Buy new:
-26% $19.89
FREE delivery Friday, May 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: Fannie-Jean
$19.89 with 26 percent savings
List Price: $26.99

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Friday, May 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 15 hrs 55 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$19.89 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$19.89
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Sold by
Fannie-Jean
Sold by
Fannie-Jean
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$7.19
May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less See less
FREE delivery May 20 - 24. Details
Or fastest delivery May 14 - 17. Details
Only 2 left in stock - order soon.
$$19.89 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$19.89
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Richard Archer
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

As If an Enemy's Country: The British Occupation of Boston and the Origins of Revolution (Pivotal Moments in American History) 1st Edition

by Richard Archer (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 82 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$19.89","priceAmount":19.89,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"19","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"89","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"gbMYu1l4lg5lVcR1LnHOPBM%2B7o%2FyrYCZTsT7la9lImij3U9%2FG2EwwHbKN4cjcHtt5%2FKUKtJk8eWr%2B0LzMrS17wDkHQn1%2BSWw0jMG8koBV1F0%2BaqMHFnj4OZjX8ZIQUbn%2BD19Q%2Bc4S6uoHd4G8KdfLGw6pT9ExgtW1JSi2jbeTtmNIPrKJwE5yz3nj%2F3VvQ%2Bx","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$7.19","priceAmount":7.19,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"19","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"gbMYu1l4lg5lVcR1LnHOPBM%2B7o%2FyrYCZdUTs6S6WhU19M3A0fhq7oqnSHwpY9LpjewbaVz06DqozKj6aStkNJI1Iijn7yrxNUkNvxW70889DTpF5S3SF4ErHhrcULDoYue%2F%2F%2B10srwSWRFy2EMMlM2VTqBnNGGw%2BQjpfai6ZpdM%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

In the dramatic few years when colonial Americans were galvanized to resist British rule, perhaps nothing did more to foment anti-British sentiment than the armed occupation of Boston. As If an Enemy's Country is Richard Archer's gripping narrative of those critical months between October 1, 1768 and the winter of 1770 when Boston was an occupied town.

Bringing colonial Boston to life, Archer deftly moves between the governor's mansion and cobblestoned back-alleys as he traces the origins of the colonists' conflict with Britain. He reveals the maneuvering of colonial political leaders such as Governor Francis Bernard, Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson, and James Otis Jr. as they responded to London's new policies, and he evokes the outrage many Bostonians felt towards Parliament and its local representatives.

Archer captures the popular mobilization under the leadership of John Hancock and Samuel Adams that met the oppressive imperial measures--most notably the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act--with demonstrations, Liberty Trees, violence, and non-importation agreements. When the British government decided to garrison Boston with troops, it posed a shocking challenge to the people of Massachusetts. The city was flooded with troops; almost immediately, tempers flared and violent conflicts broke out. Archer's vivid tale culminates in the swirling tragedy of the Boston Massacre and its aftermath, including the trial and exoneration of the British troops involved.

A thrilling and original work of history, As If an Enemy's Country tells the riveting story of what made the Boston townspeople, and with them other colonists, turn toward revolution.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0195382471
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0195382471
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    February 8, 2010
  6. Part of series
    Pivotal Moments in American History
  7. Language
    English
  8. Dimensions
    9.4 x 1.2 x 6.4 inches
  9. Print length
    304 pages
  10. See all details
Next page
Books with Buzz
Books with Buzz
Discover the latest buzz-worthy books, from mysteries and romance to humor and nonfiction. Explore more

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Richard Archer's book is a remarkably fresh examination of the story of the British occupation of Boston in the years before the Revolution. Its close attention to the social and economic context of the dramatic events of those years gives the book much of its richness; and its telling of the events themselves, ending with a splendid account of the Boston Massacre, is accomplished with great clarity, detail, and verve. Altogether it is a fascinating book."--Robert Middlekauff, author of The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789

"In ways that are familiar today when American forces occupy faraway lands, the British military occupation of Boston in October 1768 deeply radicalized the town's citizens. In this crisply written account, Richard Archer walks the reader through Boston's crooked streets and along the waterfront with such narrative verve that we can almost see, hear, and feel the seething tension that grew for seventeen months before the Boston Massacre. With his careful research and nose for telling detail, Archer allows us to understand why Boston led the colonies into independence."--Gary B. Nash, author of The Unknown American Revolution: The Unruly Birth of Democracy and the Struggle to Create America

"As If An Enemy's Country provides a long-overdue explanation of how the American Revolution began. Richard Archer has connected the dots in this extraordinarily well-written, concise, thorough and engaging account of the British occupation of Boston after 1768. Archer shows how the relationships between the Boston mob and the provincial elite, among merchants, trade, and religion in Boston's unique political culture turned rebellion into Revolution. An essential book--a fascinating story well-told."--Robert Allison, author of A Short History of Boston

"Archer utilizes a wealth of primary sources, from diaries to depositions, to provide an edifying account of the 17-month British occupation of Boston from October 1768 to the winter of 1770. ... Beginning with British attempts to consolidate the empire and gain revenue from the Colonies in the form of innovative taxes and concluding with a perceptive analysis of the Boston Massacre, Archer astutely delves into the milieu of a Colonial city alive with mobs, patriots, and the omnipresent British army. The uniqueness of Archer's superbly crafted tale lies in his discussion of how the politics of nonimportation polarized the elite of Boston society on the eve of revolution. VERDICT Combining engaging prose and a wealth of interesting characters, Archer has provided students and general enthusiasts alike with a concise, appealing work of first-rate scholarship."--Library Journal, starred review

"Archer goes into [...] detail, drawing good portraits of several principals, including John Hancock and cousins John and Sam Adams."--Tampa Tribune

"A gripping narrative of the occupation of Boston."--LAmag.com, The Reading List

"[T]his is a serious historical analysis rich in details, primary sources, and the minutiae that make up our history. Excellent."--Sacramento Book Review

"Archer has done a great job describing Boston, the tension in the people, and the way the tragedy unfolds. ... I recommend [his book] to anyone interested in the events leading up to the American Revolution."--1776mag.com

"In a fresh look at the Boston Massacre, Richard Archer searches for the tie between foreign occupation and political violence."--Dissent

"A lively and sympathetic history of pre-Revolutionary Boston under British occupation." --The New Yorker

Book Description

A compelling account of the crisis that helped transform colonists into revolutionaries

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (February 8, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195382471
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195382471
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.32 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.4 x 1.2 x 6.4 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 82 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Richard Archer

Richard Archer

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Richard Archer is Professor of History Emeritus at Whittier College. He is the author of: Fissures in the Rock: New England in the Seventeenth Century; As If an Enemy's Country: The British Occupation of Boston and the Origins of Revolution; and Jim Crow North: The Struggle for Equal Rights in Antebellum New England.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
82 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Mike in Glen Head, NY
5.0 out of 5 stars A lesson in how an armed occupation will radicalize your enemy
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2011
Verified Purchase
What was our country's most pivotal moment? If the British government had not imposed taxes on the colonies, would it have been necessary for British troops to occupy Boston? "As If an Enemy's Country", part of the Pivotal Moments in American History series, shows why that occupation became the spark that ignited opposition to British rule and led to the American Revolution.

After the Seven Years War, known in America as the French and Indian War, Britain needed to raise taxes to pay for the defense of its North American colonies. Since the British people didn't want to pay higher taxes, the obvious solution was to get the colonists to pay. Archer describes in detail how the resistance to these taxes eventually forced the British to occupy Boston to enforce its customs laws and to protect its revenue agents. With one man in five wearing a red coat, it was inevitable that tensions would rise, culminating in the Boston Massacre, during which five colonists were killed.

