This was informative, decently organized, and had a strong and interesting central thesis.

The style wasn't annoying but I did find it a little denser than I thought strictly necessary, a little oblique. It kept me from fully hooking in, but that's entirely personal.

I was hoping for more information regarding riots I’d heard about like the 1776 coffee riot (involving specifically Bostonian women), but unfortunately this book focused more on the well-known mobs: Stamp Act riots, Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party etc. However, I did appreciate the in-depth look at race and class and how the participation and contribution of the “lower” sorts: sailors, waterfront laborers, African-Americans, etc. It framed the organization of the city and the Revolution in a different light and allowed me to better understand Boston at this time. I would recommend this book to other people who enjoy Boston history at the time of the Revolution, but not to someone who knew little or nothing. The book glosses over some details about large events like the Battle of Lexington and Concord in favor of examining other events where working class people made more of a contribution, which is of course completely in keeping with the thesis of this book.