The first twenty-one months of the American Revolution—which began at Lexington and ended at Princeton—was the story of a ragged group of militiamen and soldiers fighting to forge a new nation. By the winter of 1777, the exhausted Continental Army could claim only that it had barely escaped annihilation by the world’s most formidable fighting force. Two years into the war, George III is as determined as ever to bring his rebellious colonies to heel. But the king’s task is now far more complicated: fighting a determined enemy on the other side of the Atlantic has become ruinously expensive, and spies tell him that the French and Spanish are threatening to join forces with the Americans.
We get an equally accomplished chronicle of the middle years of this multifront war, so compulsively readable that despite its length — again around 800 pages — it’s difficult to put down ... Enjoyable ... To label this book military history, or even American history, does it a disservice ... Atkinson’s ability to work at this level of detail keeps his depictions fresh. This is great history.
Varying his focus to capture compelling personalities and episodes along with the wider picture, Mr. Atkinson sustains dramatic tension in a detailed, comprehensive account of the Revolution’s pivotal middle years ... He deftly sketches personalities and incidents while stressing the uncertainty all those involved felt about the outcome.
A riveting narrative covering the middle years of the American Revolution ... For readers of American history, this is a must-have volume to complete an already vast library covering the fight for democracy some 250 years in the past.
