A Different View of the Revolutionary War
924013
Eliza Boylston was born in 1756 to a wealthy family in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Her family was very privileged with many slaves and she enjoys the best of everything.  She follows in her parents footsteps, viewing the slaves as possessions instead of people until she becomes close to the family cook and her young son.  About this time, the colonies start to revolt against the British rule.  Money is tight and the cooks young son is sold leaving both the mother and Eliza devastated.  She realizes the injustice of this.  Then, the unthinkable happens, Eliza falls in love and bears a child with a slave that belongs to her uncle.  As she struggles to free him so they can share a life, she matures and becomes a better person.

The author has a very even paced, methodical writing style.  The story is told in chronological order in the third person.  It moves at a good tempo and all lose ends are tied up at the conclusion of the story.  The storyline itself is intriguing and brings to light how slaves were treated in the northern colonies before the Declaration of Independence was written.  It was recognized that the institution of slavery was wrong, but there were bigger issues facing the colonists and it would have to be dealt with at a later time.

I enjoyed this book.  While it is historical fiction, it attempts to explain why the founding fathers did not deal with slavery at that time.  It can be read and enjoyed by both young and old readers and I highly recommend it to both.
3280773
"1776" is a very readable and enjoyable account of the first year of the American Revolutionary War.  The style is typical of David McCullough, except that the book is a welcome 300 pages instead of his usual 700 to 1,000 pages.

The book begins with the successful siege of Boston, follows  Washington's army through the debacles of Brooklyn, White Plains and Fort Lee and concludes with the year-end turning points of Trenton and Princeton.  McCullough gives the reader a real feel for the horrible living conditions of the Continental Army and for the rag tag nature of the army in general.  This image is starkly contrasted to the professional, experienced, well trained and well supplied British and Hessian forces.  Also provided are rare up-close and personal views of both King George III and His Excellency George Washington.  The King is depicted not as the buffoon one normally imagines, but as a generally responsible monarch trying to react to a difficult situation in the colonies. Washington is painted not as a god, but as a human being with great character and leadership skills, but with a few shortcomings including lack of professional military experience and some occasional indecisiveness .  McCullough clearly demonstrates the divided nature of both Parliament and the American populace on the need for the war as well as how close the independence movement came to failure.

My only criticism is that the addition of a few more maps would have been helpful in visualizing the battles and troop movements as well as in relating the battles to today's geography.

Overall, though, this is an excellent book.
510675
Mr Langguth explains in his introduction that his
experience as a reporter during the Vietnam war renewed his interest in the American revolution.  This book is a lively
summary of the revolution (a couple of interesting details--
Paul Revere's famous ride took him past a hanged slave,
and Sam Adams was not quite a brewer and a better rabble-rouser
than businessman) with some unusual perspectives on incidents
and personalities, but without broad new ideas.  An enjoyable
read, but not a brilliant work.
I found myself thinking of IF Stone's Trial of Socrates,
another book by a capable nonexpert, rather than Barbara
Tuchman's ambitious and often succesful non-academic histories.
1202357
1776 Adds perspective to the American Revolution, and provides many new details, but is a bit long for those just wanting basic history.
2247854
During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington relied on an intelligence-gathering group of barkeeps, neurotics, hypochondriacs and smugglers to keep him informed of British-occupied New York. Most young men were galvanized to join the militia. Other men and women served their country in more covert, creative ways.

Celebrated historical author, Alexander Rose, reveals the story of Washington's Spies, a fascinating tapestry of eighteenth century life, code creators and double agents. These information gatherers traversed the Hudson, Connecticut and Long Island bringing chief spymaster, George Washington, timely and accurate intelligence of English Admiral Howe's designs and movements in Manhattan. Howe was slow, but Washington knew he was methodical and needed to keep track of what Howe had up his sleeve. These covert activities ultimately helped us win the Revolutionary War.

Mysterious chapter headings will perk your interest ("The Man of Parts and Halves," "The Year of the Hangman"). The book overflows with fascinating details about privateering to benefit the Colonials, invisible ink and secret codes. Connecticut residents will enjoy reading about Weathersfield, Mystic, East Haddam and New Haven.

Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont
1118285
Yes the play "1776" is great but this book fills in a common man's experience of the some of the Battles of the Revolution.  George Washington's bio is more battle orientated but this book fills in the common experience of the time frame.  A must read for all who enjoy Revolutionary History.
949907
The Revolutionary War as fought in South Carolina, especially Charlotte and the surrounding plantations.  British Generals, Cornwallis and Clinton are featured as well as the continental general Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion. Interesting civilian characters from both sides--Tories and Patriots and the contributions and dedication of slaves. Many descriptions of those who endured several years of war often through their belief in the importance of independence.
3875991
Enjoyed this book. Really not a book about Jefferson, but all about the first U.S. war after the Revolutionary War with Britain. Maybe a better title would have been "First Away War -- US vs Pirates" (but what do I know about naming books).

