Revolution on the Hudson: New York City and the Hudson River Valley in the American War of Independence

by George C. Daughan

No part of the country was more contested during the American Revolution than New York City and its surroundings. Military leaders of the time—and generations of scholars since—believed that the Hudson River Valley was America’s geographic jugular, which, if cut, would quickly bleed the rebellion to death. In Revolution on the Hudson, prize-winning historian George C. Daughan makes the daring new argument that this strategy would never have worked, and that dogged pursuit of dominance over the Hudson ultimately cost Britain the war. This groundbreaking naval history offers a thrilling response to one of our most vexing historical questions: How could a fledgling nation have defeated the most powerful war machine of the era?

Genres: History, New York, American History, Nonfiction, American Revolution, Audiobook, American Revolutionary War

432 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 2016

About the author

George C. Daughan earned a Ph.D. in American history and government from Harvard University. He has taught at the United States Air Force Academy, Connecticut College, the University of Colorado, the University of New Hampshire, and Wesleyan University.

Reviews

[David Eppenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Revolution and the early history of our republic are of particular interest to me and I have read extensively in these areas. Because of this interest and scope of my reading whenever I find a new book on these subjects I have a test to apply. After reading the book I ask, did I learn anything new? After reading this book I can answer that I did and this book passed my test admirably. First let's deal with the title. The title would have us believe that the book is limited to those revolutionary events occurring around the Hudson River. That is not the case. The book actually covers the entire Revolutionary theatre but deals at length with the British and American belief that control of the Hudson was critical to success in this war. Obviously that was proven to be an error but it was an error shared by both sides but fatally by the British. Continuing, after getting this book I opened it and discovered not one map of any of the major or minor military engagement of the Revolution. I thought surely this would be a basis of criticism once I finished reading the book. In that assumption I was completely wrong. The book does mention the occurrence of battles but the worth of this book is not in discussing the details of these battles as most histories do. What sets this books apart is that it confines its discussion to what was going on in the minds of the people charged with making the decisions resulting in the battles and their outcome. The thinking or non-thinking of these figures is immensely interesting to me and I have not encountered this much detail concerning the thought processes of these key players in any other history. Fascinating is what it was. Further, Daughan also deals with an area that I have always wondered about but never found any history to satisfy me. What happened after Yorktown? Most Americans think that after Yorktown the Revolution was over. It wasn't. Yorktown was in October, 1781. The Paris Peace Treaty wasn't finalized until 1783 nearly two years later. What was going on in the interim? What were the British and Loyalists doing? What was Washington doing? How did Washington keep his army together? Did he keep his army together? This was a very fragile time with negotiations taking place in Paris events in America could easily have tilted those negotiations. The author doesn't give an enormous amount of treatment to this period but he did enough to answer my long-standing questions and for that I am very grateful. I am also very grateful to my GR friend that recommended I read this book.

[Brian Poole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revolution on the Hudson views the American Revolutionary War through the lens of each side’s belief in the strategic importance of New York City and the Hudson River Valley.

Picking up in 1776, already several months into the war, Revolution surveys the major battles and operations both in New York and surrounding areas, including New England, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The account focuses on the importance each side placed on New York and control of the Hudson River, believing it the key to cutting off fervently patriotic New England from what England believed where the less committed Atlantic and southern colonies.

Author George C. Daughan challenges the logic of that basic assumption, noting that the military power needed for England to have seized and controlled the entirety of the Hudson River Valley and the British government’s unfounded assumptions about the strength of Loyalist support throughout the colonies made the strategy untenable. Daughan makes a convincing argument that the excess importance both sides placed on the Hudson River led to many blunders and questionable decisions that ultimately prolonged the war, to the detriment of all, and ultimately resulted in the disastrous British surrender at Yorktown.

While Revolution puts most of its focus on New York and the surrounding areas, it finds room to follow key events in mid-Atlantic and southern areas and even Caribbean skirmishes between the French and British navies, relating how the focus on New York affected decision-making in the broader conflict.

Daughan’s exhaustive research is fairly impressive. Even with the book’s particular focus, he still paints a fairly broad portrait of the Revolution years, sketching in important political and social details on both sides of the conflict. He pulls no punches in his assessments of the various missteps on both sides, providing a different perspective on well-known figures from the period.

Revolution reads pretty smoothly. Daughan easily finds the pulse of the story and lets that momentum guide his narrative. It’s not intended as a comprehensive history of the Revolutionary period, but still manages to provide a decent overview of the entire conflict, while developing the author’s main thesis. There’s a lot to consider here for fans interested in the histories of America, the military and Europe during its imperial heyday.

Revolution on the Hudson provides an interesting perspective on the era that will resonate for fans of historical non-fiction.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a disappointment because the title was misleading. While it did forcefully insist on the author's thesis-- that the idea that control of the Hudson was the key to winning the war was a fantasy-- it was a discussion of the entire theater of war. It did not particularly concentrate on the experience of the war in the Hudson valley, which is what I had hoped for.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This I about more than the title indicates. An excellent read about how politics, military and diplomatic strategy, financial decisions, and even personalities intertwined during the American Revolution.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daughan captures the Revolutionary War, in all it's not inspiring, frustrating and tragic detail. Using the mighty Hudson River as a spine, he tracks the war from the it's beginnings in the 1770's through the Treaty of Paris.

He doesn't glorify the war. If anything, he helps illustrate the waste and horror of it. Washington, if less the military genius, comes across as an Atlas for just keeping the Continental Army together. If this book doesn't sing, it speaks in a clear, sad and knowing voice at the decade of violence and waste.

A must read for the history minded.

[Jim McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the title is misleading (this book covers more of the war scope than limiting it to the Hudson), I learned a lot more about the American Revolution than i thought i would.

It brings in the political mindset of all the major persons involved that brings a new vision to exploring the history. Well written, easy to follow, worth the read!

[Amory Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up Revolution on the Hudson with the hopes of gaining a deeper insight as to the goings-on along the Hudson River as well as Lake George and Lake Champlain during the Revolutionary War. Given the title seemed to be exactly what I was looking for, I eagerly awaited information from Mr. Daughan's research. Unfortunately I was deeply let down.

To start with the positives, Mr. Daughan is certainly a learned writer in reference to colonial seafaring expeditions. He provided exhaustive detail regarding ship movements around the coasts of the American colonies as well as the West Indies. He meticulously provides information about fleet sizes, the ships involved, and the captains of said fleets. He also displays a convincing disposition regarding the correlation to military might when paired with naval power. The British had a remarkable navy and it took the limping Continental fleet begging France, Spain, and Holland to cause the Empire to go home.

Another aspect captured well by Mr. Daughan is his to-the-point conclusions about bumbling leadership, particularly among the British commanders. In what should have been a routing by the Red Coats, the all-too-submissive leaders in both the army and navy prolonged the Continental struggle, which gave the fledgling country hope. That scant amount of hope was often frayed with the equally bumbling Continental leadership, nearly all of which was at the Congressional level. The remaining leadership struggles came from several Continental generals focusing on undermining Washington's place as Commander in Chief instead of on fighting the British. While the Continentals screwed up a lot, the British managed to screw up even more.

So here's where the negatives come about regarding Revolution on the Hudson. The book would have been a better read if it admitted to focusing on the clumsy leadership on both sides. The book argues about Clinton's lack of assertiveness to ever crush Washington. Arbuthnot's reticence fuled Clinton's reticence. Burgoyne fumbled along with Cornwallis. All of these names leads one farther away from the Hudson River, the supposed focal point of our study.

There are mentions of Benedict Arnold; the book even follows his movements to the southern colonies. A book about the revolution on the Hudson River devotes few amounts of pages to Arnold's business trappings on the Hudson River. Though Red Coat Arnold concluded that the Hudson should be an abandoned goal at the end of the Revolutionary War, a time when Thaddeus Kosciuszko was fortifiying the Highlands, little attention is paid to the very waterway we are supposedly reading about. Either change the title or refocus the content. Out of a 350-page book, only the first 100 pages stick to the main point.

I appreciate the amount of research Mr. Daughan completed to publish this book. There are a surprising amount of citations at the back of the book to recognize it as a convincing study. It is a glaring issue when one is hanging in there trying to find out how we get back to the Hudson as we read about North and South Carolina for chapters and chapters. I simply wanted to learn about the Hudson's influence on the Revolutionary War. Therefore the book fell short. Do not be put- off by the three stars. I liked the amount of information offered, however I felt like what was labeled and what was presented are two separate items. Read this book to learn insight about the Revolutionary War, but don't expect to gain much insight regarding the Hudson River beyond page 100. Too bad.

[Clifford Browder]

A well-researched, very readable account of the American Revolution, as focused on the Hudson River. Access to U.S. and British archives lets the author follow the thinking of the leaders of both sides in detail. My conclusion: in war, the side that makes the fewest mistakes wins. Washington made mistakes, but the British made more. Above all, the British commanders simply couldn't work together most of the time. The American victory was by no means inevitable; only a lucky series of events made it possible. The suffering of Washington and his men in the winter, while the British commanders romped in New York, was severe; miraculously, he held his battered army together. Two criticisms: the reader needs more maps to follow the many campaigns; after a detailed account of the campaigns, Burgoyne's final defeat and surrender, and Cornwallis's final surrender -- are barely described, giving the reader an anticlimactic feeling. But the book is to be highly recommended to history buffs.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most detailed and complete military history and analysis of the American Revolution that I have read thus far. The author makes the point that basically the revolution succeeded because of the stupidity of the King George 3rd and his ministers that Britain could not possibly lose, so not to worry or send the right generals and troops over to teach the peasant colonists where their duty lay.
The title of the book stems from the main theory of the King that control of the Hudson from NY City to Canada was the absolute key to winning the war. This was tried repeatedly and repeatedly failed.
The big point here is that if the King had decided after the problems with the stamp act to make the colonists British citizens, then the greatest nation in the world today would be Great Britain and not the United States.

[Lawrence Roth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the Audible audiobook version.

George Daughan has written a commendable and interesting military history of the American Revolutionary War, purporting to follow the supposed importance of the Hudson River Valley during the conflict. By his own admittance within the book, military commanders, both British and American, had an understandable if flawed focus on this region during the conflict. This is the case to such a degree that frankly, this book does not read like an in depth analysis of the Hudson River Valley during the war, but a general military history of the revolution.

Any well written general military history will be interesting to me, and technically this is the first book I've ever read that has covered the conflict start to finish (other books I've read have only focused on specific moments and times: 1776, or Valley Forge, or Yorktown for example). In that respect, it is a fun history read, well researched by all accounts, and fits well with other histories I've read. But if you are looking for a specific focus on the importance of the Hudson River Valley you won't find it here. I'm not entirely sure how this focus would have worked out anyway. The chapters covering the occupation and loss of New York City to the British were engaging for sure, and maneuvers around Connecticut, Rhode Island, and upstate New York are interesting for the little dramas that ensued there (Benedict Arnold's betrayal was discovered and he fled West Point for example). But frankly there were no giant, epic engagements in the valley or upstate for Daughan to cover in detail.

A good recommend from me: a solid, history of the American Revolution.

[Renato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointingly Unfocused. The title of the book lead me to believe that we'd mostly be staying in New York City and the Hudson River Valley, but my takeaway is that this was just another historical survey of the Revolutionary War.

- It discussed the Battle of Brooklyn. Great, but every revolutionary war history book discusses the Battle of Brooklyn.
- It discussed the importance of New York to the war. Great, but every revolutionary war history book does that.

Here's what I wanted to know:
- What important stories about New York City and the Hudson River Valley are overlooked by general revolutionary war history books?

This book failed to answer that question or give me any new insight into that region in the war. By the time I was reading about the Southern Strategy, I gave up hope on getting that. At one point, I was reading about Admiral Rodney battling the French in Martinique and I yelled out at the book, "Why are we THERE now?"

I can say that the book is well-written, so it wasn't a complete slog to read, and it gave me a refresher on some things I might not have caught in the last couple of books on this war that I've read. But, I really can't recommend it as anything other than that.

Imagine if 1776 by David McCullough promised the explain in detail the year 1776 and its importance to the war, but instead, only gave it a chapter or two before summarizing the rest of the war. That's the same frustrating experience that this book offers. It's practically false advertising.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid history of the War of Independence that, despite its title, follows the war's principal movements and battles in both the North and South, from Washington's retreat from Brooklyn Heights to Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown. The book's central premise is that Britain's military strategy of winning the Hudson Valley as a means to defeating the rebellion was flawed from the start and led to the patriots' victory, more so than the incompetence and dysfunction of its generals and admirals. The book asserts that Britain's arrogance, overestimation of Loyalist support and its refusal to come to political terms with the patriot leadership until too late condemned its military effort to failure. Despite having read many histories of the Revolutionary War, this book answers several strategic questions that other histories ignore: for example, why didn't Burgoyne cut his losses before reaching Saratoga? Why didn't Rodney make an effort to intercept de Grasse at Chesapeake Bay? Why didn't Clinton attempt to attack Washington or reinforce Cornwallis from New York until it was too late? Questions that, in the end, determined the fate of a new nation.

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a pretty good overview of the strategic decisions made during the American Revolution. It has one major flaw. Its title.

Daughan basically recaps the American Revolution with some more focus on the Hudson River Valley. The problem is that unless you are very well versed in the revolution, you need recaps of everything else around the colonies to have any idea of what is going on. I am a self-professed revolution nut. As such, I don’t need to have Valley Forge or anything down south explained to me because I know the dates and activities. There is enough on the Hudson to fill a book.

However, Daughan tries to have it both ways. Ultimately, if you don’t know the revolution particularly well, then this will be a great book for high level introduction to the major events. If you know it, you’ll be disappointed at how in-depth the author gets with the identified subject matter.

[Jubin Chheda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The American War of Independence -- what a read. I cycle and hike this region and keep finding towns and sites where this war took place. This book brought them all to life.

The role of the 'Continentals' have become legend and widely known, but also the primacy of the British at the start and then the bungling of it all is a cautionary tale on managing a rebellion. The role of French goes unsung in modern day America -- without the French this would have been unwinnable!

Daughan brings these events to life - the twists and turns of this all. Puts into perspective some of naval battles and the momentousness of crossing the Delaware!

Great read

[Anthony Bracciante · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written general overview of the course of the American War for Independence from Great Britain that explores the essential role that control of the Hudson River valley and New York City played in decisions made by both sides that ultimately led to the American victory and England's defeat. It clearly shows how the personalities of the leaders came into play and that in many cases decisions were made based on what would better serve the individual rather than their own country. The author makes it clear that America was lucky to win and that in his opinion Great Britain should have won but through mismanagement, poor leadership, and jealousy among her leaders lost.

[Melisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very well written history that filled in the many gaps in my knowledge about the chronology and key events of the American Revolution. I particularly enjoyed the insight into British military strategy and conflict between commanders in the field versus political leadership in England. While the British Hudson river strategy is a major focus of the work, many other interesting aspects of the war are covered including General Washington's struggles, Benedict Arnold's defection, and the involvement of France and Spain in assisting the patriot cause.

[Lynnette · Rating 3 out of 5]

You have to be a history buff to read this--lots of names, dates, places. I'll summarize. The British lost the American colonies due to arrogance--wanting total submission to the King/Parliament (a bunch of rich, greedy aristocrats) with no negotiations..period. The Americans succeeded largely due to England's perpetual enemy, France, aiding the US with supplies and periodic naval appearances. However, the grit and determination of the American soldiers and hardships endured is still something to be proud of.

[Matthew Werner · Rating 3 out of 5]

To start with I did like this book. It was an enjoyable read...but... of course there was a but. I read many books covering early America and the Revolutionary War. The title suggests a specific focus, but the book became a broad overview in many ways. It made some strong assertions/conclusions that I agree with in many ways but the book itself does not make a solid case although it is written to suggest the conclusions are fact. I'm going to read some of the authors other books to give him a chance. Again, I like the book, but the title is misleading, and I expected something different.

