History of the American Revolution discussion

I just finished reading Nathanael Greene A Biography of the American Revolution by Gerald M. Carbone

Here's my review...

Since I live in eastern Connecticut, and am walking distance from Westerly, RI, I felt a personal familiarity while reading about most of the landmarks and communities described in this biography of Nathanael Greene by Gerald Carbone. My initial enthusiasm while starting it soon evolved into a sense that the author was rushing through certain details. Carbone could have added about another 50 to 100 pages, at least, to describe in more detail most of the major instances in Greene's life, especially some of his earlier battles and the details surrounding some of his more famous events. But in the end, this book gave me a much better appreciation of who Nathanael Greene was and how much he sacrificed for our Independence. I guess what I took away from Carbone's book was a better sense of respect for Nathanael Greene's sacrifice. Very few people gave of themselves more to win our War of Independence more than did Major-General Nathanael Greene.

Freedom Just Around the Corner: A New American History: 1585-1828 by Walter A. Mcdougall.

What I like: strongest emphasis I've read about the roots of conflict in colonists land grabbing and attacks on native peoples and the Crown's interests in making peace with Indians to reduce security costs. Also lack of willingness of colonies to pay for it.
Also: Not unique at all, but nice description of very long history of resistance to Royal authority such that the 1770s look like almost inevitable result.
Also: General theme of highlighting the roguery, hustling, shady deal-making is actually nice. It emphasizes the messiness of history. One thing that irks me is the constant focus on "Americans' quest for liberty" and so on. Yes, that is part of it, but is always clear when you look at current events that later become "history", the former is always way messier than the later tends to describe.

I HATE the practice of an endnote section with no page references. Why do historians use the utterly worst method of footnoting possible?

Hi! I'm new to the group.

I'm currently working on "American Prometheus" by Bird and Sherwin. I'm about to start "The Age of Jackson" by Schlesinger.

I recently finished "John Adams" and "The Making of the Atomic Bomb"

I tried to get into "The Education of Henry Adams" but I just found him too self-negating (everything he said he then un-said). But I want to try him again.

Jeffrey wrote: "Freedom Just Around the Corner: A New American History: 1585-1828 by Walter A. Mcdougall.

What I like: strongest emphasis I've read about the roots of conflict in colonists land grabbing and attac..."

Hi Jeffrey,
I own a copy of "Freedom Just Around the Corner" and have been wanting to read it for quite some time now... something else seems to always catch my interest first. But I actually also own McDougall's next volume of his history series, "Throes of Democracy: The American Civil War Era 1829-1877." I'm hoping to read the both of them.

Benjamin wrote: "Hi! I'm new to the group.

I'm currently working on "American Prometheus" by Bird and Sherwin. I'm about to start "The Age of Jackson" by Schlesinger.

I recently finished "John Adams" and "The M..."

"John Adams" was another great read... I assume your talking about David McCullough's grand attempt. Few men worked harder to win our Independence than did John Adams. His work all over Europe, always learning the language of his host country, and winning loans for the cause... Essential behind-the-scenes negotiating. And what about his son, John Quincy? What better opportunity to learn while traveling across Europe with Dad.

I also want to read James Grant's "John Adams: Party of One" as well.

I am currently reading Founding Brothers The Revolutionary Generation & General George Washington A Military Life. I highly recommend both.

I highly HIGHLY recommend Freedom Just Around the Corner: A New American History: 1585-1828 by Walter A. Mcdougall. Whew...what a piece of work. It...and the fact that this is the quadricentennial of Samuel de Champlain's founding of Quebec and putting a European name on Lake Champlain...have really pushed me to understand the French impact on colonization and the impact of the Revolution on Canadian history. In a nutshell, the British were concerned about Quebecois discontent in the Revolutionary period and made some significant concessions to the French population of Quebec in order to avoid unrest and to be able to send troops south. Never knew this.

Wow, I never knew that either.

I recently finished "The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon" by John Ferling. Here's my review.

