The History Book Club discussion

This is a thread devoted to the discussion of the AMERICAN REVOLUTION (people, locations, events, books and other publications, battles, historic sites, maps, research information, urls, etc.)

Please feel free to add any and all discussion information related to this topic area in this thread.

Bentley

The American Revolution took place from 1775 - 1783. This war was also known as the American War of Independence.

The belligerants were the United States of America (formerly the 13 colonies), France, Spain and The Netherlands versus Great Britain and allied German "Hessian" States: Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-Hanau, Brunswick, Waldeck, Brandenburg-Anspach, and Anhals-Zerbst.

The dates of the conflict:

Began: April 18, 1775
Ended: September 3, 1783

The types of conflict were: Inter-State and Colonial

Predecessor: The French and Indian War
Successor: The War of 1812

Source: Lee, R. "The American Revolutionary War"
http://www.historyguy.com/American_Re...

I read a very good book many years ago covering the American Revolutionary War but from a British perspective which I found very interesting and a damn good read. Has anyone else read this book?

Michael Pearson

Michael Pearson did not have a photo...you would have to add a link then...just remember the preview button.

Michael Pearson

No, I have not read it but it looks to be very good. I believe it is historical fiction, correct? We try to tell the membership whether it is non fiction (primary focus of group) or historical fiction.

There is alot of really good Revolutionary War books out there. These are some of my favorites.

[image error]


Gerald Carbone
Richard M. Ketchum
David McCullough
David Hackett Fischer
John Ferling
Robert Middlekauff

Some good books that I've read on this subject:
1776 by David McCullough
1776

First Salute by Barbara Tuchman which is about the first naval battle of the war.
The First Salute

Thank Joe for adding both covers and authors. Some great recommendations from both you and Don.

Don, I have added the authors:

Bentley wrote: "Michael Pearson did not have a photo...you would have to add a link then...just remember the preview button.

Michael Pearson

No, I have not read it but it looks to be very good. ..."

Hi Bentley,

'Aussie Rick' again. I have fixed up that link issue with the author and am now using the preview button so it shouldn't happen again. The book; "Those Damned Rebels" is a non fiction account using; "Using firsthand accounts - journals, letters from British officers in the field, reports from colonial governors in the colonies". Its a very good book and I am sure anyone who enjoys this peroid of history should enjoy this account.

Thanks for the clarification Rick..appreciate the work you are doing.

I have dug up a few other very good books covering the American War of Independence or the American Revolutionary War (which is the more correct term?).

by Christopher Hibbert (a classic)

and and (one of my all time favourites!) by Richard M. Ketchum

by Bruce Chadwick and by Hugh Bicheno

by Mark Urban (another favourite)

by Barbara W. Tuchman

A recently acquired second hand copy of:

Now We are Enemies by Thomas J. Fleming

I am sorry to say that I have quiet a few un-read books in my libary covering this period that I need time to read including this recent purchase;



[image error] by Lawrence E. Babits

I think we hear both....in America they like to talk about the American Revolution...when discussing this period with others it usually comes to be called American War of Independence. So both are fine.

The War for America, 1775-1783

Though dated, this remains by far the best account of Great Britain in the war. Mackesy was (is?) a fine historian.

Also, I've worked for 13 years on George Washington's Revolutionary War correspondence as part of this project:

The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War series, Volume 18 1 November 1778-14 January 1779

Nothing like going straight to the source! Working in depth with GW's military correspondence has also overturned, at least in my mind, some common misconceptions about his leadership. My assessment: flawed, but great (and great in part because he was flawed).

Thanks Ed for posting these books. We like to post the covers when available and also always the author's link and photo if available. Helps out with research, cross referencing within each thread.

I have included them for you:

Piers Mackesy

George Washington



Are you the editor of the work below? Edward G. Lengel ???

Ed wrote: "...Nothing like going straight to the source! Working in depth with GW's military correspondence has also overturned, at least in my mind, some common misconceptions about his leadership. My assessment: flawed, but great (and great in part because he was flawed)."

Hi Ed,
Back in July, I read The Ascent of George Washington by John Ferling and he paints a picture with a critical eye, just like you have suggested. He basically suggests that history has been too kind to Washington because no one could bare hearing anything negative about the Father of our country. It's interesting to read someone's comments who have spend time with his writings. I did spend some time writing a review of the book, if your interested in reading it. The link is below.

