Henry Knox's Noble Train: The Story of a Boston Bookseller's Heroic Expedition That Saved the American Revolution by William Hazelgrove

Henry Knox's Noble Train: The Story of a Boston Bookseller's Heroic Expedition That Saved the American Revolution Reviews

• 
  Grady

  ‘No one believed the Americans could beat the British’
  
  Chicago author William Hazelgrove has developed a significant following as the author of ten novels and six works of nonfiction - Ripples, Tobacco Sticks, Mica Highways, Rocket Man, The Pitcher, Real Santa, Jack Pine, Hemingway’s Attic, My Best Year, The Bad Author, Madam President, Forging a President, Al Capone and the 1933 World’s Fair, Wright Brothers Wrong Story, Shots Fired in Terminal 2, and now Henry Knox’s Noble Train. While his books have received starred reviews in Publisher Weekly and Booklist, Book of the Month Selections, ALA Editors Choice Awards Junior Library Guild Selections and optioned for the movies, his major appeal is in his humanitarian approach to stories. William stays close to the heart in each of his stories, making each tale he spins one with which everyone can relate on an immediate or a remembered level. In this particular book he is reporting an incident of special significance in American history – and that is as accurate reportage as possible!
  
  The story is well summarized as follows: ‘The inspiring story of a little-known hero's pivotal role in the American Revolutionary War. During the brutal winter of 1775-1776,an untested Boston bookseller named Henry Knox commandeered an oxen train hauling sixty tons of cannons and other artillery from Fort Ticonderoga near the Canadian border. He and his men journeyed some three hundred miles south and east over frozen, often treacherous terrain to supply George Washington for his attack on the British troops occupying Boston. The result was the British surrender of Boston and the first major victory for the Colonial Army.’
  
  William Hazelgrove continues to grow as a writer of importance whose breadth of interest in topics for novels is truly astonishing. He is one of the big ones!
• 
  Joanne

  While reading another book on the American Revolution, Henry Knox (not for the first time) peaked my interest. I went in search of a book to fill in the gaps of what I already knew about him.
  
  Hazelgrove only had me thinking I should find another book. The tile leads you to believe this is strictly about Knox and his journey to move 120,000 pounds of artillery from northern New York to Cambridge, Mass, in the dead of winter. In reality, the book flitted back and forth between Knox and his journey, and George Washington and the army in Cambridge. I may be wrong, but I think that anyone picking up this book would already have the knowledge about Washington and the siege of Boston. I know there had to be background and how and why Knox was making this journey. However, for me it was too much.
  
  A decent read but I won't be recommending it to many people
• 
  Susan Ferguson

  The story of Knox's rescue of cannons from a northern fort and moving them to George Washington in New York in the winter, through ice and snow, and the attendant catastrophes of ice not frozen firm enough and the trails through the woods and mountains being very narrow, ill-defined and treacherous. A story of determination. And Henry Knox had no experience with cannon or artillery except such as he gained through studying books of warfare that he bought to sell in his bookstore. He became Washington's general in charge of artillery.
• 
  Sharon

  I learned so much about the man that Fort Knox was named after. Who knew he was so interesting and so important to our country. This book is very detailed about Knox's life and his trip to Boston to bring the much needed ammo and hardware to save the American Revolution. Such interesting facts about George Washington also. This is a must read for any one interesting in history. I liked a couple of quotes: George Washington " liked to say many mickle makes a muckle" ie: tiny things add up. Henry Knox "nobility really was a willingness to sacrifice everything for something not yet seen"
• 
  Sonja

  excellent detailed account of a bookseller's determination to do the unthinkable for his country. A man of determination, we don't generally know much about Knox, or give him the kudos he deserves in his role in this war. This book provides insight to the man who would become a general and fight along Washington's side throughout the war. This book doesn't get lost on tangents of various somewhat related topics like so many others just to simply add page count to a smaller story. Book stays on point throughout. Excellent quick adventure read!
• 
  Blaire Foote

  This was a slow read but it was agood read! Lots of information and very intersting. I enjoyed seeing the pictures of the places in the book!
• 
  Nancy

  If only Knox had picked up an editor and a few red pens when he picked up all those cannons. This author could’ve made use of them.
  Way. Too. Redundant.
• 
  Chris Longmoon

  Yet another story of how an individual overcame impossible circumstances and contributed a critical service to the Revolution, a war effort composed of a series of fortunate events, pure luck, and people doing extraordinary things when most indicators pointed toward failure.
• 
  Peter

  So irritating that a Massachusetts town which was very important in the history of the American Revolution is frequently misspelled!! It’s “CHARLESTOWN” not “CHARLESTON” !!
  
  The Battle of Bunker Hill happened in Charlestown, Massachusetts!!! Not Charleston !!! Uaargghh. !!!
• 
  Mark Seddon

  Great story! I work in many of the places mentioned. Well written although a bit repetitive.