Review by C.J. Bunce

In time for the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, Ten Speed Press is publishing a two-part graphic novel adaptation of Rick Atkinson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the American Revolution.  The first volume of The British are Coming is available now here at Amazon for pre-order, coming to bookshops next week.  In Ken Burns fashion, artist Federico Pietrobon and writer Nora Neus tell the story from the Boston Tea Party and the opening salvos of the battles of Lexington and Concord in the spring of 1775 through the battle for Quebec City and ending with the siege of Boston in 1776.  It’s history every American who paid attention in school knows already–or should know already, filled with heroes and villains and personalities that show the efforts required to forge a new nation.

Modern readers will no doubt find that the atrocities of the monarchy and intolerable Imperial acts can be seen infused in American and world politics 250 years later.

Pietrobon’s artwork will no doubt conjure the film strips millions of Americans in the later 20th century once viewed in schools to learn the key events of the American Revolution.  The words of the key players in Atkinson’s account reiterate those from high school America history, from the likes of General George Washington, King George III, Samuel Adams, Major General Richard Montgomery, Colonel Benedict Arnold, Captain Daniel Morgan, and others bring the narrative to life, although you’ll likely wish there was more focus on some of the more intriguing side-stories, like that of Henry Knox, who amounts to only a brief footnote here.

It’s a straightforward history that will be useful as a supplement in schools, and a nicely coordinated release with the 250th anniversary of independence celebrations in the U.S.  For more depth especially as to the roles of specific individuals you’ll want to pursue further history sources, but this history covers the key events in a very readable manner.  The inclusion of maps to guide the way for the reader will be particularly useful for those new to the subject matter.

Good reading with vivid illustrations for both adults and youngsters, the first volume of The British are Coming is available now here at Amazon for pre-order, coming to bookshops June 2, 2026.  Atkinson’s original book is available here.