Remember Valley Forge: Patriots, Tories, and Redcoats Tell Their Stories

by Thomas B. Allen

Remember Valley Forge tells the ultimate survival story. Travel the trail of defeat that leads Washington's ragtag army to seek winter refuge at Valley Forge. Read from a teenage soldier's diary and a doctor's gruesome accounts of disease, hunger, and cold. Learn of plots against Washington and spies who aid the enemy. Discover why farmers sell the British food as the Continental Army starves and a powerless Congress looks on. Learn the true story behind the amazing achievements of the "winter soldiers." A time line, archival images, maps, Web sites, source list, and index make this an excellent research tool for students.

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Genres: History, Middle Grade

64 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2007

About the author

Thomas B. Allen's writings range from articles for National Geographic Magazine to books on espionage and military history.
He is the father of Roger MacBride Allen.

Reviews

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read with a nice ratio of text to pictures. It focuses on the winter of 1777-78 when the Continental Army waited out the season at Valley Forge in a makeshift town of huts built by the soldiers. Washington begged the Continental Congress for food and clothing for his beleaguered men, but none came. Eventually, they had to steal cows and sheep from nearby farms. The British Army experienced an entirely different winter hiatus. They entertained with the loyalists in Philadelphia. Another American Revolution book under my belt and I continue to be more amazed that America won.

My main criticism of the book is that the subtitle says "Patriots, Tories and Redcoats Tell Their Stories," when in fact there are no stories. It's a typical nonfiction book that recounts the historical record, but no individual stories.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed retelling of living at Valley Forge and defending it.