Ferling takes a rather unorthodox approach with Washington's biography, but one that possibly should have been contemplated years ago. Ferling expresses the viewpoint that history has painted a far too rosy a picture of our first President, and therefore consistently examines Washington's life with the perspective of revealing his true ambitions, faults, and successes. Ferling try's to be as fair as possible, and I don't think Ferling's conclusions were inaccurate in any way, but after reading this book, it did seem Ferling was constantly giving Washington the short end of the stick. Maybe Ferling was right... It's difficult hearing about Washington's faults. But overall, it was a very good read, and one that should be considered by all who are in the market for a good and current Washington biography.

Hi there! I'm new to Goodreads and this group.

I'm currently reading "Turncoats, Traitors & Heroes: Espionage in the American Revolution" by John Bakeless.

Recently read Nathanael Greene A Biography of the American Revolution by Gerald M. Carbone.

Now reading This Glorious Struggle George Washington's Revolutionary War Letters.

Doug in South Carolina is currently reading: An Artist in Treason: The Extraordinary Double Life of General James Wilkinson, by Andro Linklater; and Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America, by Jack Rakove.

I'm new, be gentle. Just started The Unknown American Revolution by Gary Nash. Like the earlier mentioned Freedom Just Around the Corner: A New American History: 1585-1828, this one describes a rowdier, seedier set of events leading to revolution, rowdier and seemier, that is, than the pure intellectual discourse we so often encounter.

Steve, I really enjoyed MacDougal's work and hope you do, too. I'm just starting The American Revolution in Indian Country: Crisis and Diversity in Native American Communities by Colin G. Calloway. Next on the list is Gary Nash's Red, White, and Black.
I thought Nash's The Unknown American Revolution was fascinating. Starting with the MacDougal volumes, I'm really interested in histories that are much less mythologizing that what I grew up on. I'm sure I'll catch fire for this, and it is a gross over-simplificatio, but the much messier stories, full of greed, murder (how about the massacre of the friendly but more convenient Delaware groups?) and deceit have led me to see the birth of the US more as "something that happened" and much less so as "the glorious birth of the Exceptional America". Please post your reactions when you're done!

I too just finished Carbone's biography of Nathanael Greene, and I also felt it was somewhat brief and ended rather abruptly. I felt it could have used an epilogue that might have told us what became of his wife Caty and their children. Nevertheless I enjoyed it as I had been wanting to learn more about Greene after reading several favorable comments about him Washington, Hamilton and Adams biographies. I now feel that along with Marshall and Adams, Greene may be one of the most unappreciated figures of the Revolutionary era. My next biography will likely be of Henry Knox, the only other General besides Greene and Washington that served throughout the entire Revolutionary War.

Tempest at Dawn

I took a little break from American Revolution books but this was the last I red. Technically its about the Constitutional Convention and its fiction but its just a marvellously written book and follows history very closely. For a change of pace I recommend it

Btw my next two will be about two generals who were crucial to our success; Greene (Carbone's bio) and a book on Baron von Stoebbel.

I am currently writing a book on General Washington's war powers. Called "The Blood of Tyrants: Washington's War," the book traces his approach to such hot-button issues as tribunals, torture, and property seizure, spanning from Lexington to the Constitutional Convention. I am developing a blog as I write and would love our group's feedback as I go. What would you like to read more about? What do you find most/least interesting? I hope to make this book into something you will love! Thank you very much.

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-...
Blog: www.BloodyTyrants.com

Hello everyone!
My name is Angie and I just joined this group.

I just finished A People's History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence by Ray Raphael and it was a wonderful history of the Revolution from a common person's perspective. I look forward to reading new authors and having discussions with all of you!

John AdamsAbout 75% the way through it.

I am reading "George Washington's New Jersey". I recently finished "This Glorious Struggle: George Washington's Revolutionary War Letters".

I'm currently reading a slew of books on the Revolution as I do background research for my next novel of the period, but the most important one I'm working on the at the moment is Year of the Hangman: George Washington's Campaign Against the Iroquois, as it covers the area and period I'm currently interested in.

Also in-progress right now are The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution, A Loyalist Letterbook: Letterbook of Captain Alexander McDonald and Legends Traditions and Laws of the Iroquois.