In the time frame of 1780 through 1815 if you wanted to sail into the Mediterranean sea you had two choices: 1) Pay a protection fee to the north African countries (really protection money); or 2) Risk being raided by their Pirates.  The Pirates took your ship and imprisoned the men from the ship and requested a ransom payment form the country the men originated from. France and Britain paid high protection fees (which was referred to as a tribute fees); however the US, being a new country and not as wealthy as France and Britain struggled to pay the large fees. These fees ranged from $10,000 to $200,000 annually in the dollars of that day. The ruler of Tripoli got tired of the US excuses for paying late and not enough so declared war on the US. It took the US several years to build a navy to defend their commercial ships trying to trade in the area from the attacks of the Tripoli based pirates (all the while still paying tribute to the other north African countries). Over time more and more ships were captured by the Tripoli Pirates and thus the number of US sailors imprisoned in Tripoli kept rising. Finally the issue came to a head with both a sea and land battles. This book tells this story of lead up to this conflict and the failures and successes of the battles. It also draws a fascinating portrait of some of the north African and US protagonists that played roles in the conflict.

Though the book title is a bit confusing, it is an interesting, easy and entertaining read and would recommend it.
3962735
This is a rather different view of Abraham Lincoln and the issues of slavery, Union and revolution vs. counterrevolution.
3367719
Interesting historical novel about the Revolutionary War told from the perspective of Will Waterman, a farm-boy from Norwich, CT, who finds himself fighting for General Washington's Colonial Army. Through young Will we live the hardships and triumphs of the soldiers of the Colonial Army and get a glimpse of life in the early days of America. The author has provided accurate historical detail in the telling of the colonies' fight for freedom from British rule. This is a great first effort by the author and, hopefully, it will not his last. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading about the early days of our great nation and what life must have been like for the earliest settlers. The book gives us a small taste of what it took for the United States to become the great nation it is today. And, yes Will, it was worth it.
1574778
James Martin and co-author Mark Lender demonstrate that the Continental Army--more so than the militia--won the Revolutionary War. After the battle of Breed's Hill (AKA Bunker Hill) in which the militia surprised the British Regulars, the Continental Army became increasingly important to the revolutionary cause. Without a decisive victory against Washington and the Continental Army the British could not win the war. Martin and Lender repeatedly drive this point home with well researched facts and quotes that tell a compelling story of the 'Continentals.' "A Respectable Army," however, isn't just about battles and military strategy, it also describes the character (i.e. socioeconomic background) of the men who comprised the ranks of the Continental Army. It also demonstrates the significance of Washington's leadership to the American military tradition. Overall, Martin and Lender do a fascinating job of fusing military history with modern "social history" in creating a brilliant history of the Continental Army. If you like John Keegan's "Fields of Battle" and PBS's "Civil War," you'll enjoy "A Respectable Army."
632222
You get a detailed view on the Revolutionary War from the eyes and experiences of women. There were many interesting facts and stories. The only negative: I wish there was more to read!
3096571
More struggles between Tories and the proponents of independence, which has led to the Revolutionary War. Interesting characters, both real and fictional, including a sympathetic treatment of Benedict Arnold, probably the best general fighting for either side.
581507
So many times, I have read books about the American Revolution which are either heavily biased towards America, or demonize the British.
This book does not. It presents a good read of the 1776 campaign with a very small it on Trenton in January of 1777.
I bought this book in Tokyo, Japan, and have passed it on to my father as we are both American Revolution reenactors and history buffs.
Enjoy.
1182414
An Excellent view of the Revolutionary War, which follows the Van Buskirk family through the war. Where all the characters felt very real (showing both the good and bad sides that everyone has). In the beginning of the book I found myself wishing that some of the chapters (character development) would have been expanded, but I soon found that Mr Hepple develops the characters over time, which I enjoyed just as well. I also appreciated that while Mr Hepple did not shy away from the horrors of war, he did not rub the readers face in it. I would highly recommend this book
1242980
If you are looking for an overview of the Revolution, this book may be too detailed for you. I've read many books on the Revolution, but this book makes me feel I've never read anything at all. The author writes a great deal from the British perspective which other books seldom address opening up new understanding about the course of that war. It has given me greater insight on the Revolution.
4450511
Interesting book that takes a look at a new perspective of the American Revolution. A good read for any history buffs.