Table of Contents

The Colonial Background to the American Victory by Fred Anderson The Continental Army and the American Victory by James Kirby Martin The American Soldier and the American Victory by Paul David Nelson George Washington and the American Victory by John Ferling Washington's Lieutenants and the American Victory by Hugh F. Rankin Logistics and the American Victory by Mark Edward Lender Frontier Warfare and the American Victory by James H. O'Donnell III Politics and the American Victory by Jonathan G. Rossie The French Alliance and the American Victory by W. J. Eccles British Armed Forces and the American Victory by Sylvia R. Frey Naval Warfare and the American Victory by Mary B. Wickwire

About the Author

JOHN FERLING, Professor of History at West Georgia College, is writing a biography of John Adams. He is the author of The Loyalist Mind (1977), A Wilderness of Miseries: War and Warriors in Early America (1981), and The First of Men: A Life of George Washington (1988).

Reviews

?. . . this is a useful collection of essays whose strengths lie in synthesizing an enormous amount of information and deepening our knowledge of the factors responsible for American victory.?-The Historian

?. . . this volume has a great deal to offer the historian. It is a book of substance and intelligence. It adds quite elegantly to the history of the revolutionary era.?-The Journal of American History

?Drawing on recent scholarship and their own research, 11 able historians examine the American Revolution as a military event. Fred Anderson traces the Colonial roots of the American militia and military structure. James Kirby Martin focuses on the Continental Army's contribution to internal unity and national identity in the new republic. Paul David Nelson illustrates the American soldiers' superior capacity to endure deprivation to achieve victory. John Ferling illustrates the invaluable role of George Washington, and Hugh F. Rankin notes the contributions of five of Washington's subordinate generals. Mark Edward Lender finds the American logistical effort to have been weak but sufficient to achieve the necessary victory. James H. O'Donnell focuses on the importance of the American success along the western frontier, and Jonathan G. Rossie reviews the politics of the war, including the struggles between Congress and its generals. W.J. Eccles establishes the critical role of the French in the American victory. Sylvia R. Frey examines the British armed forces, finding them in need of reform, and unfit to win a political war like that in the US. Mary B. Wickwire argues that the British navy performed inconsistently, often incompetently, and must share blame for the British failure. The essays are clearly written and include extensive notes and a good bibliographic essay. Together they serve as good summary of current scholarship on the military and political forces that resulted in American success in the War for Independence. Recommended for all academic libraries.?-Choice

." . . this is a useful collection of essays whose strengths lie in synthesizing an enormous amount of information and deepening our knowledge of the factors responsible for American victory."-The Historian

." . . this volume has a great deal to offer the historian. It is a book of substance and intelligence. It adds quite elegantly to the history of the revolutionary era."-The Journal of American History

"Drawing on recent scholarship and their own research, 11 able historians examine the American Revolution as a military event. Fred Anderson traces the Colonial roots of the American militia and military structure. James Kirby Martin focuses on the Continental Army's contribution to internal unity and national identity in the new republic. Paul David Nelson illustrates the American soldiers' superior capacity to endure deprivation to achieve victory. John Ferling illustrates the invaluable role of George Washington, and Hugh F. Rankin notes the contributions of five of Washington's subordinate generals. Mark Edward Lender finds the American logistical effort to have been weak but sufficient to achieve the necessary victory. James H. O'Donnell focuses on the importance of the American success along the western frontier, and Jonathan G. Rossie reviews the politics of the war, including the struggles between Congress and its generals. W.J. Eccles establishes the critical role of the French in the American victory. Sylvia R. Frey examines the British armed forces, finding them in need of reform, and unfit to win a political war like that in the US. Mary B. Wickwire argues that the British navy performed inconsistently, often incompetently, and must share blame for the British failure. The essays are clearly written and include extensive notes and a good bibliographic essay. Together they serve as good summary of current scholarship on the military and political forces that resulted in American success in the War for Independence. Recommended for all academic libraries."-Choice