Does anyone know any good books about the British side of the war: the British strategies, tactics, decisions, etc.?
The only ones I can find are The British Army in North America 1775-1783, British Army in North America, 1793-1815, With Zeal and with Bayonets Only: The British Army on Campaign in North America, 1775-1783, and "The War of Independence: The British Army in North America, 1775-1783" by Sir John William Fortescue.
Are they any good?

Jerome, you might want to try The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam. It obviously covers more than just the Revolutionary War, however, that section was the best part of the book for me, and it was told from the British perspective. Here's my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I strongly agree with Steve. This is fairly short (as in, not book-length) piece that outlines the British strategy. Also terrific on British politics and how the preconceptions, biases and ideological bent of the leading anti-independence politicians led to the loss of the American Colonies. It would be extremely hard to miss the stunning parallels to the American experience in Vietnam, especially since that's a later chapter.
I also think David Hackett Fischer's Washington's Crossing has a lot of relevant information to the early British strategy and tactics. It's not the direct focus of the book, but is critical to understanding Fischer's thesis that the Battle of Trenton was a, if not THE, key to the American victory.
Another aspect, rarely discussed in American writings on the war, is that the British had a global perspective and the American Colonies were only one fairly small part of that. I'd like to read more on that aspect.
An intriguing story of the culture and politics of empire and how important something so apparently innocuous as giving a customary gun salute to visiting ships was, is The First Salute: A View of the American Revolution (1988) by Barbara Tuchman.

I started reading Ethan Allen: his life and times by Willard Sterne Randall. I didn't get a chance to finish it before I had to return it to the library. I also just finished Masquerade: the life and times of Deborah Sampson, Continental soldier. This book was mostly speculative since there is so little evidence for her--expect the "authorized" biography that was written with her permission in the early 1800s.

Well, this is a pretty broad query, but what is the best, most comprehensive single-volume overview of the Revolution? People are telling me:
-The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789
-Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence
-Angel in the Whirlwind
Would you guys agree?

Anyway, I just ordered the following books:

Just received



and

Hey guys I'm technically new here been a member a while but never posted. As for what I'm reading. I've got several military history books I'm reading. The one on the American Revolution I'm currently reading is "The War Of The Revolution" by Christopher Ward. I've got the two volume in one edition. Its a highly informative narrative on the military aspect of the war. Really interesting.

Just started The First Salute

Jerome wrote: "Just started The First Salute"

I think you'll enjoy it.

Benjamin wrote: "Hi! I'm new to the group.

I'm currently working on "American Prometheus" by Bird and Sherwin. I'm about to start "The Age of Jackson" by Schlesinger.

I recently finished "John Adams" and "The M..."

Benjamin wrote: "Hi! I'm new to the group.

I'm currently working on "American Prometheus" by Bird and Sherwin. I'm about to start "The Age of Jackson" by Schlesinger.

I recently finished "John Adams" and "The M..."

Hi Benjamin,

I've read and have all the books you've mentioned. Great selection. The Making of the Atomic Bomb is one of the best books I've ever read. Check out some of the other McCollough books. They are all excellent.

Recently finished . Very good!

This was also pretty good: by Stanley Weintraub

And I just started this:

by Simon Schama

I just got done with college a couple weeks ago and now that I have time to read on my own time I just started 1776. After that I'm gonna either read Founding Brothers or American Creation, I don't know which one I should do first.

Currently reading:
Bunker Hill A City, A Siege, A Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick

George Washington's Military Genius by Dave Richard Palmer

A Leap in the Dark by John Ferling

Just finished reading Washington by Ron Chernow (one thorough book). On the flipside of US History, I'm helping to caption the US History since 1877 videos for ETSU's new US History MOOC.
W.D. Currie

Samuel Adams - A Life by Ira Scott

Thomas Jefferson, Art of Power. About to begin an audiobook on Bunker Hill as well.

Empires Collide: The French and Indian War 1754-1763

I want to get a bit of the history before the revolution.

Profiles in Courage - John F. Kennedy

Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick. I'm listening to it by audio book

Philbrick is the best! Hope you enjoy the book.

I recommend anything by John Ferling!

I am currently reading Rick Atkinson's vol.1, The British are Coming.