I have also recently acquired almost the complete 39 volume set of Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799 and plan on going through them as I have time. This set is also freely available online at http://etext.virginia.edu/washington/...

John Ferling

Joe wrote: "Ed wrote: "...Nothing like going straight to the source! Working in depth with GW's military correspondence has also overturned, at least in my mind, some common misconceptions about his leadership..."

Hi Joe,

I agree with your assessment. I know John Ferling and he's a dedicated scholar, but I think he's seriously misinterpreted Washington by overstating his ambitiousness and political pragmatism. Without going too deeply into it here, I think GW was an (often embittered and disillusioned) idealist and most importantly a stoic, and that this informed his public behavior. I don't see the driving ambitiousness that Ferling attributes to GW, at least not past his French and Indian War days.

Bentley wrote: "Thanks Ed for posting these books. We like to post the covers when available and also always the author's link and photo if available. Helps out with research, cross referencing within each threa..."

Sorry about not including the images, Bentley - I will do so in future. And yes that's me. I'm working on volume 22 of the Revolutionary War Series at the moment, covering the summer of 1779.

Well we are delighted to have you here. I am going to include you in the author's section then so that folks can link to the works.

Volume 22 - you must be intimately familiar with the Revolutionary War!!

It is odd isn't it - how romanticized the stories of the founding fathers have become. Almost mystic. I think GW just wanted to be left alone after awhile. He performed his duties, he served his country and then he wanted to go back to Mount Vernon. Of course, you are closer to him than I will ever be.

Thanks for your input, Ed.

I'm sure all of us who are interested in learning more about this period would be thrilled to read your future comments.

Here's a few more to add to your book list:


by John Millin Selby

by Jerome Greene

by William H. Hallahan



by Paul Douglas Lockhart

Bentley wrote: "Well we are delighted to have you here. I am going to include you in the author's section then so that folks can link to the works.

Volume 22 - you must be intimately familiar with the Revoluti..."

GW had two loves - his farm and his wife. He felt each second that he had to spend away from each during the war.

On the Revolutionary War - like many academics I am hyperspecialized, for better and for worse. I've worked heavily in 1777-1779, so I know the battles of the Philadelphia campaign, Valley Forge and Monmouth pretty well. And in 1779, when espionage fascinates GW and seriously impacts his military decisions for the first time, I'm pretty well versed. Outside that period, don't test me too much lest you expose my flimsy knowledge and reasoning!

I think I forgot to mention a recently released title covering a somewhat different subject, in fact a forgotten subject of the Revolutionary War:

by Edwin Burrows

Ed wrote: "Bentley wrote: "Well we are delighted to have you here. I am going to include you in the author's section then so that folks can link to the works.

Volume 22 - you must be intimately familiar..."

Ed,

Yes, by all accounts...Martha was a wonderful partner too and GW loved Mount Vernon...I think without this man there would not have been a union or a presidency that would have lasted. He really did take the country through some rough periods.

I think you have more knowledge about this period...hyperspecialized or not than most do. There are no tests here so you can relax (smile)

Aussie Rick..thank you for your add.

Thanks Aussie Rick for your suggestions. I do own a few of those in that list.There is so much to read, and so little time.

Ed,
I think that in order to be really proficient in something, we as aspiring historians need to specialise. To take GW as an example, there has been an enormous amount of talent during the last 200+ years adding to the interpretation of the founding of our country. And if someone wants to successfully contribute something new to that interpretation, one needs to understand not only what others have said, but also to be able to interpret something fresh and interesting that someone, like yourself, has yet thought of. That's an enormous challenge.

I for one wouldn't be able to imagine trying to contribute without picking one period and trying to learn it well. Especially since I have only been trying to study in my spare time for the last 5 years or so. But just to better understand who GW was, and learn how he managed to succeed, given the enormous obstacles he faced, is fascinating enough for now.

Here is a book offering a different perspective of the American War of Independence:


by William R. Nester

I'm not too sure how good the book is as I'm yet to read my copy!

