1776 (2 Viewers)

Sahara

Sahara

Command Sergeant Major
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Yesterday a friend of mine let me borrow the book "1776" by David McCullough. I know I'm a little late getting to this one but I have never been a huge fan of the American Rev. War so I just kept putting this read on the back burner. Needless to say I got this book around 1800hrs yesterday and I have been unable to set it down (almost done). I have to admit I have a new found interest in the American Rev. and I believe I might even take a liking to "The French and Indian War". If anyone could suggest any good books focusing on these two time frames I would appreciate some titles so I can pick them up.
 
Welcome to the 18th Century Club!

I have "1776" too, and found it gripping reading, as you did.

"The Drillmaster of Valley Forge" is an excellent biography of von Steuben, which I recommend highly.

I'll have to check my titles at home, I'm thinking of some books, I can picture them, but can't remember titles now. I think I'm thinking of the American Heritage feature book on the American Revolution. It's a little dated, perhaps, in its style, but it's still a decent overview of the war.

I'll post back with the titles I'm trying to remember.

Prost!
Brad
 
This not really my period of interest, but I received a copy of 1776 as a Christmas present, and I found it an excellent read.
 
Sahara said:
I have to admit I have a new found interest in the American Rev. and I believe I might even take a liking to "The French and Indian War". If anyone could suggest any good books focusing on these two time frames I would appreciate some titles so I can pick them up.
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The Osprey book called "Empires Collide" is a must for anyone with an interest in the French-Indian War. A great overview with lots of fantastic illustrations and portraits. There are plenty of more substantive histories including Fred Anderson's "Crucible of War." Those are a bit more advanced reading. There is thread on F-I books under John Jenkins.
 
Another great AWI book is Almost A Miracle by John Ferling. It came out a couple of years ago and is quite comprehensive. I highly recommend it!!

Mark
 
"The drillmaster of Valley Forge" sounds like a good one to p/u as does the Osprey book "Empires Collide". Baron if you think of anything more let me know. I have about 40 pages left in "1776" and I'm almost finished with another book titled "German Battle Tactics on the Russian Front" by Steven Newton. Once I'm done with those two books I'll be caught up and have nothing to read so I want to go out and get some books (at least 3-4) on the American Rev. and French/Indian War.
 
Thanks Mark I'll look for that one as well. I'm hoping I'll still be able to find some of these books at the store I go to, otherwise I may have to order them online.




REVWARBUFF said:
Another great AWI book is Almost A Miracle by John Ferling. It came out a couple of years ago and is quite comprehensive. I highly recommend it!!

Mark
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Ferling wrote "A Leap in the Dark", too, didn't he? I think that's the title. It covers the first 20 years, I think, of the republic, from the Articles, up through the Constitutional Convention, and Jefferson's election. Another excellent book, though a little later than the periods you're looking for.

Prost!
Brad
 
I finished today "The Drillmaster of Valley Forge" and i can reccomend it too..there is not much "action" but the author Lockhart writes in a way that keeps focused the reader...described are the many hopes and disappointments of the Baron , a really amazing and interesting person..a bit Munchausen (he falsified his curriculum vitae to gain an important post in the newborn continental army) but really generous and deserving of much more of what in the end obtained ..
 
Thanks guys for the advice. I picked up "The Drillmaster of Valley Forge" today and it looks like a very good read. As far as Ospreys "Empires Collide" I had to order that on the internet and "Almost a Miracle" I ordered through my bookstore and I should receive it shortly.
 
Sahara said:
Thanks guys for the advice. I picked up "The Drillmaster of Valley Forge" today and it looks like a very good read. As far as Ospreys "Empires Collide" I had to order that on the internet and "Almost a Miracle" I ordered through my bookstore and I should receive it shortly.
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Other works that you may want to consider are: "Appeal to Arms," by Willard Wallace (a military history of the Revolution), "Rebels and Redcoats," by Scheer & Rankin, "The Howe Brothers and the American Revolution," by Ira Gruber, and "Those ****ed Rebels," by Michael Pearson (a history of the Revolution from the British side). Also, try to access Howe's "Narrative."
 
Wilderness Empire by Eckert is excellent.He has a whole series on the 18th-early 19th cen.White Devil about Roger's Rangers is another good one.
Mark
 
I read 1776 recently also. A great read.
Even better was "The Birth of America" by William R Polk. As a member of another former British colony I never really understood why the Americans had broken off. Most books point to stamp and tea duties etc but this book goes right back through the history of the colonies and one gets a better feeling of how the roots of revolution first began.
On the same topic of the war of independence, The Encyclopaedia of Uniforms of the American War of Independence is also an excellent read and at a good price on Amazon.
 
Davout71 said:
I read 1776 recently also. A great read.
Even better was "The Birth of America" by William R Polk. As a member of another former British colony I never really understood why the Americans had broken off. Most books point to stamp and tea duties etc but this book goes right back through the history of the colonies and one gets a better feeling of how the roots of revolution first began.
On the same topic of the war of independence, The Encyclopaedia of Uniforms of the American War of Independence is also an excellent read and at a good price on Amazon.
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After reading Simon Schama's "A History of Britain", I've developed a thesis that our revolution was really a continuation of a conflict that stretched back to the English Civil War and the evolution of Parliament, and the central government versus individual rights and local administration.

The taxation issue was a flash point, of course, but not the underlying cause (just as slavery was a flash point for the Civil War, but it was not the real reason for the war). And the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution have a firm grounding in the English Enlightenment. That's how we can speak of ideas from the Continent as being "foreign". For example, our revolution's ideal was liberty, and nothing else. Everything flows from personal liberty. But the French revolution's ideals were three co-equals: liberty, fraternity and equality. That is a different emphasis, and you can argue that those three conflict with one another. Our emphasis on liberty doesn't preclude brotherhood and equality, but rather, it makes it a precondition, that you can't have the other two, until you establish the first.

Prost!
Brad
 
I've just finished a Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution and before that it was Christopher Hibberts Redcoats and Rebels which I can recommend.

I am hoping to get Partisans and Redcoats and the Green Dragoon next.

Will have to think about getting 1776, after all the decent reviews!:)
 
marco55 said:
Wilderness Empire by Eckert is excellent.He has a whole series on the 18th-early 19th cen.White Devil about Roger's Rangers is another good one.
Mark
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White Devil is very good. That was one of the books that really got me interested in the FIW and Roger's Rangers. I think those guys lived an incredible existence. Rogers seemed in many ways a tragic character. I don't hold it against him for sticking with the British during the Revolution but his motives for doing so seem questionable.
 
Thanks everyone for the terrific suggestions. I will be searching for the book Sans Culotte suggested by Michael Pearson since I would love to read what the opposition thought of the war. In addition I will be looking for "White Devil", "Redcoats and Rebels" and "The Birth of America". If I find them all I should have 7 books that will keep me busy for awhile.

Now that I have the "Itch" my only concern is which line of Toy Soldier do I start collecting? I've already been checking out some Rev. War. figures and its comes down to K&C or Britains. Tough choice but both look great!
 
As already stated, Ferling's 'Almost a Miracle' is the best recent history I think. Covers all political and military aspects very well. At almost 700 pages though, it is not a light read.

Noah
 
When I received "1776", I started reading it on a Friday and finished it by that Sunday. Excellent book.

I too just started "Almost a Miracle". Very good read so far.

I just finished a book titled "Realistic Visionary" by Peter R. Henriques on the life of George Washington. I highly recommend it.
 
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