The War of American Independence: Military Attitudes, Policies, and Practice, 1763-1789

Macmillan Wars of the United States

by Don Higginbotham

The War Of American Independence [paperback] Higginbotham, Don [Jan 01, 1977]

Genres: History, American History, American Revolution, Military Fiction, War, Military History, American Revolutionary War

509 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1971

About the author

Don Higginbotham was an American historian and Dowd Professor of History and Peace, War, and Defense at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Reviews

[Mark Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this since 1993 and read it again in preparation for a course on the American Revolution that I took in the spring of 2010. It is an examination of the military side of that conflict, and is organized thematically with a lot of endnotes after each chapter an an excellent bibliography. If you aren't familiar with the military side of the American Revolution I would recommend this as a good place to start. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is that it is a bit on the dry side, but that is no reason not to read it.

[Mike Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read by Don Higgiinbotham. Breaking from the standard history of the American Revolution that focuses mainly on the personalities and military campaigns of the conflict, this work delves into the the issues that shaped the reasons and the conduct of the war. Some of the issues the author goes into are politics, economics, logistics and international relations.

Recommended for any student of the American Revolution - it is the perfect companion to any military history of the conflict.

[Legens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive account which goes beyond a mere history of campaigns and battles. The political, economic, and social dimension of the war is also thoroughly illuminated.

[Littlebrit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very comprehensive account of the American War for Independence and the events preceding and following that conflict. This provides a detailed, but not a too heroic or chauvinistic view of the revolutionary war and it shows just how truly chaotic this war was and how its final outcome was decided as much by the various personalities involved as much as by any decisive battles, of which there weren't very many. My only problem with this account is that it is very much oriented only to the related events on the American mainland. This focus leaves out a full accounting of the true international nature of this war, especially from the British point of view. The heavy and pivotal involvements of the Spanish and the French are given only slight coverage. To correct this view, I would recommend "Spain and the Independence of the United States" by Thomas E. Chavez.

This is definitely an "academic" tome and therefore a bit of a slog. But if you are interested in learning more about our earliest formative conflict, this book, even though by now it is over 40 years old, is a must.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very detailed and hard to read. The book is not organized very well, except by chronology.

I've only gotten through 1/3 of it about.

[Roddy Thorleifson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Lots of stuff. Readable. Interesting.

[Jon Gautier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first rate scholarly political and military analysis. A bit slow sometimes, but comprehensive and certainly one of the best histories out there.

[Jefferson Coombs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a real good book on the military aspect of the Revolution.