Download or read book The British Are Coming written by Rick Atkinson and published by Henry Holt and Company. This book was released on 2019-05-14 with total page 800 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the George Washington Prize Winner of the Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize in American History Winner of the Excellence in American History Book Award Winner of the Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award From the bestselling author of the Liberation Trilogy comes the extraordinary first volume of his new trilogy about the American Revolution Rick Atkinson, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning An Army at Dawn and two other superb books about World War II, has long been admired for his deeply researched, stunningly vivid narrative histories. Now he turns his attention to a new war, and in the initial volume of the Revolution Trilogy he recounts the first twenty-one months of America’s violent war for independence. From the battles at Lexington and Concord in spring 1775 to those at Trenton and Princeton in winter 1777, American militiamen and then the ragged Continental Army take on the world’s most formidable fighting force. It is a gripping saga alive with astonishing characters: Henry Knox, the former bookseller with an uncanny understanding of artillery; Nathanael Greene, the blue-eyed bumpkin who becomes a brilliant battle captain; Benjamin Franklin, the self-made man who proves to be the wiliest of diplomats; George Washington, the commander in chief who learns the difficult art of leadership when the war seems all but lost. The story is also told from the British perspective, making the mortal conflict between the redcoats and the rebels all the more compelling. Full of riveting details and untold stories, The British Are Coming is a tale of heroes and knaves, of sacrifice and blunder, of redemption and profound suffering. Rick Atkinson has given stirring new life to the first act of our country’s creation drama.

Download or read book General George Washington written by Edward G. Lengel and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2007-01-09 with total page 514 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The most comprehensive and authoritative study of Washington’s military career ever written.” –Joseph J. Ellis, author of His Excellency: George Washington Based largely on George Washington’s personal papers, this engrossing book paints a vivid, factual portrait of Washington the soldier. An expert in military history, Edward Lengel demonstrates that the “secret” to Washington’s excellence lay in his completeness, in how he united the military, political, and personal skills necessary to lead a nation in war and peace. Despite being an “imperfect commander”–and at times even a tactically suspect one–Washington nevertheless possessed the requisite combination of vision, integrity, talents, and good fortune to lead America to victory in its war for independence. At once informative and engaging, and filled with some eye-opening revelations about Washington, the American Revolution, and the very nature of military command, General George Washington is a book that reintroduces readers to a figure many think they already know. “The book’s balanced assessment of Washington is satisfying and thought-provoking. Lengel gives us a believable Washington . . . the most admired man of his generation by far.” –The Washington Post Book World “A compelling picture of a man who was ‘the archetypal American soldier’ . . . The sum of his parts was the greatness of Washington.” –The Boston Globe “[An] excellent book . . . fresh insights . . . If you have room on your bookshelf for only one book on the Revolution, this may be it.” –The Washington Times

Download or read book Ten Crucial Days written by William L. Kidder and published by Knox Press. This book was released on 2020-09-15 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On December 25, 1776, the American Revolution seemed all but defeated just six months after the Declaration of Independence had been adopted. George Washington’s army had suffered a series of defeats in New York and had retreated under British pressure across New Jersey and then the Delaware River to temporary sanctuary in Pennsylvania. This left the British army in a string of winter cantonments across the middle of New Jersey, the New Jersey state government in total disarray, and the Continental Congress fleeing Philadelphia now perceived as the next British target. Loyalists in New Jersey felt empowered and Patriots felt abandoned. Washington needed not only a battlefield victory, but also to reestablish Patriot control in New Jersey. Otherwise, it would be impossible to raise a larger, long-term army to continue the fight and convince the citizens that victory was possible. The story of these ten crucial days is one that displays Washington’s military and interpersonal abilities along with his personal determination and bravery to keep the Revolution alive through maintaining the psychological confidence of the Patriots, while reducing the psychological confidence of his British political and military opponents. Throughout these ten days, Washington was faced with changing situations requiring modifications or outright different plans and his well-thought-out actions benefitted from elements of luck—such as the weather or British decisions—which he could not control. While most books look at these ten crucial days focusing on the military actions of the armies involved, this account also considers what was happening in other parts of the world. Leaders and ordinary people in other parts of America, in Britain, and in France were also dealing with the Revolution as they understood its condition. Without the instantaneous communication we have today, they were dealing with dated information and were missing knowledge that could influence their thoughts about the Revolution. This lack of immediate communication was also true—although to lesser extent—for the individuals directly involved in the events in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Download or read book The British Invasion of Delaware Aug Sep 1777 written by Gerald J. Kauffman and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2011-01-06 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the American War for Independence in Augustand September, 1777, the British invaded Delaware aspart of an end-run campaign to defeat GeorgeWashington and the Americans and capture the capitalat Philadelphia. For a few short weeks the hills andstreams in and around Newark and Iron Hill and at Cooch's Bridge along the Christina River were the focus of worldhistory as the British marched through the Diamond State between the Chesapeake Bay and Brandywine Creek.This is the story of the British invasion of Delaware,one of the lesser known but critical watershedmoments in American history.

Download or read book Brandywine written by Michael C. Harris and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Harris's Brandywine is the first complete study to merge the strategic, political, and tactical history of this complex operation and important set-piece battle into a single compelling account.

Download or read book Washington s Crossing written by David Hackett Fischer and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2006-02-01 with total page 578 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Six months after the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution was all but lost. A powerful British force had routed the Americans at New York, occupied three colonies, and advanced within sight of Philadelphia. Yet, as David Hackett Fischer recounts in this riveting history, George Washington--and many other Americans--refused to let the Revolution die. On Christmas night, as a howling nor'easter struck the Delaware Valley, he led his men across the river and attacked the exhausted Hessian garrison at Trenton, killing or capturing nearly a thousand men. A second battle of Trenton followed within days. The Americans held off a counterattack by Lord Cornwallis's best troops, then were almost trapped by the British force. Under cover of night, Washington's men stole behind the enemy and struck them again, defeating a brigade at Princeton. The British were badly shaken. In twelve weeks of winter fighting, their army suffered severe damage, their hold on New Jersey was broken, and their strategy was ruined. Fischer's richly textured narrative reveals the crucial role of contingency in these events. We see how the campaign unfolded in a sequence of difficult choices by many actors, from generals to civilians, on both sides. While British and German forces remained rigid and hierarchical, Americans evolved an open and flexible system that was fundamental to their success. The startling success of Washington and his compatriots not only saved the faltering American Revolution, but helped to give it new meaning.

Download or read book Fatal Sunday written by Mark Edward Lender and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2016-04-18 with total page 625 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Historians have long considered the Battle of Monmouth one of the most complicated engagements of the American Revolution. Fought on Sunday, June 28, 1778, Monmouth was critical to the success of the Revolution. It also marked a decisive turning point in the military career of George Washington. Without the victory at Monmouth Courthouse, Washington's critics might well have marshaled the political strength to replace him as the American commander-in-chief. Authors Mark Edward Lender and Garry Wheeler Stone argue that in political terms, the Battle of Monmouth constituted a pivotal moment in the War for Independence. Viewing the political and military aspects of the campaign as inextricably entwined, this book offers a fresh perspective on Washington’s role in it. Drawing on a wide range of historical sources—many never before used, including archaeological evidence—Lender and Stone disentangle the true story of Monmouth and provide the most complete and accurate account of the battle, including both American and British perspectives. In the course of their account it becomes evident that criticism of Washington’s performance in command was considerably broader and deeper than previously acknowledged. In light of long-standing practical and ideological questions about his vision for the Continental Army and his ability to win the war, the outcome at Monmouth—a hard-fought tactical draw—was politically insufficient for Washington. Lender and Stone show how the general’s partisans, determined that the battle for public opinion would be won in his favor, engineered a propaganda victory for their chief that involved the spectacular court-martial of Major General Charles Lee, the second-ranking officer of the Continental Army. Replete with poignant anecdotes, folkloric incidents, and stories of heroism and combat brutality; filled with behind-the-scenes action and intrigue; and teeming with characters from all walks of life, Fatal Sunday gives us the definitive view of the fateful Battle of Monmouth.

Download or read book Diary of the American War written by Johann von Ewald and published by New Haven : Yale University Press. This book was released on 1979 with total page 467 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a translation of the diary written by Hessian mercenary Captain Johann Ewald during his service in the American Revolutionary war. Written with humanity, sensitivity, and humor, Ewald's diary discloses many previously unknown facts. His opinions of the British generals and his discussions of their operations, tactics and mistakes are both revealing and entertaining.

Download or read book The Battle of Princeton written by Alfred Alexander Woodhull and published by . This book was released on 1913 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Winter Soldiers written by Richard M. Ketchum and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2014-08-26 with total page 518 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Winter Soldiers is the story of a small band of men held together by George Washington in the face of disaster and hopelessness, desperately needing at least one victory to salvage both cause and country. In the fall of 1776 the British delivered a crushing blow to the Revolutionary War efforts. New York fell and the anguished retreat through New Jersey followed. Winter came with a vengeance, bringing what Thomas Paine called "the times that try men's souls." Richard M. Ketchum tells the tale of unimaginable hardship and suffering that culminated in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. Without these triumphs, the American Revolution that had begun so bravely could not have gone on.

Download or read book The Philadelphia Campaign Brandywine and the fall of Philadelphia written by Thomas J. McGuire and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2006 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first in a monumental two-volume set on the pivotal 1777 campaign of the American Revolution, focusing on Washington's defeat at Brandywine and the capture of the Continental capital in Philadelphia.

Download or read book The Compleat Victory written by Kevin J. Weddle and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-01-15 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the late summer and fall of 1777, after two years of indecisive fighting on both sides, the outcome of the American War of Independence hung in the balance. Having successfully expelled the Americans from Canada in 1776, the British were determined to end the rebellion the following year and devised what they believed a war-winning strategy, sending General John Burgoyne south to rout the Americans and take Albany. When British forces captured Fort Ticonderoga with unexpected ease in July of 1777, it looked as if it was a matter of time before they would break the rebellion in the North. Less than three and a half months later, however, a combination of the Continental Army and Militia forces, commanded by Major General Horatio Gates and inspired by the heroics of Benedict Arnold, forced Burgoyne to surrender his entire army. The American victory stunned the world and changed the course of the war. Kevin J. Weddle offers the most authoritative history of the Battle of Saratoga to date, explaining with verve and clarity why events unfolded the way they did. In the end, British plans were undone by a combination of distance, geography, logistics, and an underestimation of American leadership and fighting ability. Taking Ticonderoga had misled Burgoyne and his army into thinking victory was assured. Saratoga, which began as a British foraging expedition, turned into a rout. The outcome forced the British to rethink their strategy, inflamed public opinion in England against the war, boosted Patriot morale, and, perhaps most critical of all, led directly to the Franco-American alliance. Weddle unravels the web of contingencies and the play of personalities that ultimately led to what one American general called "the Compleat Victory."

Download or read book Valley Forge written by Bob Drury and published by Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 2019-11-05 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The #1 New York Times bestselling authors of The Heart of Everything That Is return with “a thorough, nuanced, and enthralling account” (The Wall Street Journal) about one of the most inspiring—and underappreciated—chapters in American history: the Continental Army’s six-month transformation in Valley Forge. In December 1777, some 12,000 members of America’s Continental Army stagger into a small Pennsylvania encampment near British-occupied Philadelphia. Their commander in chief, George Washington, is at the lowest ebb of his military career. Yet, somehow, Washington, with a dedicated coterie of advisers, sets out to breathe new life into his military force. Against all odds, they manage to turn a bobtail army of citizen soldiers into a professional fighting force that will change the world forever. Valley Forge is the story of how that metamorphosis occurred. Bestselling authors Bob Drury and Tom Clavin show us how this miracle was accomplished despite thousands of American soldiers succumbing to disease, starvation, and the elements. At the center of it all is George Washington as he fends off pernicious political conspiracies. The Valley Forge winter is his—and the revolution’s—last chance at redemption. And after six months in the camp, Washington fulfills his destiny, leading the Continental Army to a stunning victory in the Battle of Monmouth Court House. Valley Forge is the riveting true story of a nascent United States toppling an empire. Using new and rarely seen contemporaneous documents—and drawing on a cast of iconic characters and remarkable moments that capture the innovation and energy that led to the birth of our nation—Drury and Clavin provide a “gripping, panoramic account” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) of the definitive account of this seminal and previously undervalued moment in the battle for American independence.

Download or read book The Battle of Princeton written by Samuel Stelle Smith and published by . This book was released on 1967 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The ROAD TO ASSUNPINK CREEK written by David Price and published by Knox Press. This book was released on 2019-01-22 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE ROAD TO ASSUNPINK CREEK puts a spotlight on what may be the most unappreciated moment of a young nation’s revolutionary struggle when George Washington’s army narrowly escaped destruction to keep alive its fight for American independence Perhaps no military action in our country’s history is more paradoxical than the one on the road to Assunpink Creek, and at the bridge that crossed it, in the sense that its obscurity in the public mind and neglect by many historians is so disproportionate to its impact on the course of a conflict with global implications. The Battle of Assunpink Creek on January 2, 1777 was the second in a sequence of three victories by George Washington’s army during the “Ten Crucial Days” of the American Revolution—the period from December 25, 1776 through January 3, 1777. Those rapid-fire triumphs, the first significant successes by the Continental Army, reversed the momentum of the war when it appeared that America’s quest for independence from Great Britain was on the verge of total defeat. When Washington’s army made its legendary Christmas night crossing of the Delaware River and captured the Hessian garrison in Trenton, the British and Hessian commanders sought a revenge that would destroy Washington’s dwindling army. Lt. General Charles Cornwallis was sent south with a force of over 7,000 men toward Trenton where Washington had set up a defensive position on the south bank of the Assunpink Creek. The ensuing engagement, also known as The Second Battle of Trenton, was in fact part of the Princeton Campaign. THE ROAD TO ASSUNPINK CREEK offers what many students of the period may regard as an unconventional and even contrarian approach. It does so by paying particular attention to what the author contends is clearly the most unappreciated event during this vital epoch and possibly of the entire war for independence — the military actions that occurred throughout the day and into the evening hours on January 2, 1777. The January 2 battle has generally been given short shrift by historians relative to the other two American successes at the time. However, the events of that day provided the essential pivot point from the victory at the Battle of Trenton to the capstone win at Princeton by ensuring that the first Trenton engagement was not a “one-day wonder” but the beginning of a chain of events that changed the whole character of the contest. Had Washington been defeated at Assunpink Creek, his first victory at Trenton would have been a historical footnote, and there would have been no victory at Princeton. As it was, the events of January 2nd - that is, the fighting that occurred during the enemy’s advance from Princeton to Trenton and at the Assunpink itself—segued into the Americans’ overnight march around the enemy’s flank early on January 3rd, which led to the climactic victory of the “Ten Crucial Days” at the Battle of Princeton. The engagement at Assunpink Creek was arguably the most critical moment of the “Ten Crucial Days” and the victory there perhaps the most undervalued of the entire war. Washington’s forces were at mortal peril of being trapped between two waterways with no way to escape if they were outflanked and pinned against the Delaware River. The American soldiers used words like “crisis” and “desperate” to describe their situation. Nathaniel Philbrick writes that by choosing to fight on this ground, “Washington had managed to . . . create what was, even if it is largely unappreciated today, the make-or-break moment of the War of Independence.” With respect of the number of soldiers involved, the Battle of Assunpink Creek was the largest battle fought during these ten remarkable days. It was the only one in which the enemy had a numerical advantage, the only one in which Washington’s army had to fight both British and Hessian troops, the only one in which the crown’s forces were led by a British general—who also happened to be the most competent and energetic field commander in His Majesty’s Army, and the only one in which the geographic position of the Patriot forces put them at mortal peril of being trapped between two natural barriers—a creek on one side and a river on the other—with no means of evacuation if they were outflanked and driven back against the riverbank. January 2, 1777 also featured the longest battle of the “Ten Crucial Days” if one counts as a single encounter the resistance by Colonel Edward Hand’s men during their fighting withdrawal from Maidenhead to Trenton and the shoot-out at the creek immediately following their delaying action.Perhaps most importantly, this occasion marked the first time that the Continental Army beat back an attack by British troops during a significant battle. Had the rebel army failed to stop the advance by the elite British and Hessian units at Assunpink Creek, the result would in all probability have been the destruction of that army and possibly with it the cause of American independence. And that scenario would almost certainly have entailed fatal consequences for Washington, either on the battlefield or at the end of a British rope. In this deftly crafted narrative, the author explains how Washington’s desperate gamble paid off when the Continental Army fought a daylong running battle against a militarily superior foe and made a successful stand with its back to the Delaware River, avoiding the very real threat of total defeat and setting the stage for a dramatic counterattack against a surprised enemy. Price weaves what we know about these events into an exciting and unforgettable story and illuminates what most historians treat as an afterthought. Praise forTHE ROAD TO ASSUNPINK CREEK “David Price has given us a clear, succinct, and gripping account of one of the pivotal moments of the Revolutionary War. This is an excellent portrayal of the battle and a reminder that there was much more to Washington's crossing of the Delaware than is usually remembered.” – Jack Kelly, author ofBand of Giants andThe Edge of Anarchy "Drawing on the interpretations of noted historians of the ‘Ten Crucial Days’ that saved the American Revolution when its defeat seemed imminent, David Price tells the exciting story of those critical hours emphasizing the little-known, often neglected, but really very important battle at Trenton on January 2, 1777 that was a prelude to the Battle of Princeton the next day." – William L. Kidder, author of Ten Crucial Days: Washington’s Vision for Victory Unfolds “Assembling the best scholarship on what has been called the ‘Ten Crucial Days,’ David Price has rightfully elevated the crucial importance of one of the least remembered battles of the Revolution—Assunpink Creek. The Road to Assunpink Creekis a finely crafted argument and illuminating book that shines light on many forgotten aspects of the battle, including the key role played by Edward Hand’s Pennsylvania riflemen. Price’s book is must reading for anyone interested in the Revolution.” – Patrick K. O’Donnell, bestselling author ofWashington’s Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution “The Battle of Assunpink Creek, or Second Trenton, bracketed by the more storied First Trenton and Princeton engagements, is typically under-chronicled by historians and unknown to laymen. David Price’s The Road to Assunpink Creekraises this overlooked but critical action to the status it rightfully deserves. Utilizing original sources and accounts by participants, Price deftly leads the reader through the latter part of the ‘Ten Crucial Days,’ offering a detailed explanation of both the battle and its ultimate importance. I certainly recommend this to all.” – Bill Welsch, President, American Revolution Round Table of Richmond and Co-founder of the Congress of ARRTs “David Price’s concise analysis of a little-known yet significant Revolutionary War battle is both enlightening and entertaining.”– Glenn F. Williams, Ph.D.,author ofDunmore’s War: The Last Conflict of America’s Colonial Era andYear of the Hangman: George Washington’s Campaign Against the Iroquois

Download or read book The Continental Congress at Princeton written by Varnum Lansing Collins and published by Princeton, N.J. : University Library. This book was released on 1908 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Battles of Trenton and Princeton written by William Scudder Stryker and published by . This book was released on 1898 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: