John Hancock

“Deploying meticulous research, sharp analysis, and the same narrative verve he has used to illumine Washington, Franklin, and Hamilton, Willard Sterne Randall has produced a biography that finally elevates John Hancock from bold-face name to crucial American founder. Randall will not disappoint readers expecting a dramatic recounting of Hancock’s “signature moment,” but this book amplifies his extraordinary life both before and after the Declaration of Independence. We cannot possibly mark the nation’s semi quincentennial without learning more about the man who made its founding document a billboarded testament to his own personal courage.”—Harold Holzer, winner of the Lincoln Prize, author of Brought Forth on This Continent “A concise, insightful look at one of America’s more neglected founding fathers. Willard Sterne Randall’s latest is another important contribution to our understanding of the financial origins of the American Revolution and the republic it produced.”—Randall Woods, author of John Quincy Adams“John Hancock pledged his life, his considerable fortune, and his sacred honor to the cause of American independence. Although in his day a highly respected national leader and an extremely popular Massachusetts governor, Hancock remains a comparatively neglected Founding Father. Randall’s highly readable biography is therefore a splendid gift to celebrations of the 250th birthday of the United States.”—Richard Sylla, New York University, author of Alexander Hamilton: The Illustrated Biography“Willard Sterne Randall’s John Hancock should serve as a corrective to generations of neglect that have blanketed Hancock in accounts of the American Revolution. Hancock’s prosperous counting house on the Boston waterfront provides a splendid perspective on the economic debates that drove the rebellion, while Randall’s account gives long-overdue credit to the importance of Hancock’s open-handed generosity and clear-eyed leadership of the Continental Congress and America’s most revolutionary state during the years of the Founding.”—David O. Stewart, author of George Washington: the Political Rise of America’s Founding Father, winner of the Colonial Dames of America Book Prize“With clear, vivid writing, prolific historian Randall brings alive the life and times of Boston patriot John Hancock.”—Booklist (starred review)“This zippy biography… resituates John Hancock as the forgotten impresario of the American Revolution. A winning reassessment that will charm readers.”—Publishers Weekly“Thoughtful life of the all-but-forgotten Founding Father… A solid addition to the literature of the American Revolution.”—Kirkus

Willard Sterne Randall is a Distinguished Scholar in History and Professor Emeritus at Champlain College. Prior to entering academia, he had a seventeen-year career as an investigative reporter—during which he garnered the National Magazine Award, the Hillman Prize, the Loeb Award, and the John Hancock Prize—before pursuing advanced studies in history at Princeton University. As a biographer and lecturer, he specializes in the history of the Founding Era.