." The light infantry were "the most agile and active men, selected for fitness, energy and enterprise." They served as "skirmishers and flank guards"(114). By including these details about the British forces, Hackett Fischer gives the reader a more accurate account as to the actual make up of the British forces.Another important aspect of the novel is the exactness with which General Gage is described. Instead of telling of just the American perspective of Paul Revere's Ride, Hackett Fischer gives a great deal of background about the British and how they meant to govern the colonies. "Fischer focuses on British General Thomas Gage as a narrative foil to Revere."1 By all accounts Gage meant to keep the Colonists under control but took no aggressive strategy to do so. "By temperment and principle this British proconsul was a cautious and conservative man, with an infinite capacity for taking pains"(35). In America, Gage always insisted that his troops were bound by "constitutional laws"and permitted them to "do nothing but what is strictly legal," even in the case of heavy provocation(37). This image is far different than the image of the British authority of this time period than the popular modern views. Many Americans believe the British rule to have been strict and oppressive. In fact they wanted to maintain the colonies as their own peaceful colonial property. "The primary goal of the British regulars was to apprehend the leaders of the opposition. The secondary goal was to disarm the populace along the way."2 Perhaps the most important aspect of the novel is the dispelling of the myth of Paul Revere's midnight ride. While many people believe that Paul Revere warned the countryside by himself, Hackett Fischer makes it clear that "His journey was not a solitary act"(98). "He would be very much surprised by his modern image as the lone rider of the Revolution”(98). In fact, many people aided him, and were instrume...
