Bunker Hill by Nathaniel Philbrick

If McCullough’s 1776 is essential Revolutionary War reading, Philbrick’s Bunker Hill is essential Boston Revolutionary War reading.

Why This Book Is Perfect for Boston

This book IS the Boston story. From the Tea Party through the siege and evacuation, Philbrick captures how a city became the flashpoint for revolution.

What You’ll Learn

• The real Boston: Not just dates and battles, but the social dynamics, the economics, the personalities
• Dr. Joseph Warren: The hero you’ve never heard of (he should be as famous as Revere)
• The Siege of Boston: How Washington’s amateur army trapped the British for months
• The Battle of Bunker Hill: Tactical British victory, strategic disaster

Philbrick’s Genius

He doesn’t just describe events - he explains WHY they mattered. Why Boston’s geography shaped the conflict. Why certain personalities clashed. Why decisions that seem obvious in hindsight were agonizing at the time.

The Warren Story

Philbrick’s treatment of Dr. Joseph Warren alone makes this book worth reading. Warren was everywhere: Boston Massacre, Tea Party, Battle of Bunker Hill (where he died). He was Paul Revere’s boss in the spy network. He was a leader, a doctor, a patriot - and most people have never heard of him.

After reading this book, you’ll wonder why we don’t name more stuff after Warren.

For Tour Goers

If you’re taking a Freedom Trail tour, read this book first (or after). Every site we visit is in here. Every story I tell has more depth in Philbrick’s narrative. This is the textbook for understanding Revolutionary Boston.

The Research

Philbrick is a meticulous researcher. Primary sources, diaries, letters, archaeological evidence - he uses it all to reconstruct 1775 Boston in vivid detail.

Rating: 5/5 - The definitive Boston Revolutionary War history