David Humphreys' "Life of General Washington": With George Washington's "Remarks"

Book Description

The overlooked Quaker from Rhode Island who won the Revolutionary War's crucial southern campaign and helped to set up the final victory of American independence at Yorktown Nathanael Greene is a revolutionary hero who has been lost to history. Although places named in his honor dot city and country, few people know his quintessentially American story as a self-made, self-educated military genius who renounced his Quaker upbringing-horrifying his large family-to take up arms against the British. Untrained in military matters when he joined the Rhode Island militia in 1774, he quickly rose to become Washington's right-hand man and heir apparent. After many daring exploits during the war's first four years (and brilliant service as the army's quartermaster), he was chosen in 1780 by Washington to replace the routed Horatio Gates in South Carolina. Greene's southern campaign, which combined the forces of regular troops with bands of irregulars, broke all the rules of eighteenth-century warfare and foreshadowed the guerrilla wars of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His opponent in the south, Lord Cornwallis, wrote, "Greene is as dangerous as Washington. I never feel secure when I am encamped in his neighborhood. He is vigilant, enterprising, and full of resources." Greene's ingenious tactics sapped the British of their strength and resolve even as they "won" nearly every battle. Terry Golway argues that Greene's appointment as commander of the American Southern Army was the war's decisive moment, and this bold new book returns Greene to his proper place in the Revolutionary era's pantheon.

Customer Reviews:

Washington's General: Nathanael Greene and the triumph of the American Revolution. .......2007-09-22

1. The book was a good overview of the life of Nathanael Greene. It did a very good job of setting before the reader some of the inner drives and their sources which triggered some of Greene's actions and choices.

2. The book suffered from a lack of maps. It needed strategic, operational and tactical maps in order to better explain the text, especially for readers who may not be familiar with the geography, the campaigns, or the methods of the American Revolution.

3. Gen. Greene is justly held up for his service as the Quartermaster from mid Valley Forge until the Southern Campaigns. Even then his mastery of logistics set a tone and pattern for American warfare methodology to this day. The book would have been better served by some charts, data, etc of the challenges, successes etc of his efforts. Manpower, supplies etc. It would have helped the reader to better understand the contribution against odds that Greene made.

4. Greene is laurelled for his innovative southern campaign which in this book suffers from detail and scope. With only about 50 pages devoted to this forgotten campaign.

5. Overall a very good introduction, well written, easy to read, even providing a good glimpse into the relationship between Greene and his wife and children and his hero ... Washington.

One of the best books about the Revolution I've read.......2007-03-19

with rare compare. Although certainly not a thematic book that gives you an eagle's eye view of the war, the dimension that Golway gives Greene produces so much real and detailed persepective on every person in the book, even the elusive and aloof George Washington.

The Good: The book proceeds chronologically from the makings of the man Washington would call his best general to his untimely death. Probably the most enjoyable parts are the quotes from primary sources showing Greene's strengths and many human foibles. This may be why he is so uninteresting to most people, because most textbooks and sources will not mention his frequent mispellings, his frequent "pinings" for his wife, his ambition tempered by practicality, and the impressive actions of a great man who has never seemed to outgrow the limitations he felt as a child.

The Bad: A lack of detail about some of the battles, especially his legendary Southern campaign, betray the author's lack of elaboration on topics of military strategy, something which is crucial to Greene's character and legend. While Mr. Golway went into detail about the living conditions and the logistical nightmare Greene had to manage, more detail about how the fighting was would have greatly added to this already superb biography.

The Ugly: While the reading level is very tolerable for anyone, some of the more racy details may not always be for younger readers even if they are incredibly amusing. The descriptions of the horrible conditions Continental soldiers faced is a welcome departure from the typical omissions in many other works about the Revolution. Simply saying that some Continental soldiers raided civilian stores or robbed people gives as biased a picture as the omitters if one does not understand the desperate context of the American Revolution. All in all, you get a great biography not just about Greene, but everything he saw and everyone he saw as well.

A Masterful Biography of George Washington's Favorite General.......2007-03-05

This is a great book! It is extremely well written and tells a tremendously interesting story.

Recently, I had the chance to listen to a presentation by author Terry Golway on the Continental Army's Major General Nathanael Greene in the American Revolution. Golway is as captivating a speaker as he is an author.

In his book, Golway contents that Nathanael Greene was George Washington's foremost military commander. It is true, Greene, who was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General at the start of the Revolutionary War, lacked any military experience. And during the war he made key mistakes that resulted in the British defeat of Washington's Army. But Golway contends that Greene learned from these mistakes and evolved into a top-notch strategist and battlefield commander.

It is that evolution that is the focus of the book, and Golway tells the story flawlessly.

Equally interesting is the focus on Greene's young, beautiful, and flirtatious wife, Caty. "What WAS going on between Caty Greene and George Washington?!" I remember the author asking out loud during his presentation in Boston. Shortly afterward, this was followed by another loud exclaimation: "And WHAT about Caty Greene and the Marquis de Lafayette?!" The book addresses both questions in detail.

The following are some of the quotes from the book I enjoyed the most:

"These are times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." (Thomas Paine, "The Crisis" 1776)

"Fortune seems to frown upon the cause of freedom; a combination of evils are pressing in upon us from all sides. However, I hope this is the dark part of the night, which generally is just before the day." (Major General Nathanael Greene to his wife, Caty, December 16, 1776)

"The natural strength of this country in point of numbers appears to me to consist much more in the blacks than the whites. Could they be incorporated, and employed in its defense, it would afford you double security. That they would make good soldiers I have not the least doubt."

(Nathanael Greene to the Governor of South Carolina, John Rutledge. Rutledge turned down Greene's recommendation and refused to let African-Americans serve the American cause in the south.)

"We have trod the paths of adversity together and have felt the sunshine of better fortune. We have found a people overwhelmed with distress, and a country groaning under oppression. It has been our happiness to relieve them....Your generous confidence, amids surrounding difficulties; your persevering tempers, against the tide of misfortune, paved the way for success." (Nathanael Greene's Farewell to his Southern Army, June 21, 1782, Charleston, South Carolina)

These words ring as powerfully today as when they were written, more than two-hundred years ago.

Outstanding book about Washington's indespensible General.......2007-02-20

After watching CSPAN's interview with David McCullough (promoting his book "1776"), I had to know more about this vital yet little known Revolutionary War General. Brian Lamb asked the author who he thought was Washington's best General, McCullough said "without a doubt, Nathanael Greene". Since I am a history teacher, and an "amateur" historian on Colonial America, I had to find out more about this General.
Terry Galloway has written an outstanding biography about Greene. Galloway's book is a fascinating read that sheds invaluable insight into Greene's Quaker background, what molded him into a revolutionary, and his invaluable yet little known contribution to the Continental Army.
In the book you find out about Greene's strict Quaker background, how he realized he wanted to expand his education and experiences outside of Rhode Island, what his personal life and loves were, and how he became an outstanding General who greatly contributed to helping the "rebels" when the Revolutionary War (especially in the south). This truely is an excellent biography.

Highly Recommended!

Extremely well written and engaging biography.......2007-02-17

A great book about a great man whose life was cut short in the closing days of the Revolutionary War. After reading the book the only remaining question was "what if he had lived?" I'm sure if he had, he would have left an even more lasting impression on his country's early political beginnings. Extremely well written and engaging biography.

Henry Knox: A Soldier Of The Revolution, Major-General In The Continental Army And Washington's Chief Of Artillery

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Henry Knox: A Soldier Of The Revolution, Major-General In The Continental Army And Washington's Chief Of Artillery
Noah Brooks
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1425483488

Book Description

First Secretary Of War Under The Constitution, Founder Of The Society Of The Cincinnati 1750-1806.

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Ultimately A Victory for Veterans and Country
After the trumpets fade, the betrayal begins
A delightful surprise
The Forgotten Army
A Compelling Book

The Bonus Army: An American Epic
Paul Dickson , and Thomas B. Allen
Manufacturer: Walker & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802777384
Release Date: 2006-03-21

Book Description

In the summer of 1932, at the height of the Depression, some forty-five thousand World War I veterans—whites and blacks together—descended on Washington D.C., from all over the country to demand the bonus promised them eight years earlier for their wartime service. Fearing violence after the Senate defeated the "bonus bill," Herbert Hoover's Army Chief of Staff, Douglas MacArthur, led tanks through the streets on July 28 to evict the bonus marchers.

Through seminal research, including interviews with the last surviving witnesses, Paul Dickson and Thomas B. Allen tell the full story of the Bonus Army, recovering the voices of ordinary men who dared tilt at powerful injustice. The march ultimately transformed the nation, inspiring Congress to pass the GI Bill of Rights in 1944, one of the most important pieces of social legislation in our history, which in large part created America's middle class.

Customer Reviews:

Ultimately A Victory for Veterans and Country.......2006-05-31

In the Prologue, the authors state victorious war veterans have long vexed politicians noting that "Early in the Revolutionary war, the Continental Congress provided for both disabled veterans and the dependents of soldiers killed in battle" and that "The last surviving dependent of the Revolutionary war continued to receive benefits until 1911." The authors write "By1932, the amount paid to Civil War (Union) veterans and their survivors amounted to twice the cost of the war." After World War I, in 1924 Congress passed a law that granted the WWI veterans a bonus. However, payment of the bonus was constantly delayed. The end result was the WWI veterans formed a bonus army that marched to Washington D.C. in 1932 to lobby for the bonus. Historians have given only passing references to the bonus marches, however their significance was great and their influence continues to today.

The first half of the text gives an excellent account of the 1932 bonus march. They called themselves the Bonus Expeditionary Force (BEF), and they traveled in freight cars, state trucks, private autos, motorcycles and some even walked. They began arriving in June 1932, and upon arrival in Washington they were politically supported by the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars as well many members of Congress, principally Wright Patman. Fortunately, in 1932 the Washington Police Chief, Pelham Glassford, was a competent and fair chief who looked to the welfare of the bonus marchers. The BEF Commander-in-Chief was Walter Walters who was also competent, and was able to exercise control of the BEF that could have become a vicious mob. The major issue was by law the bonus couldn't be paid until 1945. However, by 1932 the nation was mired in the Great Depression, and many veterans desperately needed the bonus. However, the bonus exceeded the income of the government so both Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt vetoed early payment of the bonus.

The military erroneously thought the 1932 bonus veterans consisted of ex-criminals, radicals and non-servicemen and; were controlled by communists. However,Walter Waters bitterly opposed the communists. The BEF and splinter groups were encamped in Washington in vacant buildings plus 15,000 veterans and about 1,100 wives and children were camped in tents and shacks at Anacostia. Most interesting was the fact that at Anacostia and in the other camps, the color line didn't exist. The text contains several interesting personal stories. After the veterans made several attempts to secure payment of their bonus, Police Chief Glassford was told that beginning July 22 and completed by August 4, the bonus veterans had to be out of their camps; the Army now had control of the bonus armies. The army burned camp Anacostia and used tanks, bayonets and tear gas to expel the vets and their families from Washington. Two civilian casualties were attributed to Army eviction activities.

The text next covers two subsequent bonus marches on Washington in 1933 and 1934. In order to keep veterans from camping in Washington, the administration set up work camps for veterans in South Carolina and Florida. The hurricane that struck the Florida Keys on Labor Day 1935;was devastating and especially hard on the veterans in work camps on the Florida Keys. 259 veterans lost their lives. U.S. Government officials tried to cover-up the government's failure to take proper measurers to prevent lost of life maintaining it was due to "an act of God." Most interesting Ernest Hemmingway who lived on Key West wrote an excellent critique of the government's failure to take proper actions to evacuate the keys and avoid injuries and lost of life. The text provides an interesting account of this sad affair.

On January 27, 1936, Roosevelt's veto of a new bonus bill was overridden and the cash bonus finally became a reality. `The new bill differed from the earlier Patman bills in that this bill called for the issuing of bonds in $50 denominations.... that could be redeemed on June 15 or held at 3-percent interest to maturity in 1945."

With the United States entry into, World War II, Congress introduced legislation to provide benefits for the men and women in the military. By the end of 1943, 243 bills on veterans legislation were pending before Congress. Amazingly beginning on December 15, 1943, a special committee of the American Legion drafted a rough version of veteran's legislation laying the groundwork for what eventually became the GI Bill of Rights. The bill was signed by President Roosevelt on June 22, 1944 and provided six benefits: education and training; loan guaranty for a home, farm or business; unemployment pay of $29 a week for up to fifty-two weeks; job-finding assistance; top priority for building materials for VA hospitals; and military review of dishonorable discharges.

The text ends stating "Millions of Americans have since peacefully marched on Washington in support of various causes, their way paved by the veterans of 1932." This book is excellently researched, well written and hopefully will place the bonus march in its proper place in American history.

After the trumpets fade, the betrayal begins.......2005-12-29

As a Vietnam combat vet I cannot be objective about this book. As I read it, I couldn't help comparing it to my own experiences of re-integrating into civilian life following my service. As I read The Bonus Army I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the sacrifices these men and their families made, not just in war, but in the aftermath.

Paul Dickson and Thomas B. Allen set out to chronicle an event, but wound up giving us a look at how politicians deal with the pesky problem of what to do with returning veterans. One of the most shocking aspects of The Bonus Army is how quickly the same men who cheered from the grandstands as these soldiers went off to war in 1918 now wanted them washed away and forgotten.

As an American war veteran I am grateful to Dickson and Allen for writing this book. It should be read by every returning Global War On Terror (GWOT) vet. Like freedom itself, when it comes to holding government to their promises after the trumpets fade, you only get what you are willing to fight for.

A delightful surprise.......2005-11-23

I knew little about the Bonus Army, other than Patton's role in breaking up their camp in Anacostia. Little, indeed. This book brings to life a rich period of U.S. history where the nation--or parts of the nation--came together in a period of economic desperation. There are a few villians, but far more unexpected heroes of high and low station determined to see fellow American treated with dignity and respect. This is truly a wonderful read that places the veterans in the Bonus Army in the same tradition as those who kept our republic alive at Valley Forge.

The Forgotten Army.......2005-10-13

If you went to college or bought a house on the GI Bill you can thank the Bonus Army, a ragtag group of WW I vets who converged on Washington, DC in 1932 demanding payment of their dollar a day bonus promised to them after years of political wrangling. They were called communists, criminals and freeloaders by the president and members of congress during the worst years of the depression. President Hoover used US troops commanded by General Douglas MacArthur to drive them out of the city and the American voters were so outraged the incident helped carry FDR to the White House that fall. It would still be several years before the bonus was paid but the saga of the bonus army paved the way for the GI Bill of Rights and provided a model for every mass protest held in the capital since.
Dickson and Allen provide a stirring narrative with an all star cast that includes Herbert Hoover, George Patton, Douglas MacArthur, Andrew Mellon, Dwight Eisenhower and J Edgar Hoover.
The Bonus Army has faded from view over time and this worthy book brings an important era in or history back into focus.

A Compelling Book.......2005-07-07

Allen and Dickson have written a very compelling book on the history of the Bonus Army, veterans from World War I who converged on Washington in 1932 and subsequent years to demand their promised payment known as the "bonus". The authors give us a good background as to who some of these veterans were, what conditions were like in the country during the years of the First World War and the next two decades after that, who some of the major players were in the debates and issues concerning the Bonus Army and their time in the nation's capital, and lastly how our nation would treat veterans of future wars.

This book details some of the men who made up the bonus army and where they came from in their move towards the nation's capital, with special emphasis on Walter Waters and his group of men from Portland and their journey eastwards. In addition to these Bonus marchers we learn of Pelham Glassford, the Washington D.C. Police Chief who oversaw the gathering veterans, citizens and groups who gave aid to the veterans on their journey to Washington and while they stayed in the city, politicians like Representative Wright Patman who became a leading advocate for the veterans in the halls of Congress, and of course other political and military figures who would play crucial roles in the issues and events surrounding the Bonus Army.

We also learn of how America perceived these veterans as they marched towards Washington and during their stay there. One of the constant worries of some in power at the time, those in the Hoover Administration, the Congress, and the military was the threat of communism, i.e. the Red Scare. Some believed many of these veterans weren't real veterans, believing many had criminal backgrounds and held communist views who wanted nothing less than to incite violence in the nation's capitol or even overthrow the U.S. Government. These worries were vastly over exaggerated as there were very few communists in this group of veterans, and those that were had little or no influence. These were loyal Americans who had fallen on hard times and needed and deserved some help from their government.

The events of the end of July 1932 have garnered the most attention and left the most indelible impressions on the minds of those who have any knowledge of the Bonus Army. This was when the military was called out to disperse the veterans who had encamped in vacant city buildings as well as the larger concentration of veterans who had gathered at sites like Camp Marks on the Anacostia River.The use of force to disperse the Bonus marchers became a damaging symbol that left a stain on the Hoover Administration as well as the reputation of Gen. Douglas MacArthur who had led the effort to rid the city of these veterans. The authors of this book are fair in spreading blame and correcting some myths that had developed after these events, for example there were not upwards of 100 casualties in this event, which is detailed in one of the appendices at the end of the book.

Even FDR did not support the bonus payment, but his veto was overridden by both houses of Congress in 1936, thus the bonus became a reality. But the real accomplishment, as the authors mentioned, was the piece of legislation known as the GI Bill passed in 1944, helping veterans from the Second World War to secure the needed and well-deserved assistance from the federal government to help them fit back into civilian life. As the authors believe, the Bonus Army of 1932 and those that followed had led the way in securing even greater promises for future veterans who deserved and still deserve the thanks from a grateful nation. Allen and Dickson are to be commended for writing this compelling and important book on an often all too summarized period in American history.

Washington's Secret War: The Hidden History of Valley Forge

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Interesting Insight
Dissapointing
Couldn't put it down?
Schuylkill: pronounced Skoo-kill.
Another great one for Thomas Fleming

Washington's Secret War: The Hidden History of Valley Forge
Thomas Fleming
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: 0060829621
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Book Description

"Congress does not trust me. I cannot continue thus," George Washington confided to Congressman Francis Dana of Massachusetts on his first visit to Valley Forge. Though Congressman Dana assured the general that a majority in Congress still had faith in him, he was nonetheless stunned by Washington's apparent defeatism. George Washington's threat to resign during the fateful winter at Valley Forge is just one of the many revelations awaiting the reader in Thomas Fleming's startling new book. Prize-winning author of Liberty! The American Revolution and 1776: Year of Illusions, Thomas Fleming has returned to the American Revolution, demolishing long-accepted fictions of Valley Forge and cutting through layers of myth to reveal a hitherto unknown side of George Washington.

The defining moments of the Revolutionary War did not occur on the battlefield or at the diplomatic table, claims Fleming, but at Valley Forge. Fleming transports his readers to December 1777. While the British army lives in luxury in conquered Philadelphia, Washington's troops huddle in the barracks of Valley Forge, fending off starvation and disease even as threats of mutiny swirl through the regiments. Though his army stands on the edge of collapse, Washington must wage a secondary war, this one against the slander of his reputation as a general and a patriot. Readers watch as Washington strategizes not only against the British army, but against the ambitions of General Horatio Gates, the victor in the battle of Saratoga. Gates has attracted a coterie of ambitious generals who are devising ways to humiliate and embarrass Washington into resignation.

Using diaries and letters, Fleming creates an unforgettable portrait of an embattled Washington. Far from the long-suffering stoic of historical myth, Washington responds to attacks from Gates and his allies with the dexterity of a master politician. He parries the thrusts of his covert enemies and, when necessary, strikes back with ferocity and guile. While many histories portray Washington as a man who transcended politics, Fleming's Washington is an exceedingly complex man, a man whose political maneuvering allowed him to retain his command, even as he simultaneously struggled to prevent the Continental Army from dissolving into mutiny at Valley Forge.

Written with his customary flair and eye for human detail and drama, Thomas Fleming's gripping narrative develops with the authority of a major historian and the skills of a master storyteller. Washington's Secret War is not only a revisionist view of the American ordeal at Valley Forge—it calls for a new assessment of the man too often simplified into an unreal American legend. This is narrative history at its best and most vital.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Insight.......2007-10-15

Thomas Fleming is a historian that has written this account using primary documents. In this book he describes how General George Washington kept the ragged Continental Army intact in Pennsylvania during the winter of 1777-1778. He argues that after the British captured Philadelphia, Washington's rivals conspired to have him removed but he "outmaneuvered his political enemies and rescued the Revolution from extremism." I could not put the book down once I started reading.

Dissapointing.......2007-08-02

I found this book quite dissapointing. Although I did learn a great deal about Valley Forge, the author seemed more concerned with proving his point than with attempting a balanced and accurate history. His arguments were just too forced and narrow.

Couldn't put it down?.......2007-07-15

Look, I know this book is about washington's months at valley forge and all of the political garbage that he had to deal with... but it's fantastic! I couldn't put it down!

I'm such a dork.

Schuylkill: pronounced Skoo-kill........2007-07-10

I remember an elementary school field trip to Valley Forge, about fifty miles from my hometown. The tour guide pointed out the replicas of the low-roofed cabins and talked about how the shoeless Continental army left bloody footprints in the snow. These details were mildly interesting to elementary school kids, but the political circumstances that brought General Washington and his troops here in the winter of 1777-78 make a far more interesting case study of how not to run a war.

Fleming cites a variety of correspondence - between Generals Washington and Gates, the Continental Congress, Thomas Mifflin, president Henry Laurens and his son John, and between ordinary soldiers and their families, among others - to reenact the experience of surviving in Valley Forge and to illuminate the power struggle between Washington and those in Congress who wanted to replace him. With some deft political maneuvering, he persuaded Congress to reform the quartermaster and commissary departments to supply his starving standing army. This was highly controversial at a time when true Whig politicians believed patriotic citizens would provide supplies directly to soldiers, and truly patriotic soldiers would serve without pay. This retelling of the Valley Forge episode shows why Washington was revered by his men - not only was he a true leader, he was also a staunch realist. In all the iconography of Washington, the fact that he valued expedience to ideology must not be lost.

Another great one for Thomas Fleming.......2007-07-03

Fleming has a knack for making history interesting. Here he gives us a remarkable behind-the-scenes look on one part of the American Revolution.

In Camp and Battle With the Washington Artillery of New Orleans

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In Camp And Battle With The Washington Artillery
Terrific first person account of Civil War; Confederate view

In Camp and Battle With the Washington Artillery of New Orleans
William Miller Owen
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862

ASIN: 0807123854

Customer Reviews:

In Camp And Battle With The Washington Artillery.......1999-12-03

I was given the original hard back by my father Richard W. Walton Sr. (Great Grandson of Col. J.B. Walton, Commander in Chief of the Washington Artillery). Once I started reading the book, I could not put it down, finished it in the same afternoon. I would have enjoyed reading it over and over through the years, but could not due to the age and condition of the original (copyright, 1885) I have read everything that I could get my hands on involving the American Civil War. After reading this book, I feel that I owe thanks to William Miller Owen for taking me back in time. I felt the experience as if I were there. As I came to know the men of the Battalion from day one upon their depature from New Orleans enroute to Richmond VA., I felt remorse in reading of the death of so many of them.

Terrific first person account of Civil War; Confederate view.......1998-01-07

Very well written account of the Washington Artllery's engagements during the Civil War. Describes all major actions from the First Battle of Bull Run to the final surrender at Appomatox. You feel so close to the lives of the troops; makes you marvel at all the struggles and hardships that were endured. A must read for all Civil War buffs. First published in 1885 by Ticknor and Company of Boston. Reissued in a limited edition that is an exact reproduction of the original, with a few additions (an Introduction by Kenneth Urquhart, three additional illustrations, and the list of present-day officers) by The Pelican Publishing Company of New Orleans, June 1964.

First American Army : The Untold Story of George Washington and the Men behind America's First Fight for Freedom

Average customer rating:

Oversweeping Generalizations
A 1776 follow-up
Good Despite Some Oddly Jarring Inaccuracies
Ordinary people make history, too
Enjoyable to read, but not really much new information...

First American Army : The Untold Story of George Washington and the Men behind America's First Fight for Freedom
Bruce Chadwick
Manufacturer: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1402207530

Book Description

"This is the first book that offers a you-are-there look at the American Revolution through the eyes of the enlisted men. Through searing portraits of individual soldiers, Bruce Chadwick, author of George Washington's War, brings alive what it was like to serve then in the American army.

With interlocking stories of ordinary Americans, he evokes what it meant to face brutal winters, starvation, terrible homesickness and to go into battle against the much-vaunted British regulars and their deadly Hessian mercenaries.

The reader lives through the experiences of those terrible and heroic times when a fifteen-year-old fifer survived the Battle of Bunker Hill, when Private Josiah Atkins escaped unscathed from the bloody battles in New York and when a doctor and a minister shared the misery of the wounded and dying. These intertwining stories are drawn from their letters and never-before-quoted journals found in the libraries belonging to the camps where Washington quartered his troops during those desperate years."

Customer Reviews:

Oversweeping Generalizations.......2006-12-29

Those who are educated on the soldiers in the American Revolution will be offended by the oversweeping generalizations in this book. Chadwich uses only the journals of soldiers within the war. Roughly 150 journals were used in making his observations, when nearly 200,000 plus served. He should of spent more time at the National Archives going through the pension records of each soldier. Most soldiers came from the lower spectrum of the social economic ladder, not the professions Chadwick states. In addition, most soldiers could neither read or write, leaving them no opportunity to write a journal or track their journey through the Revolution. Only by having someone else fill out their pension applcation years later have we learned much more about the common soldier in the Revolution. I do not reccomend this book. I think Caroline Cox's "A Proper Sense of Honor and Courage" is much better.

A 1776 follow-up.......2006-10-24

If you loved the book "1776" you will love this book. It is written much the same way. The author mixes first hand accounts with explanations of events and strategic implications. He also focuses on things most authors forget. This book is an excellent way to tell the story of the American Revolution.

The author tells the story of George Washington's Army through the eyes of those who fought it. He does intermingle some background history to help the reader better understand what the soldier writes about. Where as his history isn't comprehensive it is enriching. He does talk about certain campaigns of the American Army like our attempt to capture Canada which most people forget about. Through the eyes of the soldiers you get a true idea of the kinds of sacrifices the first soldiers endured to bring about our freedom. The descriptions are good in the soldiers writings makes you personnally feel these sacrifices. The writing makes the issues facing the Army like disease outbreaks like small pox, walking around in snow without shoes, hunger and other things come alive almost like you are experiencing it. You will understand the Revolution better than anything else by reading this book.

I highly recommend this book for any history lover no matter what your level of history knowledge is.

Good Despite Some Oddly Jarring Inaccuracies.......2006-08-15

I found this book both informative and in many ways refreshing. There are too many narrative accounts that tend to slide past what it meant to be a member of the Continental Army on a day-to-day basis--and what fighting the war meant to the individual soldiers who did it.

On the other hand, there were more than a few oddly jarring notes in a work which purports to break new ground. Early on, Chadwick exclaims that "Hundreds of residents of Charlestown [Mass]...raced out into nearby streets and meadows to watch the fighting...." Maybe so, but since the town was being burned down to the ground, more likely they were fleeing for their lives.

A few pages later, in describing the battle on Breed's (misnamed Bunker's) Hill, Chadwick declares that "...throaty cheers from the Americans despite cannonballs exploding around them." Well, eighteenth century cannonballs did not explode. Common shells did, but field guns fired solid shot and canister which did not include explosive properties.

There are not very many of these sloppy errors, fortunately, but the fact that some are present suggests a certain carelessness with detail. In a book that hopes to open a new and somewhat revisionist approach to studying the war, this can be a problem.

Ordinary people make history, too.......2006-07-15

I really enjoyed this book. It brought to life in vivid detail the deprivations and tribulations faced by the ordinary soldier in the Revolutionary Army. There have been so many books written about the leaders of the Revolution (some good, some pretty boring), but so few volumes about the ordinary men who made up the colonial troops. These people were the foundation of the new country and they deserve to be documented. The author chooses to give us their stories in an interesting way and paints word pictures that let the reader see exactly what conditions were like for the common soldiers. I was fascinated and could hardly put the book down. If all history was presented in this easy to understand and interesting way, more students would love it as much as I do.

Enjoyable to read, but not really much new information..........2006-04-22

This is a generally well-written and enjoyable to read book, but it doesn't quit live up to its sub-title: The Untold Story of George Washington and the Men Behind America's First Fight for Freedom. The book is foremost a retelling of the Battles of the Revolution. It does present viewpoints from the soldiers and others who fought, but I didn't really find a great deal that hasn't been written before, although the portion devoted to Blacks in the Revolution was interesting. Interesting also is how many soldiers died from poor conditions and disease. But I didn't come away feeling that I really got to know the "Men Behind America's First Fight for Freedom." As I said before, the book is mainly a retelling of the story of the battles of the War and secondly, a telling of the battles from the perspective of the common soldier.
For those who haven't read a great deal on the Revolutionary War, this would be a good book to start with. It is enjoyable, easy to read, presents an overview of the history of the War, and gives a perspective on the War from both the commanders and the common soldier. However, if the reader is one who has read a great deal on the Revolutionary War, there isn't really a great deal that is new here. It is a good book, but not one I would put on my top-ten list of Revolutionary War books.
The one thing I found irritating about the book is that several times it left some loose ends dangling. For example, one point in the book tells of George Washington's sometimes leniency toward those who were being disciplined. The author goes on to tell of a group of men sentenced to death for desertion and re-enlisting in order to collect another sign-on bonus. Washington, however decides the punishment is too harsh and so asks "...their officers if there was some mitigating circumstance that he could use...to spare them." Then the author states that Washington pardons them all. Okay, but what did the officers present to Washington to enable him to pardon them? I don't know and apparently neither did the author because we are never told in the book. This same lack of relevant information appears several times in the book.
If it were me and I really wanted to look at the war from a soldiers viewpoint, I would read a book such as "Private Yankee Doodle" by J.P. Martin. Martin's story has been described as "One of the best first-hand accounts of war as seen by a private soldier ever written." In my opinion, the Martin book is much better at describing the life of the soldier in the Revolutionary War. "The First American Army" does, in fact, use the Martin book as source of information.
All in all, "The First American Army" is an enjoyable to read book that presents a decent view of the War from the viewpoint or the soldier. It isn't a great book however. And it doesn't present a great deal of new information. This book would probably be more enjoyed by those with only a general knowledge of the War, not by those who already have read a great deal on the subject. To sum up, this is a good, enjoyable to read book that gives an overview of the battles of the Revolution while at the same time giving us some insight into the lives of the common soldier.

General George Washington: A Military Life

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Deconstructing His Excellency
General George Washington is a superb military history!
Ok, But Not Great
Did anyone proofread this book??
Indispensable Biography of America's Indispensable Man

General George Washington: A Military Life
Edward G. Lengel
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400060818
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Book Description

Much has been written in the past two centuries about George Washington the statesman and “father of his country.” Less often discussed is Washington’s military career, including his exploits as a young officer and his performance as the Revolutionary War commander in chief. Now, in a revealing work of historical biography, Edward Lengel has written the definitive account of George Washington the soldier.

Based largely on Washington’s personal papers, this engrossing book paints a vivid, factual portrait of a man to whom lore and legend so tenaciously cling. To Lengel, Washington was the imperfect commander. Washington possessed no great tactical ingenuity, and his acknowledged “brilliance in retreat” only demonstrates the role luck plays in the fortunes of all great men. He was not an enlisted man’s leader; he made a point of never mingling with his troops. He was not an especially creative military thinker; he fought largely by the book.

He was not a professional, but a citizen soldier, who, at a time when warfare demanded that armies maneuver efficiently in precise formation, had little practical training handling men in combat. Yet despite his flaws, Washington was a remarkable figure, a true man of the moment, a leader who possessed a clear strategic, national, and continental vision, and who inspired complete loyalty from his fellow revolutionaries, officers, and enlisted men. America could never have won freedom without him.

A trained surveyor, Washington mastered topography and used his superior knowledge of battlegrounds to maximum effect. He appreciated the importance of good allies in times of crisis, and understood well the benefits of coordination of ground and naval forces. Like the American nation itself, he was a whole that was greater than the sum of its parts–a remarkable everyman whose acts determined the course of history. Lengel argues that Washington’s excellence was in his completeness, in how he united the military, political, and personal skills necessary to lead a nation in war and peace.

At once informative and engaging, and filled with some eye-opening revelations about Washington, the war for American independence, and the very nature of military command, General George Washington is a book that reintroduces readers to a figure many think they already know.

Customer Reviews:

Deconstructing His Excellency.......2006-08-17

Well written and researched, the writing style a little difficult at times. I felt the author was over critical of Washington, especially since he spends 99% of the narrative criticizing him and, in the last chapter, alots only a few pages to defending him. Overall a good read, but I would pickup His Excellency by J. Ellis, 1776 by Mccollough, or Washington's Crossing by Fischer first.

General George Washington is a superb military history!.......2006-06-28

Bravo Dr. Edward Lenge! This book is a fascinating account of the military career of the Father of our Country! George Washington (1732-1799) was the first US President; a planter at
Mt. Vernon and is solidly planted as the indispensable man during the American Revolution. Without Washington's grit and
daring, perseverance and leadership there is a real possibility that the American experiment would have died an early death.
Washington with a band of rag-tag, often hungry and ill-trained troops defeated the greatest military machine in the eighteeth century in the shape of the British regulars led by General
William Howe.
1776 saw Washington victorious in Boston recapturing the city for the patriot cause. 1777 was a bitter year which began brightly with victories at Trenton and Princeton only to founder in the defeats suffered at Brandywine Creek and Germantown.
The harsh winter of Valley Forge in late 1777-1778 led to a reformulation of the army which pressed ahead to victory over
Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781.
All of the major battles led by Washington are chronicled in
depth from Boston to Monmouth to final victory. Washington had
great flaws as a military man; he was sometimes indecisive; overly bold; poor in topographical placing of troops and could
be harsh. Nevertheless, it was because of his inimitable courage
and grit which led the army to victory over loyalists, a hard to
work with Congress and the mighty British army .
The American Revolution was hardfought, bloody and our freedom was bathed in the blood of brave men and women. This story needs to be told.
Lengel's book begins with Washington's career in the French and Indian War which culminated in Braddock's defeat; covers the years from 1759-1776 when his acquisition of land, slaves and
the formation of the Virginia Regiment won him colonial fame to
the culminating crown of his career; victory in the War of Independence. Washington was a great man who accomplished much with what he had to work with in men, materials and his strong
willpower never allowing him to quit in tough situations.
Lengel's book is well illustrated with helpful maps and an impressive bibliography of first person accounts and letters and correspondence from Washington's fertile pen. This is one of the
best books I have ever read on Washington's military career.
Well done!

Ok, But Not Great.......2006-04-16

This book didn't capture and articulate the struggle of the Continentals in the manner in which "1776" by David McCullough did. It merely laid out facts in a straightforward manner which wasn't that inspiring and quite aseptic. I usually judge the greatness of a book by how often I highlight passages by the author. The cap stayed on my highlighter for most of the book. For students of the era it's a book worth reading, I simply wouldn't put it at the top of my must-read list.

Did anyone proofread this book??.......2006-04-14

I was enjoying this book for the first sixty-seventy pages until I read Mr. Lengel's description of Ft. Ticonderoga. He places the Fort on the Hudson River. (????) Ft. Ticonderoga, so important a location in the French/Indian and Revolutionary wars is, in fact, on Lake Champlain. Mr. Lengel also incorrectly writes that Henry Knox, after retrieving the cannons from Ft. Ticonderoga takes them down the Hudson. This too is incorrect. Knox and his men took the cannons across land to Lake George (which was frozen in winter), down to Lake George village and south to Albany before turning east to Boston. I'm totally shocked that no review of this book mentions these inaccurate statements. Anyway, after about 100 pages I took the book back to the library. I couldn't depend on the rest of his facts-so what's the point of reading it?

Indispensable Biography of America's Indispensable Man.......2006-03-10

This is a masterful and engaging account of how an untrained impetuous youth turned his ambition for military glory into a life-long quest for the public good - and in the process became one of the greatest military heroes of world history. Based extensively on primary sources - especially Washington's own correspondence, two-thirds of which cover the period of the Revolutionary War - this factual and well-written book tells the dramatic story of how Washington, despite his weaknesses and mistakes and losses of battles, organized from volunteers and conscripts a professional army that wrestled victory away from the most powerful and experienced army in the world. Even the title itself is revealing - A Military Life - for both Washington and his contemporaries considered Washington primarily as a military commander, despite his political and other services to his country. Must reading not only for military enthusiasts but for anyone interested Washington or the history of America.

A History of the Laurel Brigade: Originally the Ashby Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia and Chew's Battery

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History of the Laurel Brigade

A History of the Laurel Brigade: Originally the Ashby Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia and Chew's Battery
William N. McDonald
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Seventh Virginia Cavalry (Virginia Regimental Histories Series)

ASIN: 0801869528

Book Description

First printed in 1907, A History of the Laurel Brigade: Originally the Ashby Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia and Chew's Battery presents a nearly contemporary view of the lauded Confederate unit.

Recruited from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (with many troops volunteering from nearby Maryland), this Confederate cavalry unit fought under General Stonewall Jackson early in the Civil War. Led by one of the grandest "cavaliers" of them all -- General Turner Ashby -- until his death in early 1862, the unit eventually formed part of General J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry corps, moving back and forth between the tidewater and the Valley as military necessity dictated.

"Of all the Confederate images that survive from the American Civil War, few surpass that of the Southern cavalry in its boldness, recklessness, and dash. One of the most famous mounted units to serve the Confederacy was the Laurel Brigade. [These] horsemen gained recognition for their determination and skill as warriors on the field, while at the same time acquiring a reputation for an indifference to military discipline and organization. In time the brigade matured, due in large part to a string of commanders who instilled discipline and turned the Laurel Brigade into one of the most versatile units in the army." -- from the Introduction

Customer Reviews:

History of the Laurel Brigade.......2002-12-14

A long unit history, compiled by participants some time postwar, about a brigade which contemporary scholars have perhaps underrated.

Originally Ashby's Valley cavalry and always looking back upon him as their most beloved leader, the Laurels (named during the war by Rosser) participated in Jackson's Valley Campaign. Under Grumble Jones' command, they went on a raid into West Virginia in early '63--something I don't recall being covered by Longacre or any other CS cavalry historian, but if the writers here are not exaggerating, it was an impressive accomplishment. No doubt, after riding 700 miles in 30 days, they were less than thrilled at shining themselves up for the Brandy Station review.

And, interestingly, where almost every primary cavalry document I've read takes a moment during the Brandy Station review to praise Stuart, his appearance on a horse and so forth, the Laurels are tellingly silent.

The battle of Brandy Station gets much detail and good description, and while there's a bit of a gap around the start of the Gettysburg campaign (perhaps not coincidentally), the rearguard fighting is well told. The account continues through various actions to the Valley Campaign of '64, and this is interesting again, because this unit has been rather derided during that campaign. "The laurel is a running vine," General Early is said to have scoffed. According to this text, he might better have said, "The laurel is a raiding into West Virginia and bringing me supplies..." Two more impressive raids, one in 25' snow, took place during this period. So perhaps the Laurels weren't as pathetic as contemporary scholars seem to accept (cf. Lee's Miserables; Lee's Cavalrymen), though the unit historians do lament the state of their mounts and materiel.

Book Description

For the early years of the American War of Independence, George Washington’s troops were clothed in a variety of uniforms from various sources. With the receipt in late 1778 of over 25,000 uniforms imported from France, much of the Continental army was uniformly clothed in blue or brown coats faced with red. This study by Marko Zlatich focuses on the systems used by state and Continental authorities to procure clothing materials from this point onwards, the quantities they obtained and the specifications of the uniforms themselves. Eight colour plates by the talented Bill Younghusband and a plethora of black and white photographs and illustrations usefully support the author’s detailed text.

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