of George
III; the following to the events of the soon-to-be nation, culminating
with independence – charts the social and political ideas, actions,
and personalities that changed history. With rapid-fire style and syntax,
the author builds appropriate suspense, rendering the events and players
vividly and moving the story along quickly. The large cast of characters
is shown with all its faults as well as strengths... [and] are sketched
in fine detail.... Stimulating, lively, and informative. Excellent documentation
includes index (not seen), chronology, reference notes, list of characters,
and an extensive bibliography. (Nonfiction. 12--)
THE HORN BOOK
March 4, 2001
Toward the conclusion of her highly readable biography of the movers
and shakers in both England and the American colonies between 1760 and
1776, Bober speaks of Jefferson’s determination as he penned the
Declaration of Independence "to try to write simply, clearly, logically."
Bober, deeply respectful of Jefferson, here succeeds with simplicity,
clarity, and logic. In thirty-five brief chapters, tellingly titled
with quotations made meaningful in the context of the chapter, Bober
alternates between Britain and the colonies from George III’s 1760
ascension to the throne to John Adams’s announcement of the momentous
"Epocha" of July 2, 1776, the decision of Independence, a
decision that "would be reduced to a historical footnote by the
event that was to follow two days hence."...Excellent period prints
and paintings, captioned with information that augments the text, give
additional vitality to Bober’s compelling narrative. Front matter
highlights the fifteen-year chronology leading to revolution and identifies
the main characters in England and in the colonies; back matter includes
clear reference notes, a solid bibliography, and an index.
THE BULLETIN Of
The Center For Children’s Books
University of Illinois
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
...In Bober’s hands, the scope of "ideas" transcends
thought frozen in documents to include those informal but equally heated
political spats over which wives harangue husbands, friendships are
broken, families are irreparably divided, and ministers fall from influence.
Since ideas are best understood in the context of the persons who articulate
them, Bober includes a wealth of insightful biographical sketches that
humanize a historical drama frequently in peril of passing into patriotic
myth....
School Library Journal
For Children, Young Adults and School Librarians
Gr 7 Up – A thorough, balanced look at the events that led to
the American Revolution....Chapters alternate between action in England
and in the colonies, providing a variety of viewpoints. Devoting more
than 300 pages to just 16 years, Bober fleshes out many historical occurrences
that are often oversimplified or even passed over in other children’s
books on the period.... The personality of key figures emerges in memorable
ways, supported by direct quotes and engaging anecdotes. The objective
view means that readers learn about the flaws as well as the virtues
of a lauded personage such as Benjamin Franklin, and see some of the
positive aspects of the often-vilified George III....Those who read
the book from start to finish will gain true understanding of a fascinating
and important period. Readers looking for more specific information
on such topics as the Boston Massacre or the First Continental Congress
will also find this an excellent resource.
Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education
- University of Wisconsin
One of the best, perhaps the best written, history books this year
is Natalie Bober's Countdown to Independence: A Revolution of Ideas
in England and Her American Colonies: 1760-1776....It's a big well-designed,
and beautifully written history with the premise taken from John Adams:
that the Revolution was not the war; it was in the minds of the people,
a revolution of ideas; the war was only the consequence. Bober takes
a "bi-focal" view of the time period, alternating back and
forth from events in the colonies to events in England, culminating
in the Continental Congress and the writing of the Declaration of Independence.
This and her previous biographies of Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson,
and her role in Ken Burns' documentary on the Revolution, make Natalie
Bober one of the premier writers of history for young people.
Reviews for Abigail Adams: Witness
to a Revolution:
Booklist *STAR*
Think of this biography as a portrait. Not the smooth, impassive
painting reproduced on the jacket, but an intricate mosaic made of colorful
bits of fact, emotion, period detail, and letters, letters, letters...
Meticulous research and documentation give the book authority, good
writing gives it clarity, and sympathetic understanding gives it humanity.
School Library Journal *STAR*
This well researched biography provides an intimate portrait
of a unique individual while also reflecting the tenor and times of
the 18th century. Drawing from more than 2,000 surviving pieces of her
subject's personal correspondence, Bober creates a vehicle to transport
readers to a turbulent era in our nation's past.
Reviews for Thomas Jefferson: Man on a
Mountain:
Ken Burns, Documentary Producer
Natalie Bober's Thomas Jefferson is a gift to us all. She makes
him present, alive and accessible: a man of intellect, feeling, grief,
purpose, and great imagination.
VOYA
This biography shows just how well written a book about a giant
can be. The characters, in this case real people, come to life in a
way that rarely happens in average biographies, and the role the man
-not the name- played in our nation's history and in the world's history
comes to life before us.
Reviews for A Restless Spirit: the story of Robert
Frost:
Language Arts
In a stunning biography that brings a legend alive, Bober uses
interviews, letters, and Frost's own poetry to depict the conditions
and the events which gave rise to his restless spirit. A passionate
book does justice to an American giant.
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