I just came across a book in my library that was first published in 1976 and may interest readers of this period of history:

General Burgoyne in Canada and America: Scapegoat for a system by Michael Glover

With so many good books out there covering this period of history it's hard to select one good book to recommend. Does anyone have a favourite title? I can get my list down to maybe five best of's which would include three volumes by Richard M. Ketchum and an older book:

by Michael Pearson

Another un-read book in my library that offers a different perspective of the war is this title, first published in 1962:

THE BARONESS AND THE GENERAL by Louise Hall Tharp (no cover available)

"Her wit, courage and beauty made the war more bearable for the General, 'Gentleman Johnny,' Mr. Jefferson and others." This is the story of the extraordinary life of the Baroness Frederika von Riedesel, wife of the German general who commanded Britain's mercenary troops in the American Revolution.

I read this book years ago and I liked it:

by Robert Leckie

Bryan wrote: "I read this book years ago and I liked it:

by Robert Leckie"

Hi Bryan,
Thanks for that post, I have some of Robert Leckie's books but have not seen this one before. I will have to check it out.

I decided to get a copy of Leckie's book, another to add to my 'to-read' list :)

Good to hear. I read it while I was traveling in Virginia.

That would have been great to read about parts of the American Revolution while travelling over the same area and walking over some of the places mentioned in the narrative.

I must confess I worked at a couple of different locations on Boston's 'Freedom Trail' when I lived there, but I still can't pretend to be an expert on the American War of Independence, and have forgotten most of what I did know now that I work mainly in a different place and time! I do have a couple of recommendations, if that is OK?


and James Deetz

Duntay:

Recommendations are always welcome. As Bentley would say, "we have no experts here." Or something like that.

I read Schama's book and I enjoyed it very much. He focused on part of the Revolution (slaves) that really is not talked about much. Did you like it?

I also enjoyed Schama's book "Rough Crossings", a very enjoyable and interesting read, something different about the American War of Independence. A good recommendation Duntay.

by Simon Schama

I enjoyed 'Rough Crossings ' very much- I like Schama's writing style generally, and I like to see things from different angles.

I've just came across this book; "The War Man: The True Story of a Citizen-Soldier Who Fought from Quebec to Yorktown" by Robert A. Mayers. It looked pretty interesting so I've ordered a copy and I've posted the details here in case other readers of the American Revolution are interested.

by Robert A. Mayers
Publishers blurb:
An Intimate Portrait of a Real Soldier of the American Revolution
In 1775, the first year of the American Revolution, Congress made an appeal for troops. The resulting army of citizen-soldiers began what for many would be more than five years of battle and deprivation. Their consolation, however, was that they would ultimately defeat the most powerful army of the age and win independence for the new country of America. John Allison, a New York farmer, answered the call to arms in 1775, joining the Continental Army's 3rd New York Infantry. Allison was surrounded by like-minded volunteers, yet all were equally unprepared for campaigning. Despite the lack of training, equipment, and clothing, Allison and the rest of his company found themselves marching toward Quebec knee-deep in snow as part of the unsuccessful American invasion of Canada.
So begins the remarkable story of the wartime experiences of a foot soldier of the American Revolution. Using letters, muster rolls, orderly books, service records, and oral family history, Robert A. Mayers reconstructs the campaign life of John Allison. What makes his life remarkable is that he participated in many key events across the colonies for the duration of the war. Allison fought at the gates of Montreal, the battle of Fort Montgomery on the Hudson--where most of his company was either killed or went missing--the decisive Sullivan-Clinton operation against the Iroquois, endured the bitter winter at Morristown, New Jersey, and helped man the frontline at the American victory at Yorktown, Virginia. During Allison's eight-year military career, he survived numerous skirmishes and battles across the colonies, was promoted to the rank of corporal, and returned home a local hero. The War Man: The True Story of a Citizen-Soldier Who Fought From Quebec to Yorktown is a unique opportunity to follow the course of the American Revolution through the eyes of a front-line volunteer.

I've just started reading I recently returned from a short visit to the Philadelphia area and visited the Princeton and Trenton sites. I live in Texas and don't get the opportunity to go northeast very often. The book is really a good read so far and very interesting having visited the area. I would definitely recommend reading it if you haven't already.

