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The American Revolution: A Visual History

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This revised and updated edition of The American Revolution offers an accessible and authoritative account of the war that forged a nation.

From the first sparks of rebellion to the final treaty, this comprehensive visual history charts the key battles, political tensions, and personal stories that shaped the United States. Discover how events like the Boston Massacre, the Declaration of Independence, and the surrender at Yorktown unfolded with vivid artworks, first-hand accounts, and timelines that bring clarity to every phase of the conflict.

Fully revised and updated, and produced in association with the Smithsonian Institute, The American Revolution is packed with information on the course of the battle and locations of particular importance, with detailed coverage of related topics such as the treatment of wounded soldiers and the experience of Native Americans, providing a rich and detailed account of one of the most controversial conflicts ever fought.

In this book, you will


More than 500 images, including dramatic paintings of battles and galleries of weapons, equipment, and other artefactsFirst-hand accounts of the conflict from soldiers and civilians alikeFascinating biographies of important figures – from George Washington to Alexander HamiltonDetailed coverage of broader subjects, such as contemporary political ideas and the impact of the war on the home front
Publishing in 2026, ahead of America 250 – the 250th anniversary of the founding of the USA –alongside DK’s The American Civil War and The History of the USA Year by Year, this is the ultimate guide to a pivotal period in world history.

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 5, 2016

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About the author

D.K. Publishing

10.2k books2,236 followers
Dorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.

Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.

Source: Wikipedia.

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5 stars
119 (65%)
4 stars
49 (26%)
3 stars
12 (6%)
2 stars
2 (1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Profile Image for Carrie.
706 reviews
September 21, 2016
Great pictures of a fantastic time in our history! BRAVO
Profile Image for Steven Latour.
Author 5 books7 followers
June 12, 2024
A gorgeous and engaging DK Smithsonian Visual History. The material is well paced with some areas being more in-depth than others, with spotlights on multiple famous personages as well as some side-boxes on more obscure ones. Overall a top-notch book both for history and for visuals.
Profile Image for Jessica.
2,342 reviews23 followers
May 21, 2017
This was an excellent resource on the American Revolution, full of individual spotlights on both sides of the conflict. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Carly MJ.
454 reviews6 followers
December 25, 2018
Boyfriend got this book for Christmas and is totally obsessed! Has awesome pictures!
Profile Image for Jean.
405 reviews
December 9, 2022
Coffee table type book. Lots of info. Kinda cool since found out I’m a Daughter of Revolution
Profile Image for Christopher Lutz.
660 reviews
November 29, 2020
My interest in the Revolutionary period has greatly expanded in the last 3-4 years to become one of my favorites to study. The DK works on military history are always excellent, and the American Revolution Visual History spares no expense to provide a complete overview of the places, events, and individuals that created the United States.
Profile Image for Casey.
Author 2 books62 followers
June 10, 2019
An excellent overview of the entire revolutionary war and beyond, with pictures and maps. Now that I've gotten the big picture, I can explore certain events and times with more depth. Like David McCullough's "1776."
38 reviews
December 27, 2021
DK does it again. A well-researched, well-presented book that gives a wonderful overview of the American Revolution and goes pretty in-depth (for the novice reader) into the War for Independence.
Profile Image for MK.
626 reviews2 followers
February 2, 2024
If we try to face the truth of history, we are called historical revisionists, but we should clarify the background of the many revolutions that have taken place in the world over the past 100 years.
Profile Image for Marianne Evans.
483 reviews
October 22, 2024
Can I say it again? I hate war. However, this book was a nice quick concise review of just what happened.
Profile Image for Jeanne.
645 reviews
March 21, 2026
A beautiful book. I liked it all, except for the part where they called the pilgrim fathers, Puritans. The ones that came in 1620 were really Separatists.
61 reviews1 follower
March 8, 2021
Very good summary of the American Revolution

Enjoyed this visual feast of the history of the American Revolution. There’s just enough information on each year, political & social issue and battles (could’ve used more maps on significant battles). Zooming in on Kindle app isn’t clear enough - scaling/vectoring could be better for 5 stars.
Profile Image for Tony.
115 reviews
July 31, 2016
LOVED this book. Once again DK has produced an informative and appealing book on history. I wish I had read this book in secondary school. I hope they make more historical books on other countries.
174 reviews4 followers
April 3, 2023
Does a good job of telling US Historical beginnings, packed with all the info of a prose-heavy tome. Very enjoyable.
Profile Image for Monty Lee Mickle.
4 reviews
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April 19, 2024
Review

The book gave a detailed storyline of the events that led to the war of independence and the building of our nation
8 reviews
March 3, 2025
I bought this book not realizing it is a “coffee table” book. It is an incredible book with all the photos and paintings from the Smithsonian Museum.
This is one I will treasure for a long time.
Profile Image for Ender Solace.
4 reviews
April 7, 2025
Amazing for people who love the American revolution, I got this for my birthday since my parents know I love the American revolution. Would recommend this book even if you just like history.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews