A Short History of the American Revolution

by James L. Stokesbury

The first one-volume survey of the American Revolution that is both objective and comprehensive, this outstanding narrative history traces the growth of a conflict that inexorably set the American colonies on the road to independence. Offering a spirited chronicle of the war itself -- the campaigns and strategies, the leaders on both sides, the problems of fielding and sustaining an army, and of maintaining morale -- Stokesbury also brings the reader to the Peace of Paris in 1783 and into the miltarily exhausted, financially ruined yet victorious United States as it emerged to create a workable national system.

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

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 28, 1991

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating <3.5

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stokesbury does his usual good job of taking a large topic and summarizing it with this volume. He provides overviews of the political, military, and other dimensions of the Revolutionary War and gives the reader a fundamental understanding of all of them. In some instances he goes into too much detail on a peripheral topic (e.g. naval activity between Britain, France, Spain, et. al at war's end that had little impact on it and could have been summarized in a sentence), but such things are in the eye of the beholder and what is too much detail for one reader may be too little for another. As someone who knew nothing about the subject of the Revolutionary War, this book was a helpful overview and great starting point; with the knowledge gained from it I can focus on more detailed aspects later.

[Heather Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellently written history about the American Revolution. I appreciated how the author provided more of an European overview of the war than just focusing on Britian vs the colonies. The first half of the book was entertaining which I read through rather quickly. The sections that focused on battles were a bit dry but that can be expected. The humor was on point. I wished he'd gone more detail into the lives of the soldiers. Every so often he acknowledged the strength and support that women provided to the war effort. No great detail, just general acknowledgement. It would have been nice to read about how the enslaved people in the colony played a role. After all, Crispus Attucks was one of the first people to die in the Boston Massacre. In general, a nice, somewhat detailed compact history of the Revolutionary War. Perfect for those needing a refresher on the topic.

[Lynn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given it's length (288 pages), the title is a bit of a misnomer insomuch as how can a book almost 300 pages in length be considered short? However, it is accurate as it is a short history of the American Revolution. It is by no means comprehensive, as it would take volumes to undertake such a task. The American Revolutionary War was far more lengthy and complex than we have generally been taught in school. This book is a good condensation of the facts and events before during and after the war. While many books have been written about the Revolutionary War and the sundry aspects of the war, if you would like a detailed but "short" overview of the war, it's causes and results, this is a very good read.

[Gary Gomes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, in my genre of understanding history without earning a Doctorate in it, this books met my requirements for understanding the stages of the American Revolution. Having received a good understanding of the period leading up to the revolution by reading a good biography of Benjamin Franklin this book provided a good oversight of the conflict and resolution itself. Look, if you like history without a post graduate level education of learning this book will satisfy that need for this period. If you don't like history at any level, this book would just bore you.

[Don Paske · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good, but not great book about the American Revolution. He also added A LOT of information on Britain and the problems there.

[Kalman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is exactly what the title says it is.

[Nicole Walbek · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jeff Rosendahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm tempted to say it's not as good as his A Short History of World War II, but that may be because I'm much more well-read on WWII, and have read through the WWII book more. But this is still an excellent single volume history of the American Revolution. I appreciate Stokesbury portraying the causes prior to the beginning of the war, as well as the conclusions following the end of the war. Prior to reading this, I had never really understood all the complexities of the American Revolution, nor understood the world-wide implications. I have the feeling that Americans have forgotten much of what was once common knowledge about our beginnings. This book is an excellent introduction to much of what has been lost.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book thoroughly covers the American Revolution War, beginning with “the shot heard around the world” to the signing of the peace nine years later. Comprehensive and thoughtful, I appreciated Stokesbury’s insight into the big picture and how the world-stage affected the war. His knowledge of the times, cultures, and customs of the Colonies, England, and other countries is perceptive. He writes more about the war than the people whose policies gave rise to the war. I would have preferred more about the people but then his “A Short History” would have become long! For under 300 pages he did good but I think this is more a guy's book.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very easy to follow and provides a general outline of events that occurred during the American Revolution. It doesn't focus on just the American point of view but also includes a decent analysis of the British position as well. As a untrained U.S. history buff, it provides enough detail to keep it moving without being too filled with tedious facts. My fiance and I read it both at the same time and look forward to reading Mr. Stokesbury's other volumes on the other major wars.

[Read1000books · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little less humor and a lot more maps would have made this book much better. [I suggest reading it with a copy of Craig L. Symonds' "A Battlefield Atlas Of The American Revolution" close at hand.] As far as the history portion: it was good, and we are greatly indebted to our ancestors for the freedoms that they won with very little resources except iron-willed determination.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent general history of the American Revolutionary period. One of a series of ""short history"" books written by the late James Stokesbury, which offer great introductions for the beginner, and a good read for those with more extensive knowledge of the periods covered. Overall a good overview, recommended

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book, but where are the maps? I felt like I had to constantly reference maps online while reading this book. The author would describe the tactical maneuvers in a battle, but with out a map to reference I felt lost at times.

[Curtiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Mr. Stokesbury's lucid & insightful, one-volume histories of various conflicts or battlefield weapons systems.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting, succinct review of the thing. I want to say it was "fair" to the British too, even though I really can't say that without obvious bias.

[Rchune · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good