The Winter Soldiers: The Battles for Trenton and Princeton

by Richard M. Ketchum

In the fall of 1776 the British delivered a crushing blow. New York fell and the anguished retreat through New Jersey followed. Winter came with a vengeance, bringing what Thomas Paine called “the times that try men’s souls.”

The Winter Soldiers is the story of a small band of men held together by George Washington in the face of disaster and hopelessness, desperately needing at least one victory to salvage both cause and country. It is a tale of unimaginable hardship and suffering that culminated in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. Without these triumphs, the rebellion that had begun so bravely could not have gone on.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Richard M. Ketchum graduated from Yale Unviersity and commanded a subchaser in the South Atlantic during World War II. As director of book publishing at American Heritage Publishing Company for twenty years, he edited many of that firm’s volumes, including The American Heritage Book of the Revolution and The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War , which received a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation. Ketcham was the cofounder and editor of Blair & Ketcham’s Country Journal , a monthly magazine about rural life. He and his wife live on a sheep farm in Vermont. He is the author of two other Revolutionary War Decisive Day and The Winter Soldiers .

Genres: History, American Revolution, American Revolutionary War, Nonfiction, American History, American, 18th Century

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

A graduate of Yale, Richard Ketchum was a writer and editor who worked for the American Heritage Publishing Company from 1956 until 1974.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 stars. This is a terrific military history book focusing on two of the decisive moments in the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton. Ketchum does a really good job of bringing to life the hardships faced by the colonists and amazing leadership provided by George Washington. Recommended!!

[Jon Gautier · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. History canned, or dried and smoked, or boiled and preserved, or pickled. Then delivered in dry, turgid prose. I made a little over 20 pages before it went onto the donation pile. I noticed a glowing review below that this is American history as it ought to be, true, unapologetic, just-the-facts-ma’am. And in a way, I get that. But it is also an un-nuanced rehash of the same old anecdotes strung together in an uninteresting way. (Jefferson’s Philadelphia living arrangements, Franklin’s story of the hat sign, Adams’s reasons why Jefferson should write the Declaration (probably apocryphal anyway), the key role of “Common Sense.” All delivered as in a high school text. Yawn. There is also a lack of focus. Flipping through the book, one realizes that it is neither the story of the ‘76 campaign, nor the story of Trenton and Princeton, but rather a long, meandering overview of politics, society, and military campaigning during ‘75 and ‘76.

The first 20 pages contain a regrettable and probably telling apologia for slavery in the colonies. Following a discussion of the colonists’ views on liberty, Ketchum aptly brings up the conundrum of slavery. Oh ho, thinks I, maybe this book is not so conventional for 1975 after all, while at the same time wondering how our “just-the-facts” reviewer felt about this discussion. Well, I found out pretty fast. After rightly pointing out that slavery didn’t square too well with “all men are created equal,” and then trotting out the usual anti-slavery quotes from Adams and others, Ketchum then proudly recounts how a bunch of Northern states were well on their way to abolishing the slave trade by the 1770s. Problem solved! But no mention of the Southern states that did no such thing, and no mention of the slavery-compromised Constitution (never mind the next 80 years). That is some pretty self-satisfied and willful blindness. And I think it also explains why Mr. “just-the-facts” loves Ketchum. Nothing here to make real Americans uncomfortable. Nothing here that raises difficult questions. Just an uninteresting rehash of the feel-good myths that we all know and love.

This seems like the kind of book that pretends to a tough “warts and all” telling of events. But my hunch is that the warts presented are merely obstacles the overcoming of which makes our Revolutionary heroes even more heroic. And no, I’m not going to pain myself to read the rest of the book to confirm this. The first 20 pages or so were painful enough. I’m sure folks will dismiss this review because I read 5% of the book. And they’re probably right. Go ahead and read it for yourself.

