Review: Sons of Liberty

I couldn't help myself. Just when I thought I was done with the American Revolution, I helped myself to one more 1770s miniseries. I set aside a few hours for Sons of Liberty, a three-episode offering currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. I'm glad that I did.

Though the series, which debuted on the History Channel in 2015, takes some liberties with the historical record, it is compelling. Ben Barnes, who plays the Yankee firebrand Samuel Adams, stars in the production, which covers the turbulent years between 1765 and 1776, when America's festering dispute with Britain turned into a bloody war.

To be sure, Sons of Liberty does not rise to the level of TURN: Washington's Spies or John Adams, which I reviewed on this blog and consider television treasures, but it does entertain. It captures the uncertainty, tension, and nervous energy that ran through both Boston and Philadelphia on the eve of the lengthy rebellion.

I liked the story, the special effects, and especially the acting. Barnes is superb as the daring Sam Adams, while Henry Thomas and Rafe Spall are solid as the more cautious John Adams and John Hancock. Marton Csokas is a believably cruel British General Thomas Gage.

The series drifts at times. It suggests that the Boston Tea Party occurred in full view of the British and that Margaret Gage, the general's wife, had a fling with Dr. Joseph Warren and warned patriots of the march on Concord and Lexington. The record is much less clear.

Even so, I enjoyed the production. I would recommend it to any television viewer who loves suspense, action, and history, particularly the period leading up to the American Revolution. Rating: 4/5.

Credit: The public domain image of "The Boston Massacre," an event portrayed in Sons of Liberty, is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.