To Try Men's Souls: A Novel of George Washington and the Fight for American Freedom (George Washington Series, 1)

By Newt Gingrich, William R. Forstchen, Callista Gingrich

Book Overview

Bestselling authors Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen turn their sharp eye for detail on three men in the middle of the Revolutionary War and the birth of America.

It is the night before the crossing of the Delaware, one of the most iconic events in American history, and General Washington is full of doubt. The harsh winter and repeated defeats have dimmed his army's spirit. The revolution has come down to one desperate salvo as the freezing, hungry rebels slip across the river.

While Washington prepares, Thomas Paine, writing in Philadelphia, captures the army's grim reality in one line: These are the times that try men's souls.

Private Jonathan Van Dorn is about to bring the war to his own doorstep. Jonathan must decide between staying loyal to the American cause and sparing his brother, who has joined the British.

Through these three men, Gingrich and Forstchen illuminate the Revolution's darkest days. They bring to life the thrilling Battle of Trenton, the victory that brought Americans the faith that they could win over insurmountable odds. With detailed research and incredible military insight, To Try Men's Souls is a novel that provides a rare and personal perspective of the men who fought for the United States of America.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312592876
• ISBN13: 9780312592875
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 1.0" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Book

Arrived on time and in condition as described

----America's Past Shows that Freedom Is Not Free Of Cost---

TO TRY MEN'S SOULS is well written and insightful. The American soldiers fighting in the Revolutionary War were farmers, merchants, clerks, very young men and school boys. They were up against some of the finest professional solders from Europe. The well disciplined British troops were confident and had the best equipment. The hired Hessian soldiers were brutal warriors who took no prisoners alive. Most American men had no military experience and had used rifles for hunting purposes only. This important and timely book gives us a part of the Revolutionary War when the American army was at a low and desperate period. The Americans were demoralized after they had made a embarrassing retreat from New York. The winter of 1776 was very cold and many enlistments were up. Even George Washington could not convince thousands of men to stay and continue fighting. Our soldiers were demoralized. Their clothing was ragged, many had no shoes and their feet were frost bitted. They had not been paid for a long time and Congress had fled from the capital of Philadelphia. It seemed to many that the fight for independence was over. This story is told through the voices of George Washington, Thomas Paine, and a young soldier. It shows that even in the worst of times and in situations that seem impossible, perseverance, strength, honor and courage can, indeed, win in the end. The three voices gave a well rounded look at that desperate point during the American Revolution and gave me a better understanding of the situation. Thomas Paine's, thoughts called THE AMERICAN CRISIS was also included in the book. His words are still inspirational today. This is a book every American needs to read. I'm glad that I did. God Bless America!

Feel Like a Patriot

To Try Men's Souls follows one day in the life of George Washington's army, in an educational yet entertaining blend of story and history. At times it felt no different than reading a history book, which was not unwelcome for someone like me who would have been just as happy had it been completely nonfiction, but the fiction helped me care about this familiar story in a way I never had before, both from General Washington's point of view, and that of one of his lowliest soldiers. The book also follows Thomas Paine as he writes The American Crisis. Indeed, the whole book seems designed to allow the reader to understand The American Crisis with all the context and emotional investment of one living during those times. As I read the copy included at the end, I could easily feel how it would have inspired those fighting for our independence. We live in a time when patriotism is unpopular. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to reconnect with the patriotism of our founders.

A patriotic tale for ALL Americans

It's ironic that someone as politically polarizing as former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich could co-author such a straightforward, inspirational novel as "To Try Men's Souls." As someone who has never aligned with Gingrich's politics, I had to force myself not to turn away from this novel. Fortunately, my interest in colonial history prompted me to give it a chance, and I'm glad I did. This dyed-in-the-wool Democrat loved this novel by Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen. Focused specifically, and with extraordinary detail, on the late December 1776 crossing of the Delaware and the battle of Trenton, New Jersey, the novel unequally divides the action and perspective between General Washington, Tom Paine, and a sickly private from New Jersey. The story is Wasington's, as it really should be, and he dominates the narrative. The private appears occasionally to provide the every-man, dedicated patriot perspective and also to offer insight into the brother-against-brother conflict that arose during the Revolutionary War. Paine's words, specifically "The American Crisis I," form the emotional core and bridge all three narratives together. Paine himself appears in a handful of brief episodic flashbacks; his writing is the real star, not the man. I was moved by the story, enchanted by the attention to detail, and pleased by all of the little flourishes right down to the novel's typeface reflecting the colonial time period. This is truly a book for all Americans regardless of your political affiliations. I encourage everyone to look beyond the politics of the authors, if that is even an issue for you, and enjoy this well-written tribute to this country's patriot heroes. Highly recommended.

In the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive

The idea of Newt Gingrich as a novelist seemed absurd; just another overreaching politician with an overdeveloped sense of his ability, I scoffed. Then I read Pearl Harbor, Days of Infamy and 1945. I was astonished by Pearl Harbor and thoroughly delighted with the other two, and I look forward to reading his novels set in the Civil War. I do not mean to labor the point, but these are good books: well-written, and terrifically entertaining. Now Gingrich (and William R. Fortschen, who also co-wrote Pearl Harbor, Days of Infamy and 1945) has approached the Revolutionary War, its early days shortly after George Washington's retreat from New York City: the Battle of Trenton, Christmas, 1776, a fight against Hessians--German soldiers that had defeated Washington's Army at Brooklyn a few months earlier, bayoneting wounded and surrendering Marylanders even as they cried for mercy, having sacrificed themselves as a rearguard so that the Army could escape. True to the sturcture of his other novels, To Try Men's Souls tells the story from the highest levels--General Washington--to most most humble as Thomas Paine, known throughout the Army and the country for his writing, finds insipiration from two fellow foot soldiers, brothers, one who has had enough and goes home and the younger who stays in the face of a brutal witner. Thus inspired, Paine inspired the country and, more importantly, Washington's utterly defeated and humiliated army. The story of these three men frames this story of Christmas 1776 and, in the few weeks preceding it, the defeats and retreats from Brooklyn to Manhattan, to Fort Lee, to the Raritan River and across the Delaware River to Pennsylvania, leaving what was left of the Army to a desparate attack back across the Delaware against Hessians at Trenton. The patriot soldiers endured terrible conditions, made worse as the Army was threadbare relying on hope and virtue since they was no food, boots or warm clothes. A feckless Congress ran from Philadelphia to Baltimore leaving the army with nothing more than worlhless (although quite valuable in the 21st century collector market) continental dollars for subsistance. The soldiers and merchants alike used the notes for toilet paper. Although familiar to most, the story is told in rich, evocative detail. This is a good book by a fine author. You'd never know that he has a day job! Highly recommended.