Alan Taylor's latest work, "American Revolutions," is almost breathtaking in its scope. It is an extraordinarily comprehensive history of the political and social turmoil that engulfed North America in the late 18th century and how it impacted every segment of the population. This is an unvarnished account that takes the bark off the story of America's struggle for independence. It is informed by a focus on the often brutal reality that confronted those affected by the developments of the 1770s and 1780s - particularly the Loyalists, Native Americans, and enslaved and free African Americans who were forced to cope with the rise of the Patriot movement, an eight-year-long conflict between the Patriot forces and the British empire, and the emergence of a union of independent states that formed the basis of a new republic.

The author's narrative debunks the traditional notions of our revolutionary enterprise as an idealistic and heroic venture. Much of it was bloody and cruel, and a great many people suffered in that effort. Even so, I think America's revolution compares favorably with others - France, Russia, and China - from the standpoint of being a less violent transition and advancing democracy. I'm hard-pressed not to believe that there was something heroic in the struggle for political and economic self-determination that the Revolution represented, however imperfect the results were generally and especially for certain groups whose legitimate aspirations were ignored (women) or suppressed (slaves) at the time.