The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton,… (alkuperäinen julkaisuvuosi 2019; vuoden 2020 painos)

Very interesting book focusing on the first two years of the American Revolution, covering the period from Lexington and Concord to Trenton and Princeton. It very much focusses on the military aspect of the revolution, the politics is mentioned only in passing and only in conjunction with what was happening on the battlefields The siege of Boston, the British assault on New York, the failed American campaign in Canada and the failed British campaign in the Carolinas, and Washington's masterstroke in crossing the Delaware in winter and ending the British threat to Philadelphia are all covered in details, with the broader strokes of the campaigns and the personal battle experiences of individual commanders and soldiers all covered in detail. It cant be said the book is impartial, there is a subtle but detectable slant to the revolutionaries, and while Atkinson freely acknowledges British skill and bravery, the clear message is of a justified revolution against an overbearing and often brutal regime that succeeded because of the courage and determination of a largely non-professional army. Fascinating well-told by an expert writer. ( )

Well written telling of the political, economic, and military factors of this period. ( )

After the excellent Liberation Trilogy, about the United States Army in the World War Two European theater, author Rick Atkinson started another, this time on the American Revolutionary War. This first volume covers the war from 1775 to 1777. More or less random comments follow:

One thing that impressed me was the importance of weather and disease on the war effort. Smallpox stopped the American invasion of Canada at the gates of Quebec, and Atlantic storms squelched a British expedition against the southern colonies. A “providential” – Washington’s word – freeze gave Washington’s army hard roads to march on and allowed a patriot victory at Princeton.

The old maxim that amateurs study tactics but professionals study logistics is also borne out; Washington’s troops were always woefully short of clothing, food, and ammunition.

Atkinson develops a theme I’ve read in other histories: British policy was adversely affected by the belief that there were many more Loyalist Americans than there actually were, but British actions, rather than supporting the Loyalists, succeeded in driving a lot of them and neutrals to the Revolutionary cause.

Much of the book focuses on personalities. Atkinson draws heavily on contemporary letters and accounts, from both sides. George Washington comes across as less than competent at first – getting a large part of his troops trapped on Long Island (although they mostly escaped across the East River) and later losing almost three thousand soldiers at Fort Washington and Fort Lee on the Hudson.

However, Washington redeemed himself in the Christmas crossing of the Delaware and defeat of Hessian troops in Trenton. Some of the other histories I’ve read have underplayed this – while acknowledging it was a boost to the Patriot cause, they portray it as a “stunt” – the defeat of a small unit of drunk and ill-prepared Germans. Atkinson notes this was actually the spin the British put on it to explain the defeat; in fact, Colonel Rall’s troops were adequately deployed and prepared; since Rall was killed in the action he became a convenient scapegoat, and the Germans captured or killed at Trenton were a substantial fraction of British troops in the colonies.

Meticulously referenced – the references and bibliography occupy about a quarter of the text. Excellent and clear maps of the campaigns and actions. Two plate sections, mostly portraits of the participants. An easy and interesting read. For other American Revolutionary War reviews, see The Long Fuse,The Road to Valley Forge, A Few Bloody Noses, Redcoats and Rebels. ( )

Very well written and very, very detailed account of the first couple of years of the American Revolution.

Over the years I've been a student of this topic, I've discovered I much more enjoy reading about the politics rather than the battles. And this book is heavy on the latter, and quite sparse on the former. Small battles seemed to get many more pages than, say, The Declaration of Independence. And oddly, Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" wasn't even mentioned until late 1776 when it was published at the beginning of that year.

But most battles are accompanied with maps which help my geography-deficit brain understand which brigades went where and when.

I'm very much looking forward to the remaining two books in this trilogy. ( )

This is the first in a new three part history of the Revolutionary War. I believe Atkinson won the Pulitzer for this first installment and it's easy to see why. It's well-researched and thorough but still fun to read.

That being said, I think I'm finally ready to admit that reading about war, especially history that focuses on battles and troop movements, just is not for me. I like reading about this era in biography form (I've read and loved biographies about John and Abigail Adams, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, etc.) because I find delving into a life and exploring personality and motivations interesting, but a focus on the actual strategy of fighting a war just does not interest me. So even though this is well done and does balance the war details with society and some more personal stories, it just wasn't my favorite. I don't think I'll continue with this series, but I still would recommend it for anyone interested in the time period. ( )