Transcript
Ray Notgrass: On today’s Exploring History podcast, we’ll look at some books that will enhance your understanding of the American Revolution.
Titus Anderson: [music in background] Welcome to Exploring History with Ray Notgrass, a production of Notgrass History.
Ray Notgrass: I’m Ray Notgrass. Thanks for listening. We continue our series on the Revolutionary Era in American history, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which our country celebrates in 2026. Today I’ll share perspectives on five books on the Revolution that you and your family might enjoy reading.
Let’s get started.
The first book is a novel that we suggest students read as part of the Our Star-Spangled Story elementary American history curriculum from Notgrass History. Toliver’s Secret by Esther Wood Brady, published in 1976, is the story of an 11-year-old girl who disguises herself and goes on a dangerous mission to get an important message to General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Ellen Toliver’s grandfather is a spy for the American patriots. When an injury prevents him from going on a mission to deliver a secret letter, he asks his granddaughter to take the letter for him. Ellen’s grandfather puts the message in a small box that her mother bakes inside a loaf of bread that Ellen is to take to New Jersey. Ellen hopes to take a ferry to complete the mission, but she winds up having to go on a boat that is carrying British Redcoats. The journey is farther and more difficult than she expected. I won’t tell you how the story ends, but it’s an easy read and one your family will enjoy. That’s Toliver’s Secret by Esther Wood Brady.
The second book I’ll mention has a similar plot. This book is titled Patriots, Redcoats, and Spies, by Robert Skead, S-K-E-A-D. It was published by Zondervan in 2015 and is appropriate for slightly older readers than Toliver’s Secret. When a shot from a Redcoat musket wounds their father, twin brothers take it upon themselves to complete their father’s mission of getting a message to General Washington. The boys exchange the typical banter you would expect of brothers who have very different personalities–and they are both enamored with the same girl. The twins have several close calls on their difficult journey. The book includes several references to God, and the boys pray several times for their father and for their safety and ability to complete the mission. The author’s narrative of what they went through helps the reader understand what it was like to be an American patriot during the Revolutionary War. Both of these books are loosely based on the real-life Culper Spy Ring, which operated during the war. The book is Patriots, Redcoats, and Spies by Robert Skead.
The classic youth novel of the Revolutionary War is Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. The book was published in 1943 and received the Newbery Medal for that year’s best book for young readers. Johnny Tremain is an apprentice to a silversmith and is quite arrogant about his talents. He talks with Paul Revere, who was also a silversmith, and works on a project for John Hancock. But Johnny suffers a severely burned hand in a work accident and can no longer be a silversmith, which has been his longing in life. This humbles Johnny and understandably changes his life. The book then deals with the question we often confront in life, namely, “Now what?” or “What happens next?” Johnny eventually finds work delivering newspapers, and in this job he learns about the Sons of Liberty group that is organizing for the fight against the British. Johnny joins the Sons of Liberty, and the book describes the opening days of the Revolutionary War.
Near the end of the book, a character remembers what James Otis had said in a meeting, that (and I quote) “some of us would die–so other men can stand up on their feet like men. A great many are going to die for that. They have in the past. They will a hundred years from now–two hundred. God grant there will always be men good enough.” The last line of the book reads, “Hundreds would die, but not the thing they died for. ‘A man can stand up.’” Esther Forbes wrote Johnny Tremain during World War II, and I think she wrote those lines to encourage the young men in the World War II generation, many of whom would die for the cause they were fighting for so other men could stand up. The book is Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes.
Let’s turn to nonfiction books. Annette Phillips published Hidden Stories of the American Revolution in 2024. I found an inexpensive Kindle version to read, but it also comes in paperback. The book covers a broad range of topics. The author’s purpose is to fill in the gaps and tell stories that are often left untold regarding the efforts of many people during the Revolutionary War. The book highlights the contributions of women in writing pamphlets, serving as nurses, engaging in economic protests, and running farms and businesses while their husbands are off fighting the war. The author gives a few specific examples but emphasizes the general situation that women faced. The book next moves to the role of enslaved persons on both sides of the conflict, how enslaved persons contributed to war production, and the legal fights for emancipation that took place during the war. Phillips then discusses how Indigenous people were involved in the American Revolution and how postwar treaties betrayed the Native nations who had helped the patriots.
Hidden Stories of the American Revolution discusses the contributions of immigrants to the war effort. These include German Hessians for the British, French and Irish immigrants on the American side, and the assistance that Spain gave to the revolutionary cause. The book then discusses the role of espionage in the war, especially the espionage networks of Indigenous peoples.
Phillips also discusses the often untold story of the economics of the war. She discusses funding the fight. She highlights the economic sacrifices that Americans made. The author notes the economic instability that developed during and after the war. She discusses the legacy of war costs, the economic divide between loyalists and patriot businesses, smuggling and blockade running, and profiteering from the war.
The book tells about political cartoons and posters, revolutionary songs and plays, and the power of the press in supporting the American cause during the Revolution. I found the book fascinating reading, and it gave me perspectives on the American Revolutionary War that I had not thought about. Again, the book is Hidden Stories of the American Revolution, written by Annette Phillipps.
Finally, I want to mention the book 1776 by David McCullough, published in 2005. You can’t go wrong reading a book by McCullough, one of the premier historians and storytellers of recent times. This book surveys the difficult year of 1776 by focusing primarily on the actions of George Washington. Fighting had already begun when the year began, but it wasn’t until the middle of the year that the colonies declared their independence from Great Britain and became the United States of America. The story of the Revolutionary War is not the story of Washington leading his patriot army in a triumphant string of battlefield victories. It is more the story of Washington cleverly avoiding defeats and choosing his battles carefully.
Not all the American soldiers stayed with the Army through the entire war, and they did not always behave as they should have while in the Army. Washington was plagued by desertions, a lack of equipment, and inadequate funding by Congress, and he struggled to know how to avoid attacks by the British, who usually outnumbered American forces. But it is also the story of Washington’s brilliant and inspiring leadership that kept the American forces in the war and made life difficult for the British. The book will help you to appreciate what Washington had to endure and how his well-thought-out decisions made the difference for the American side. You will also be amazed again at the near-miraculous victory that the ragtag Patriot Army achieved against the greatest fighting force in the world. The book is 1776 by David McCullough.
You will likely be hearing more and more about the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year as time goes on. These are five books for various ages that will help you in understanding the American Revolution and your appreciation of the human cost of the war. I hope you enjoy your reading.
I’m Ray Notgrass. Thanks for listening.
Titus Anderson: This has been Exploring History with Ray Notgrass, a production of Notgrass History. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcast app. And please leave a rating and review so that we can reach more people with our episodes. If you want to learn about new homeschool resources and opportunities from Notgrass History, you can sign up for our email newsletter at ExploringHistoryPodcast.com. This program was produced by me, Titus Anderson. Thanks for listening!