[Robert S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revolution on the Hudson examines the battle for control of the Hudson during the Revolutionary War as well as the strategic importance that both sides gave to controlling it.

Daughan's book is insightful and offers a compelling argument that there was no real way for the British to gain AND hold the Hudson throughout the war.

While I typically find books about this subject material to be fairly dry, this one is a solid read.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title is bit misleading - much of the narrative follows the Revolution throughout the colonies, and while the author tries to tie the strategic importance to the Hudson Valley to those events, but has mixed success. The book is more of a general history of the American Revolution with very little discussion of the battles/campaigns/political developments of the people and armies who lived in the Hudson during the war.

[Michael Racer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book showed me I knew a lot less about the Revolutionary War than I was taught in school. It’s a shame it’s only glanced over. Growing up in New Jersey I never knew just how much of the war occurred in and around the state. I trust the content of the book is accurate and well researched. The author writes very well and does well not taking a side, he delivers the facts in an engaging and entertaining way while avoiding sharing an opinion.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. I know quite a bit about the Revolutionary War as I grew up in Massachusetts, but did not know much about the war in NY/NJ. And, certainly did not know much about the battles fought in the south. In many ways, hard to place one's self back in the 18th century in America especially how they fought battles. It was a long war - finally ending in 1783. And, it probably could have been avoided if King George III had sought to negotiate rather than seek subdue the colonies through the military. And, even when the British were fighting in America, their means were through the force of their military, not through any political/peace negotiations. And, they thought that loyalists in America would join their military and fight. It was not the case. Also, the British Admiral (Howe) and General (Howe)


Admiral Howe seeking a peace negotiation. He wrote to Washington - rebuffed. He wrote Benjamin Franklin, who wrote back (July 30, 1776), "Were it possible to forgive and forget. It is not possible for you (I mean the British nation) to forgive the people you have so heavily injured. You can never confide again in those fellow-subjects, and permit them to enjoy equal freedom, to whom you know you have given such just cause of lasting enmity. And this must impel, were we again under your government, to endeavor the breaking of our spirit by the severest tyranny and obstructing, by every means in your power, our growing strength and prosperity."(p.59)

On November 5 Washington finally left Williamsburg. He planned to remain for a time in Viergina, tending to personal business -- consoling Martha for the loss of her son Jacky Custis, dealing with his difficult mother, Mary; and getting brought up to date on affairs at Mount Vernon, where he arrived on November 13 for a few day's rest. (p. 328) (WELL, that's a full paragraph. Would love for the author to unpack that paragraph - consoling Martha, loss of her son, difficult mother - Mary, the affairs at Mt. Vernon, a few day's rest - I guess George Washington is really a human being!!!!)

[Caryl V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and interest capturing replay of a major part of theAmerican Revolution. You finish reading understanding how senseless and unnecessary this war was , killings maiming and harming hundreds for little real reason. The war was battle after battle where each side took turns winning and loosing, in the end, the final peace agreement could have been made without any fighting at all.

[Ross Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, but I was hoping for something that focused more on the area and people of the Hudson, and New York.

By the midway point, it was a conventional history, focusing on the generals (esp. Washingtonian and Cornwallis)

[Dennis Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating in-depth look at the Revolutionary War as a whole and the role that the New York area played in it. Helps to make it clear why independence was our only choice after we got started. Also an interesting look at the inept leadership on both sides of the battle lines.

[Jean Marie Angelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent perspective — filled with detail about the people involved in this important time in history and tensions between them. I appreciated the detail about the crucial battles on Long Island, Brooklyn, and Yorktown.

[Nick Crisanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable read, with a misleading title. This was not at all a book about the Revolution on the Hudson, but a telling of the Revolutionary War in all theaters, north and south. I even learned a thing or two. If you're looking for a great summary of the war, this is it.

[Kaylen Marks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book for very challenging for me. It took longer to read than most books this size. That however said, I learned so much from Revolution on the Hudson. If you want to learn more about the Revolutionary War then what you would learn in a basic history book then this is the book for you.

[Stephen Bauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the other reviews on Goodreads.

[Joe Schilp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covers the importance of the Hudson battles in the Revolutionary War.