Review: Ten Tea Parties: Patriotic Protests That History Forgot

Ten Tea Parties: Patriotic Protests That History Forgot
by Joseph Cummins

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Boston Tea Party is a well known piece of American history, but it's usually talked about as a singular event: the one tea party that happened that one time. But less well known is the fact that there were actually many tea parties happening around the country during that time, all with their own unique and interesting stories. Joseph Cummins' book Ten Tea Parties brings the stories of these forgotten tea parties to light in an informative and greatly enjoyable read.

This book is in the "history" category, but it definitely doesn't read like a history book. Cummins weaves quotes and information from primary sources into his narrative, but he does it with the wonderfully conversational tone of a master storyteller. This is no dry restating of facts; Cummins makes history come alive by highlighting interesting, little known details about each tea party and their key players.

Ten Tea Parties is visually pleasing too - black-and-white woodcuts and portraits are included throughout the book. A significant quote starts off each chapter, setting the tone of the tea party at hand. The text includes transcripts of documents of the day; reading the impassioned words of the patriots along with Cummins' expert storytelling connects readers with the time period better than any history textbook ever could, in my humble opinion.

This is a great read, especially for those with an interest in Revolutionary era American history. The author's passion for the subject is clear, and contagious too; I dare you to read this book and be able to resist sharing the fascinating tidbits you learn from it!

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars