A Nation Born

10 Riveting Reads About the American Revolution

The Fourth of July holiday commemorates the day in 1776 when the legislative body of our fledgling nation officially declared independence from Great Britain’s rule. This momentous declaration happened only one year after the start of the American Revolution, which would grind on for another seven years until September 3, 1783, when Great Britain finally recognized the independence of the United States of America. Here are ten revelatory reads about the Revolutionary War.

The Cause: The American Revolution and its Discontents

This volume takes a fresh look at the events between 1773 and 1783, uncovering a war more brutal than any in American history save the Civil War. Joseph J. Ellis brings together a cast of familiar and forgotten characters, challenging the story we have long told ourselves about our origins as a people and a nation.

Power and Liberty: Constitutionalism in the American Revolution

New York Times bestseller and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gordon S. Wood breaks down debates over the founding documents of the United States. In concise form, he illuminates critical events in the nation's origins and presents timely insights on the Constitution.

Liberty is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution

A sweeping reassessment of the American Revolution, showing how the Founders were influenced by overlooked Americans—women, Native Americans, African Americans, and religious dissenters. "It is all one story," prizewinning historian Woody Holton writes.

The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware

According to historian Patrick K. O’Donnell, no group played a more consequential role in the American Revolution than the Marbleheaders, a uniquely diverse group of soldiers. At the right time and in the right place, their story shines new light on our understanding of the war.

Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence

The American Revolution was a home-front war that brought scarcity, bloodshed, and danger into the life of every American. In this incisive and comprehensive history, Carol Berkin illuminates the vital role that women played throughout the struggle for American independence.

Battles of the Revolutionary War, 1775–1781

The Americans did not simply outlast the British, contends W. J. Wood, but won their independence by employing superior strategies, tactics, and leadership. This blow-by-blow analysis breaks down the famous battles of Bunker Hill, Quebec, Trenton, Princeton, Saratoga, and Cowpens.

Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution

He may have only been a minor character in Hamilton, but author Mike Duncan asserts that few in history can match the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. After running away from France as a teen to join the American Revolution, he then returned home to help launch the French Revolution.

The Radicalism of the American Revolution

Prize-winning historian Gordon S. Wood depicts a revolution that was about much more than a break from England. In fact, the struggle transformed an almost feudal society into a democratic one, whose emerging realities sometimes baffled and disappointed its founding fathers.

Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution

Bestselling author Nathaniel Philbrick explores the tragic relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold and its historic importance. As a country wary of tyrants tried to reconfigure leadership, Washington's ability to rise above petty politics enabled him to win the war that really mattered.

Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution

"Americans tend to forget that we have always been at war with one another—even in the beginning." Best-selling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands presents an alternate interpretation of the American Revolution—a civil war between colonial patriots and those loyal to the British Crown.

Wars are complex and multifaceted. Here we’ve attempted to present a collection of books that offer a textured view of this tremendous episode in history. Please let us know if you have any favorites to add to this list.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon