American Revolutionary War

[SuperSquirrel]

Since my thread on the Holocaust went so well I thought I would ask again about some more reading material. I'm interesting in learning about the Revolutionary War from beginning to end. My dad had me watch National Treasure the other night and after watching it I got interested in learning the history of my country. I took history in high school but it never really clicked for me. Maybe someone could recommend something that will help. Thanks a lot everyone!


EDIT: I meant war not way in the title. Darn fingers.

[sgf8]

I loved studying the American Revolution. Here is my library showing my books on A.R (http://www.librarything.com/catalog/sgerbic&tag=American%2BRevolution).

I have reviewed most of these books and you can read my reviews and others if you click on the little people faces (under the word "shared"). Before I took this class my knowledge of the AM was very lacking.

What stands out to me now is that Colonists were not anti-English. Most people didn't understand or care about what was going on, if they had their choice they would rather stay part of England. But an England that did not interfere with the Colonists rules. They did not like being taxed, but England was expelling large amounts of money to keep the Colony safe from French and Native Americans, the French & Indian war had just happened and the Colonists expected England to pay for it. Also the British soldiers who were in that war reported back to England that the Colonists were lazy, rich and bad fighters. So you can understand that there was a lot of bad communication going on. When the British attacked in Mass they did so to take arms from what they thought was a small group of rebels, much as if American went into one of our states and disarmed a rowdy group of tax-evaders.

My area of history is commonly known as "social history" we don't focus on the battles, but the social impacts the battles have on communities and society. What was the perspective from various points of view, mothers, Indians, African Americans, ect...

I don't see the book "1776" on my book list but I read that and enjoyed it a lot. Also the book "His Excellency" both are great introductions to George Washington, his personality and such. The book on smallpox "Pox Americana" was wonderful, but graphic. I think in my review I write that you can't understand the American Revolution unless you understand the impact Smallpox had on the outcome of the war. The book does cover smallpox in many other places in the U.S. and Mexico but it spends a lot of time explaining how Washington handled this serious issue. Black Slaves, Indians and white people who did not live in big cities were badly affected by smallpox, British & Germans fighting in America were already at an advantage as they were little affected in comparison.

The book "Water from the Rock" is also great, it explains why African-Americans easily could have turned the war by joining up with the British. They mostly wanted to because the British were more likely to end slavery than the Colonists were. But then Smallpox intervened and then...

"Common Sense" is a must read - but you need to read a bit more about Paine to understand where this all came from and what happened after the war. Just finished "The Trouble with Tom" about what happened to Paine's bones after he lost everything. Excellent book.

The Federalist Papers are also a must read, but honestly if you don't have enough background you may have trouble understanding them. I recommend them when you can discuss them, a classroom setting is best.

When I am approaching a new history subject I have two ways of introducing myself to it. (Now don't laugh, this really works) I read anything from the "Dear America" series (or something similar) these are usually very quick reads that act as if they were written from a young person's diary, I have found them very well researched and give you a sense of time and place that you can't just fall into when you read a more scholarly source. Also I usually try to get a "Dummy's" book, they are like reading a whole Wiki page on the subject. Just small paragraphs that break it down into readable chunks. Once I have done these two things, Dummy book & Young Adult Diary, then I am set to go. I use this all the time and I'm not embarrassed to admit it. This fall I will begin my Masters in American History (though I have already taken some of the classes already) and will continue to use these resources.

You have a thread for the Holocaust? I have also had a college class on German history, we had to read extensively on Hitler and the Holocaust.

Happy reading

Susan

[Gurdur]

.... The book "Water from the Rock" is also great, it explains why African-Americans easily could have turned the war by joining up with the British. They mostly wanted to because the British were more likely to end slavery than the Colonists were. But then Smallpox intervened and then... ....

Many thanks, sgf8; that was a great book recommendation, since epidemiology is a small hobby of mine (http://www.librarything.com/catalog/Gurdur&tag=epidemiology), including its effects on wars; for example, the last conflict to be settled by a disease was the Chinese Civil War, where a sudden epidemic of bilharzia ensured that Taiwan (Formosa) remained uninvaded by Mao Tse-Tung's army till it was too late.

[SuperSquirrel]

I tried looking for the "Dummies" book but I could find any. Maybe I just typed in the wrong title. Is there one for the revolutionary war?

Yep, I have a thread on the Holocaust here. It should be in this same area.

[sgf8]

Many thanks, sgf8; that was a great book recommendation, since epidemiology is a small hobby of mine (http://www.librarything.com/catalog/Gurdur&tag=epidemiology), including its effects on wars; for example, the last conflict to be settled by a disease was the Chinese Civil War, where a sudden epidemic of bilharzia ensured that Taiwan (Formosa) remained uninvaded by Mao Tse-Tung's army till it was too late.

Very interesting. I will have to review your books.

Susan

[sgf8]

I tried looking for the "Dummies" book but I could find any. Maybe I just typed in the wrong title. Is there one for the revolutionary war?

Yep, I have a thread on the Holocaust here. It should be in this same area.

Opps...looks like I don't have a Dummies book for the Am. Rev. For the Civil War and for German History I do. I would still suggest any young adult books on it, I have several and loved all of them. One is on Valley Forge, another is a young man as a solider.

Where is you Holocaust thread?

Susan

[SuperSquirrel]

My Holocaust thread is in this same topic area. Just look for a thread titled Holocaust.

[NobbyNobbs]

I will second the recommendation of the book "1776".

Also, there's another book (which I forget the title of, but I'll figure it out eventually) that is basically the recollections of an old man who, as a boy in the 1770s, watched the soldiers march off to war. His descriptions are amazingly accurate, and he seems to have had an uncanny memory.

When I remember the title, I'll get back to you.

[kookbreaker]

Private Yankee Doodle is an excellent grunts-eye view of the war. It is interesting to note his motivation for writing the book was because at the time politicians were giving much too much credit for inept state militias credit for winning the war. The result is that some battles that primarily were fought by regulars are almost unknown (Fort Mercer anyone?).

A really unique book is Barbara Tuchman's 'The First Salute', which is mostly concerned with the view of America's allies, the struggles they went through. Tuchman barely touches on most of the American battles, only really giving detail to sea conflicts and Yorktown. But the account is fascinating. One can see easily how sheer neglect of the British Navy by Parliment lead to failure to hold the colonies, and that total disaster for England was only prevented by a few willful Admirals who manage to stave off disaster.

[e-sabbath]

I rather like 'Redcoats and Rebels' and 'Rebels and Redcoats' for different perspectives on the same events.
http://www.amazon.com/Rebels-Redcoats-American-Revolution-Paperback/dp/0306803070
http://www.amazon.com/Redcoats-Rebels-American-Revolution-Through/dp/0393322939/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216007596&sr=1-1

[Foolmewunz]

I rather like 'Redcoats and Rebels' and 'Rebels and Redcoats' for different perspectives on the same events.
http://www.amazon.com/Rebels-Redcoats-American-Revolution-Paperback/dp/0306803070
http://www.amazon.com/Redcoats-Rebels-American-Revolution-Through/dp/0393322939/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216007596&sr=1-1

Have you read Graves' Sergeant Lamb books? Sergeant Lamb's America, and Proceed, Sergeant Lamb. A very interesting slant on things, written back in the 1940s.

(I generally don't recommend historical fiction, but Graves did a lot of groundwork,... which I already knew from reading the books, but he was also the regimental historian of the Fuseliers in the story... which I didn't know and only learned when googling to get the correct title of the second book. It also appears that the book was released in England under the title of Sergeant Lamb of the Ninth.)

[Beady]

(I generally don't recommend historical fiction...)

I do, with caveats thrown in. Some novelists, as you've noted, do a lot of groundwork, and fiction can often be more readable. In that vein, you simply can't ignore the works of Kenneth Roberts, with special emphasis on "Oliver Wiswell," the Revolution as told from a Tory point of view. Novelist Bruce Lancaster did an excellent general overview of the war, entitled simply "The American Revolution." Then, there's the movie "1776." Including this may be controversial, but I don't know of any really good books specifically about the adoption of the Declaration, and the movie is an excellent introduction of topics for further research.

[cruithni]

I just realized that I've never actually read a book about the Revolutionary War. What I have done is read biographies of the men who led and fought in it. Men like:
George Washington
Ethan Allen
Benedict Arnold
John Burgoyne (British)
Francis Marion
Gilbert du Motier (Marquis de Lafayette)
John Paul Jones

The only other thing I used to do was to research specific battles during my wargaming miniatures days.

Can't believe I've never actually read a book about the war.

[sgf8]

Just finished a book on the American Constitution and wanted to mention it here as its first few chapters discuss the American Revolution from the perspective on the Constitution The whole book is well researched and would recommend it.


The Blessings Of Liberty: A Concise History of the Constitution of the United StatesAuthorBenedict, Michael
Michael Benedict (http://www.librarything.com/author/benedictmichael)
He talks a lot about the conflict between Jefferson and Hamilton after the war was over.

Susan

[Ranb]

I just realized that I've never actually read a book about the Revolutionary War. What I have done is read biographies of the men who led and fought in it. Men like:
George Washington
Ethan Allen
Benedict Arnold
John Burgoyne (British)
Francis Marion
Gilbert du Motier (Marquis de Lafayette)
John Paul Jones


What book did you read on Francis Marion? I read one about him written many years ago in High School. Looking back, it portrayed him as a boy scout. What I have heard about Marion since that Mel Gibson movie was much less nice.

Ranb