[Derailed · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way the American Revolution should be told. No apologies for what it took to become a free and independent country. With so many history books taking an anti-american/apologetic view on our history and founding it was nice to read one that was all facts without twisting them into something else. For all the people who bad mouth Gen. Washington for being a poor general and nothing more, must realize that he did something most men never would do. Stand strong, lead, and inspire the entire country. He guarded his reputation for the good of himself and the cause. And in the end most men would of kept on being a demigod and worked to bring the military completely under they're control without civil controls in place. He didn't.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody knows the famous painting of Washington crossing the Delaware. This is the story of the battle (Trenton) that he was going out to fight on that Christmas day. This book is that it delivers a lot of background on all of the countries and people involved in the conflict. The writer does an excellent job of putting the story in it's place and time so that you can understand the significance of what happened. Definitely worth a read if you want a close up study of a moment in the Revolutionary War, but it's certainly not for the casual history reader.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about the Revolutionary War from 1775-1776. The author packs in a ton of information about not only the main topic, but also related subjects like King George, the Hessians and the organization of German society, and the system of hiring officers in the British Army. All this is written in an entertaining style that never bogs down or becomes too overwhelming. I actually liked this better than David McCullough's 1776.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just five months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, even the indefatigable George Washington despaired of his new nation's prospects for independence from Great Britain. By December 1776, Washington and his ragtag army had suffered devastating defeats in Brooklyn and at Forts Washington and Lee. Combined losses amounted to thousands of his army's soldiers and the lion's share of its supplies. During his retreat south through frost-bitten New Jersey, Washington wrote to his brother telling him: "the game is pretty near up." Ketchum's excellent book tells the story of how at the turn of the new year, Washington and his army transformed despair into hope with two stunning, improbable victories against Howe, Cornwallis and their German allies at Trenton and Princeton. With his usual crisp and engaging style, Ketchum paints pictures of the personalities and events that made continuation of the quest for American independence possible in the face of disaster and desperation. This is the second of Ketchum's books on the War of Independence that I have read (the first was "Saratoga") and, in my opinion, he was the best of America's revolutionary war historians. I am eager to begin his "Victory At Yorktown", for which the unlikely victories at Trenton and Princeton were the necessary prequel.

[Clinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-told account of one of the biggest crises in American history. Washington was within two weeks of his army's dissolution and, with that, any chance of independence. He was desperate enough to do anything, even moving his army across the ice-choked Delaware in the middle of the night in a snowstorm. That only half of the army made it across testifies to the difficulty and desperation he faced.The degree of subsequent success tells all that is required of Washington's leadership. A big plus for me is the amount of attention paid to the exploits of the regiment in which my direct ancestor fought. I enjoyed following him around the battlefield on the included maps. Anyone interested in this area of our history will enjoy this book, even those without a personal connection to a participant.

[Dylan Gurl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well-written history of a specific period within a much larger story -- excellent for its assessment of individuals, ability to narrate overarching shifts in the early stages of the Revolution, and providing a sense of place for pivotal moments. As a Westchester local my only gripe would be the short-shrift given to the Battle of Pell's Point, a minor delaying action during Washington's retreat from NYC, but I can forgive it for that (read about it here, though! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_... )

[Terry Todish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well-written account of the early days of the Revolution, up through the battles of Trenton and Princeton. Interesting and and helpful notes for each section and an annotated bibliography add more depth and information. I thought Ketchum would only cover the winter campaign of 1776-1777, but he goes back to the earlier days of the Revolution for context, which adds to the overall quality and usefulness of the book.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. It's charming in an old-school, anecdotal way, but it took the author two thirds of the book to get to the named battles, and then he didn't even go into that much detail. Much of the book is actually a run up to what was going on in the Revolutionary War prior to Trenton/Princeton, but it's not particularly well organized, and sort of meanders through a number of people and places.

[Rahobeth Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great overview of the campaign of the winter of '76 and '77 ending at the Battle of Princeton. Doesn't focus on any particular person, instead it drifts into and out of the main players of the campaigns, giving enough insight and detail to help the reader form a picture of the people involved, their potential reasons and rational. Easy to read.

[John Kaminar · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent read! Ketchum’s description of the personalities and actions on both sides before and during the battles of Trenton and Princeton and his explanation of the causes and effects of those fights are first rate. I felt like I was there!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed and illuminating history of the campaigns to take the initiative from the British by attacking Trenton and Princeton in terrible winter weather. Washington overcame his many deficiencies to hit the British in their weak point.

[Leah]

Excellent.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth reading. Covers the same ground as Atkinson's The British Are Coming, but at about half the length. Both are well done, it just depends on how much time you want to commit.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

4/5 of the book is background, if this weren't the case the ranking would be higher

[Mminthorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE book on the pivotal moment in the War of Independence- far better than "1776" or "Washington's Crossing" at showing how the revolution hung by a thread before Trenton and Princeton. The increasing sense of desperation, even hopelessness, of the American cause is so beautifully built by Ketchum that our knowing how things turned out somehow doesn't lessen the tension. Wonderful, readable history at its best.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical book about the two turning point battles during the Revolutionary War. Inspired me to read more about George Washington.

[Urey Patrick]

Ketchum is absolutely the BEST writer/historian of the Revolutionary War period. Reads like a novel - incisive, delightful characterizations and anecdotes. Superb.

[Yvonne Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Ketchum is a very thorough writer when it come to the American Revolution. Very moving story about Washington crossing the Delaware River and battles at Trenton and Princeton

[James Violand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book about the hardest time for the Continental Army in Revolutionary America. A good read.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the first had sources that were used. Gave a clear picture of all the forces at work and a feeling for the viewpoints of the loyalists, rebels, hessians, etc

[David Haines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book that gives a real sense of what the Continental Army endured while fighting the British.

[Stephen Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrative is thrilling.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't give 4 stars very ofter