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Howard Fast
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April Morning: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Howard Fast (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 405 ratings
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Howard Fast’s bestselling coming-of-age novel about one boy’s introduction to the horrors of war amid the brutal first battle of the American Revolution

On April 19, 1775, musket shots ring out over Lexington, Massachusetts. As the sun rises over the battlefield, fifteen-year-old Adam Cooper stands among the outmatched patriots, facing a line of British troops.
 
Determined to defend his home and prove his worth to his disapproving father, Cooper is about to embark on the most significant day of his life. The Battle of Lexington and Concord will be the starting point of the American Revolution—and when Cooper becomes a man.
 
Sweeping in scope and masterful in execution, April Morning is a classic of American literature and an unforgettable story of one community’s fateful struggle for freedom.
 
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Howard Fast including rare photos from the author’s estate.
 
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Previous page
  1. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  2. Publisher
    Open Road Media Teen & Tween
  3. Publication date
    December 13, 2011
  4. Language
    English
  5. File size
    4765 KB
  6. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Invites comparison with Crane’s Red Badge of Courage . . . I think this is an even better book.” —The New York Times

From the Publisher

When you read this novel about April 19, 1775, you will see the British redcoats marching in a solid column through your town. Your hands will be sweating and you will shake a little as you grip your musket because never have you shot with the aim of killing a man. But you will shoot, and shoot again and again while your shoulder aches from your musket's kick and the tight, disciplined red column bleeds and wavers and breaks and you begin to shout at the top of your lungs because you are there, at the birth of freedom -- you're a veteran of the Battle of Lexington, and you've helped whip the King's best soldiers...

"Invites comparison with Crane's Red Badge Of Courage... I think this is an even better book." -- The New York Times

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B006GKVYHG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media Teen & Tween (December 13, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 13, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4765 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 212 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 405 ratings

About the author

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Howard Fast

Howard Fast

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Howard Fast (1914-2003) was one of the most prolific American writers of the twentieth century. He was a bestselling author of more than eighty works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenplays. The son of immigrants, Fast grew up in New York City and published his first novel upon finishing high school in 1933. In 1950, his refusal to provide the United States Congress with a list of possible Communist associates earned him a three-month prison sentence. During his incarceration, Fast wrote one of his best-known novels, Spartacus (1951). Throughout his long career, Fast matched his commitment to championing social justice in his writing with a deft, lively storytelling style.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
405 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for learning about the Revolutionary War period of history
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2017
Verified Purchase
I bought this book for our homeschooled high schoolers as part of their history curriculum. They were to study the time period of the Revolutionary War. This novel is excellent for that purpose, sets the scene for the first action of the war and the mindsets of the people involved. It is set in New England and does a good job of bringing light to the mental attitudes of the people of that time and place. The main character is a teen and this appealed to my children. The book is fairly short, too, so they get a good read in relatively short time.
One person found this helpful
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LA in Dallas
4.0 out of 5 stars A history adventure
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2024
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As a high-school student, my go-to American historical fiction author was Kenneth Roberts (probably because my father loved his novels). After I had read everything Roberts wrote, I moved on to Howard Fast. I believe April Morning was the first Howard Fast novel I read, but it was not the last. Fast was a prolific and popular author of that time.

And I understand why. His novels were entertaining -- fast-moving, with lots of action. Also informative. For a high school student who grew up in New England and had visited the sites of the battles of Lexington and Concord, April Morning held a lot of interest.

But, to be honest, I never really felt they broke out of entertaining into anything greater, as occasionally Roberts seemed to, or Esther Forbes's Johnny Tremain. Compared to such classic writers of children's adventure stories as Robert Louis Stevenson or Laura Ingalls Wilder, Fast pales.

I can recommend April Morning as a quick fun read that will teach you something about early American Revolutionary War history.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars This should be required reading
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2004
Verified Purchase
As a nominal adult, I went back and read this book again. It was just as good as when I read it as a kid.
It is amazing that Fast was a Communist during his life, because Adam's (the narrator's) father is the perfect example of how an American should be; honest, forthright, determined, and belligerent in the defense of freedom (the exact opposite of what the system that Fast defended expects from a man).
Adam grows up over the morning of the first day of the American Revolution. He doesn't want to want to leave childhood, but the world isn't under his control. This book also relies on the relationship between Adam and his family, especially with his father, to define how he reacts to responsibility.
Fast is an excellent writer, and his political views don't show up in this book. I would also recommend "Power" by Fast.
4 people found this helpful
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C.M.King
5.0 out of 5 stars Civil War
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2015
Verified Purchase
Referred by a friend. This is a very moving "history" of the Civil War. One of this country's worst as far as death and destruction of our own citizens. If you like Civil War history this is a good accounting of that War. Clever how Howard Fast wrote about all that happened in one April morning.
One person found this helpful
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Michael Evnin
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as I had hoped.
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2022
Verified Purchase
My most recent Howard Fast novel was Spartacus. On the Internet this novel was touted to be an equal. I did not find that to be the case. Regardless it was an interesting read of a young man's thoughts as he moves away from childhood and into manhood.
One person found this helpful
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Currahee
4.0 out of 5 stars April Morning (April 19th, 1776)
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2010
Verified Purchase
I loved this book, staying up until 4AM to finish it. I'm a big fan of the idea of citizen soldiers standing up against a tyrannical government, and as a youth I loved stories about young men doing brave things. This is a coming of age story, but not your typical coming of age story that is a pleasantly ending teen novel... the protagonist of this book participates in a brutal battle, one of the most critical events in American History, at the tender age of 15. His transformation is, by necessity, almost instantaneous. As his uncle in the story says, "went to bed a boy and woke up a man." I love the way the characters were developed and you end up with a clear and believable image of the people and the time. You will also have a better understanding of the reasons behind the revolutionary war and how it began. I take away one star because the Author misses a couple of decent chances at a history lesson for no particular reason. For Example, the leader of the Lexington Militia that morning was John Parker and he was not killed. In the novel it was Jonas Parker, who in reality was John Parker's cousin and was killed that day.
5 people found this helpful
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Sean Fatzinger
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Story
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2020
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I Love the book ! It’s very fun and super addicting!
Hope y’all have fun reading this book
Great Book!
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Heather K.
5.0 out of 5 stars Really insightful read
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2017
Verified Purchase
I chose this book for my 9th grade daughter to read as part of our study of the Rev War and was surprised to find that I enjoyed it tremendously.
Mr. Fast's character portrayals is incredibly insightful and terribly moving.
You really are *with* the characters each step of the way.
Don't miss this one!
6 people found this helpful
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