Readers will learn how the colonists worked cooperatively to oppose the British. One of their most effective tools was the Nonimportation Agreement, a pledge by the merchants of Boston to stop importing British goods until all revenue acts were repealed. Violators' names were published in Boston newspapers and citizens were urged to boycott their businesses. One merchant who did not sign the agreement "questioned whether a society had the right to pass legislation that was compulsory for individuals to obey if they had not supported the measure." However, he was forced to comply because "there was a social good that superseded individual liberty." This belief that our Founding Fathers had back in 1769 continues to be debated to this day.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Dr. Debra Jan Bibel
4.0 out of 5 stars A Historic Microcosm, A Valuable Lesson
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2010
Verified Purchase
History, despite the series of great, often socially cataclysmic, events taught in school or emphasized by civic commemorizations, is composed of increments and a nexus of myriad causes and effects. Author Richard Archer focuses on the background of the occupation of Boston by regiments of British soliders that led to the famous Boston Massacre. It is a story of economics. Straddled with huge debts from the Seven Years War with France and a home populace intolerant of increased taxes, England sought to place the financial burden onto the colonies in America, which as we all know had no representation in Parliament. The story unfolds on how Boston merchants abetted by newspapers and the rabble attempted to remedy the situation over the ensuing years and how the many missteps in policy, in factional disputes, and in later massive military presence slowly radicalized the populace. We also learn of the racism within New England, where slavery existed, and how the free Afro-Caribbean drummers of the British troops were regarded with disdain. The rich details of this scholarly book are like brush strokes in a developing painting. While the action moves slowly until the crescendo of the Massacre itself, the picture is of cautious skirmishes, fear and protest, taunts and simmering anger, blunders, and layer upon layer of political ploys. As we read, the rising tension of the populace is perceived. This is a valuable book that offers a historical microcosm. [Indeed, I recall a time when my university city was under occupation by state, regional, and local police and also by the military. I understand exactly what those Bostonian citizens felt. I saw similar fear in the eyes of isolated but armed police, one with gun drawn, when confronting a taunting crowd and I witnessed many abuses by police on innocent citizens. That situation, too, was a series of larger political and local societal errors.] Thus, the book warns us, in this age of sound bites and knee-jerk emotional appeals, to be very cautious before reaching conclusions and initiating actions. "As If an Enemy's Country" is a fine addition to the history of the American Revolution, and it leaves the reader with much to ponder.
13 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Marius
5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent account of life in Revolutionary Boston during the period ...
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2018
Verified Purchase
This is an excellent account of life in Revolutionary Boston during the period of military occupation which lead up to the Boston Massacre. It vividly recreates the tensions and antagonism between the people of Boston and the occupying force of the army. Unlike Hinderaker or Zobel's books on the Massacre this book is strongly sympathetic to the Bostonians. After reading this, you will fully understand the emotions which would lead common Bostonians to become revolutionaries.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars The lead up to Bunker (Breeds) Hill
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2018
Verified Purchase
As covered with With Fire and Sword

And really a wider look at the essentially unsolveable puzzle Parliament built in the New World. Not repeated with Australia, with its tighter hand and the transport system
Helpful
 Report
wogan
3.0 out of 5 stars A very specific act
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2010
Occupying armies have had much the same effect throughout history. Richard Archer describes the British occupying army that landed in Boston in 1768. He writes a detailed book with names and descriptions, the laws and acts passed and the reasons for the actions of both the politicians and the army.

There is very little of the social aspects of the time described. The point is emphasized that this was an army whose mission was to protect the interests of the British Empire, not individual citizens. Little is mentioned of the higher tax rates in England, the emphasis is on the lack of representation.
Bit by bit, detail by detail, demonstration by demonstration is explained. This book is much like a political and military report.
The broader interest for most would be the social ramifications of such a force and time in history. Instead this is a detailed account of how this occupying force; where 1 in 5 in Boston were wearing the red coats of the British army, led the citizens into the radicalization that led to the Revolution.
If you want a lighter reading or a broader history you need to look elsewhere, but if you are interested in this one specific occurrence in American history this book will give you the ultimate in clarification.
39 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

J. Cattanach
5.0 out of 5 stars The American War of Independence - an enlightening.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
A superb, thoughtful and enlightening book. It wipes away so many of the myths about the beginning of the War of Independence from both sides. A must for those wanting to learn more.
Report