Hello Mick, you did great with the add aside from the author's link which shows the author's name. Just one more step, remember the book cover when available (it usually is), then the author's photo when available (sometimes it is available and sometimes not) and always the author's link at the end which is their name in text like below.

David Hackett Fischer

by David Hackett Fischer

How did you like Philadelphia and Princeton (love the Princeton area - used to live there)?

The book sounds quite interesting. Thank you so much for the add Mick.

I had a great trip. Beautiful country. So much history, so little time! It has definitely sparked my interest in The American Revolution. I hope to return soon.

Great choice, Mick. I really enjoyed this book, too. Nothing like Philly/NJ to kick off your interest.

Hi Mick, a pretty good book indeed. It must have been a thrill to visit the Princeton and Trenton sites? I have this author's other book covering the American Revolution; "Paul Revere's Ride", sitting un-read in my library!
I read and really enjoyed his book "Champlain's Dream", it may interest you as well.

by David Hackett Fischer

by David Hackett Fischer

Here is another new title covering an interesting period of the American Revolution; the Saratoga Campaign and the Wilderness War of 1777.

by Michael O. Logusz
Publishers blurb:
A comprehensive look at the brutal wilderness war that secured America's independence . . .

With Musket and Tomahawk is a vivid account of the American and British struggles in the sprawling wilderness region of the northeast during the Revolutionary War. Combining strategic, tactical, and personal detail, this book describes how the patriots of the recently organized Northern Army defeated England's massive onslaught of 1777, thereby all but ensuring America's independence.

Conceived and launched by top-ranking British military leaders to shatter and suppress the revolting colonies, Britain's three-pronged thrust was meant to separate New England from the rest of the nascent nation along the line of the Hudson River. Thus divided, both the northern and southern colonies could have been defeated in detail, unable to provide mutual assistance against further attacks.

Yet, despite intense planning and vast efforts, Britain's campaign resulted in disaster when General John Burgoyne, with 6,000 soldiers, emerged from a woodline and surrendered his army to the Patriots at Saratoga in October 1777.

Underneath the umbrella of Saratoga, countless battles and skirmishes were waged from the borders of Canada southward to Ticonderoga, Bennington, and West Point. Heroes on both sides were created by the score, though only one side proved victorious, amid a tapestry of madness, cruelty, and hardship in what can rightfully be called "the terrible Wilderness War of 1777."

Yikes! I've just found another new title covering this period of history:


by James Nelson
Publishers blurb:
One shining yet overlooked moment that changed the course of the Revolutionary War.
In the opening months of 1781, General George Washington feared his army would fail to survive another campaign season. The spring and summer only served to reinforce his despair, but in late summer the changing circumstances of war presented a once-in-a-war opportunity for a French armada to hold off the mighty British navy while his own troops with French reinforcements drove Lord Cornwallis's forces to the Chesapeake. The Battle of the Capes would prove the only time the French ever fought the Royal Navy to a draw, and for the British army it was a catastrophe. Cornwallis confidently retreated to Yorktown, expecting to be evacuated by a British fleet that never arrived. In the end he had no choice but to surrender. Although the war sputtered on another two years, its outcome was never in doubt after Yorktown.
General Washington's Great Gamble is the story of the greatest naval engagement of the American Revolution. It is also a study in leadership, good and bad, political machinations and the wild, unpredictable circumstances that led to the extraordinary confluence of military and naval resources at that time and place.


Also by the same author:

by James L. Nelson
Publishers blurb:
The story of America’s fight for independence has been dominated by accounts from the battlefields where George Washington fought the British, but one of the most critical and least remembered battles of 1776 was a bloody, lopsided fight on a wilderness lake hundreds of miles north. In a war marked by improbable turning points, that one naval battle would, in the end, prove the key to America's ultimate victory.

Award-winning historian James L. Nelson weaves a thrilling narrative around the Battle of Valcour Island, in which a cobbled-together American fleet, led by the bold and resourceful Arnold, stood up to the might of the British navy, only to be destroyed in the end by overwhelming odds. Setting the desperate battle in its context, Benedict Arnold ’s Navy describes the strategic importance of the Hudson River and Lake Champlain, the ambitious and largely successful American invasion of Quebec in 1775, and the bloody retreat of the following year. The one-year delay of the subsequent British invasion from Canada won by Arnold’s gallant, overmatched fleet made possible an American triumph in the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, the first significant victory of the Revolution. This success finally convinced France to join America in arms and turned the tide of war.

