Washington's Partisan War, 1775-1783


Book Description

Washington's Partisan War, 1775-1783 combines the histories of regular units, state militia, & politics at the state & national levels, which in turn brings clarity to the chaotic & complicated military campaigns, & illuminates the militia's contributions to Washington's victories in the Revolutionary War.




Washington's Partisan War, 1775-1783


Book Description

"This solid, workmanlike monograph, based on impressive research and laced with first rate maps... gives the reader a greater appreciation of the performance of the states and their leaders in the northern theater of the war. And it shows that Washington was flexible in his use of the militia, which at times surprised him with its turnout and its performance."-Reviews in American History"Everyone knows that George Washington distrusted the militia... .He has been quoted so often on the topic that even specialists do not realize that Washington also saw virtues in militiamen and used them with real skill." -Mark V. Kwasny




Washington's Crossing


Book Description

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.




One Nation Divided by Slavery


Book Description

The centrality of the American Revolution in the antebellum slavery controversy In the two decades before the Civil War, free Americans engaged in "history wars" every bit as ferocious as those waged today over the proposed National History Standards or the commemoration at the Smithsonian Institution of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In One Nation Divided by Slavery, author Michael F. Conlin investigates the different ways antebellum Americans celebrated civic holidays, read the Declaration of Independence, and commemorated Revolutionary War battles, revealing much about their contrasting views of American nationalism. While antebellum Americans agreed on many elements of national identity--in particular that their republic was the special abode of liberty on earth--they disagreed on the role of slavery. The historic truths that many of the founders were slaveholders who had doubts about the morality of slavery, and that all thirteen original states practiced slavery to some extent in 1776, offered plenty of ambiguity for Americans to "remember" selectively. Fire-Eaters defended Jefferson, Washington, and other leading patriots as paternalistic slaveholders, if not "positive good" apologists for the institution, who founded a slaveholding republic. In contrast, abolitionists cited the same slaveholders as opponents of bondage, who took steps to end slavery and establish a free republic. Moderates in the North and the South took solace in the fact that the North had managed to end slavery in its own way through gradual emancipation while allowing the South to continue to practice slavery. They believed that the founders had established a nation that balanced free and slave labor. Because the American Revolution and the American Civil War were pivotal and crucial elements in shaping the United States, the intertwined themes in One Nation Divided By Slavery provide a new lens through which to view American history and national identity.




George Washington


Book Description

Jones (history, Fordham U.) extensively revises and enlarges his George Washington, A Biography, originally published in 1979 and in print since then. His goal is to synthesize the best contemporary scholarship into a relatively brief and readable biography for the general reader and student. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR




The Battle for the Fourteenth Colony


Book Description

An unparalleled look at AmericaÍs Revolutionary War invasion of Canada




Reader's Guide to Military History


Book Description

This book contains some 600 entries on a range of topics from ancient Chinese warfare to late 20th-century intervention operations. Designed for a wide variety of users, it encompasses general reviews of aspects of military organization and science, as well as specific wars and conflicts. The book examines naval and air warfare, as well as significant individuals, including commanders, theorists, and war leaders. Each entry includes a listing of additional publications on the topic, accompanied by an article discussing these publications with reference to their particular emphases, strengths, and limitations.




General George Washington


Book Description

“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




With Musket & Tomahawk


Book Description

In this third volume of Michael Logusz’s epic study of the Wilderness War of 1777, a sizable British military force, augmented with German and loyalist soldiers, attacks the Northern Army’s southern front in the fall of 1777 in hopes of assisting a much larger British Army that is threatened to the north of New York City in the wilderness region of Saratoga. In previous works on the Wilderness War, Logusz deftly described General John Burgoyne’s efforts in the Saratoga campaign. He covered the exploits of British general Barry St. Leger and the convergence of British, German, Canadian mercenary, loyalist, and Indian forces toward Albany. In this third installment, Logusz presents how British general Sir William Howe was to advance northward from New York City with a force of almost twenty thousand regulars accompanied with a strong river naval force to link up with the two other commanders in Albany. Capturing Albany would not only deny the provincials a vital town on the edge of a wilderness, but also cut off the entire region of New England from the rest of the newly established nation. Instead, Howe decided to pursue Washington in Pennsylvania, leaving behind British general Sir Henry Clinton in New York City to deal with the city's lingering troubles and the events to the north. The book vividly describes the hardships encountered by the patriots fighting for independence and their opponents, along with Clinton’s experiences in and around New York City, West Point, and the Hudson Valley region. Logusz illustrates in depth the terrain, tactics, and terror of the multifaceted Wilderness War of 1777. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.




George Washington's Surprise Attack


Book Description

Extensively researched and superbly argued in Tucker’s compelling narrative, this in-depth examination of George Washington’s ‘military miracle’ at the Battle of Trenton unquestionably confirms the vital importance of that stunning victory.” —Jerry D. Morelock, PhD, editor in chief at Armchair General Like many historical events, the American Revolution is sometimes overlooked, ignored, or minimized by historians because of common shrouding in romantic myth or interference from stubborn stereotypes. Here historian Phillip Thomas Tucker provides an in-depth look at the events of the Battle of Trenton, weeding out fiction and legend and presenting new insights and analysis. Stories from many forgotten individuals of the war, including officers and soldiers from both sides, bring to life the Continental Army’s desperate circumstances and shocking victory. Myths that Tucker debunks include the Hessians’ slovenly drunkenness, Washington acting alone in creating the attack strategy, and Rall’s incompetence as a leader largely contributing to his troops’ defeat. By exploring the forgotten aspects of one of America’s most famous battles, revealing Trenton’s story proves to be even more fascinating. In the end, America’s founding was nothing short of miraculous, and no chapter of America’s story was more miraculous than Washington’s improbable success at the battle of Trenton, where America’s fate was decided to almost everyone’s amazement on a dark, snowy morning. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.