Author: Derek W. Beck

Derek W. Beck is a historian, filmmaker, and also a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force Reserves, where he is currently serving on active duty. Derek authored two books on the Revolution: Igniting the American Revolution: 1773-1775 (Sourcebooks, 2015) and its sequel The War Before Independence: 1775-1776 (Sourcebooks, 2016). His love of the Revolution began while attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a master’s degree in engineering and management. More at www.derekbeck.com.

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on

Dissecting the Timeline of Paul Revere’s Ride

I’m a scientist by training. I received my master’s degree from MIT, which is incidentally where I fell in love with Boston’s revolutionary history. So, when I first began researching my forthcoming book on Revolutionary Boston, I approached the research very scientifically, considering things like moonlight phases, sunsets,[1] horse gaits and their associated speeds,[2] and […]

by Derek W. Beck
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Dr. Joseph Warren’s Informant

With April 19 nearing, marking the anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary War (the official regional holiday of Patriot’s Day in New England), it seems only fitting to delve into the popular tale of the secret informant of Dr. Joseph Warren. As the story often goes, Dr. Joseph Warren, the de facto revolutionary […]

by Derek W. Beck