Using storytelling skills honed by a dozen novels, including the popular Revolution at Sea Saga and the W. Y. Boyd Award-winning Glory in the Name, Nelson brings to life a new image of Benedict Arnold. He is not the vainglorious traitor of popular imagination but a fearless and talented officer, a favorite of General Washington, and a man who, in thirty months of fighting, led troops into hell and back.

This suspenseful drama is a salutary reminder that the American Revolution between 1775 and 1778 was a two-front war. Benedict Arnold ’s Navy is a much needed look at the less-celebrated front to the north, where armies clashed in the wilderness and on the cold waters of Lake Champlain in battles that would determine the outcome of the war as surely as the fighting at Trenton and Yorktown.

I can't see the title Aussie Rick....is the cover for this book missing or not working properly.

Hi Bentley, I think there is an issue with Goodreads and the title picture not working properly. I have noticed of late that a lot of images are coming up with broken or missing images, even ones they were initially there have 'disappeared'!

Very strange. Maybe with some of the changes and upgrades this has happened. Odd. Well I am sure that they will fix this sooner or later.

I thought I might follow on with my own suggestion about what was a person's favourite military history book by mention my favourite in each thread and see if anyone else has read that book and what they thought.
The one book that has remained with me long after reading it covering the American Revolution was Michael Pearson's "Those Damned Rebels: The American Revolution as Seen Through British Eyes".
Has anyone else read this book and did or didn’t like it?
What was one book that you have read about in this period of history that you would consider one of the best on the subject?

by Michael Pearson

I have seen this book on the shelf, but I have not read it. I will have to now.

I still find the best one volume history:
Robert Middlekauff

It is concise, but pretty comprehensive. I used it for reference while at Monticello.

Hi Bryan, I think you will enjoy it if you get the chance to read it. I am sorry to say that I have an un-read copy of Robert Middlekauff's book somewhere in my library. Too many books not enough time eh!

Here is a new book out covering a pivotal battle of the American Revolution; "Monmouth Court House: The Battle that Made the American Army ".


by Joseph G. Bilby
Publishers blurb:
The battle of Monmouth Court House, New Jersey, is among the most important battles in the history of the American Army. Well known in American mythology as the battle where Molly Pitcher fought alongside her fallen husband, Monmouth Court House is regarded by historians as the moment when the image of the American army in both Europe and the colonies was transformed from that of a rag-tag band of ill-trained civilians to that of a disciplined, well-guided, professional military unit. In June 1778, British General Henry Clinton's army evacuated Philadelphia and struck out across "the Jerseys" on its way back to New York City. George Washington's Continental Army, retrained and confident after enduring a winter at Valley Forge and supplemented by a large number of fresh New Jersey militia, marched in pursuit. About 50 miles south of New York City, the armies clashed at Monmouth Court House on June 28, in the last major Revolutionary War battle in the north. Essentially a draw, the battle marked the first time in the war that the Continental Army was able to hold a battlefield, fighting the full force of the British army to a standstill. Monmouth Court House: The Battle that Made the American Army, by Joseph G. Bilby and Katherine Bilby Jenkins is the story of this battle, how it came to be, and its influence on the course of the war and American history.

The authors set Monmouth Court House within the context of the American Revolution and the civil war between Tories and Whigs that erupted in New Jersey during that time. The entire campaign and battle are described, including an analysis of the commanders, personnel, organization, training, and weapons of both armies. The book also assesses the historiography and folklore of the battle, including the story of the real "Molly Pitcher," the use of the battleground as Civil War muster-in camp, its eventual status as Monmouth Battleground State Park, and current efforts at interpretation and battlefield archaeology and how they have changed our understanding of the battle.

Sounds interesting, A.R. For a financial side of the Revolution, a new book coming out:

by Charles Rappleye

I reviewed it and it was good-the definitive history on Robert Morris who served as Superintendent of Finance (1781-1784). He ended up in the poor-house, in part using his own credit to get money for Washington's army.