A Short History of the American Revolution

by James L. Stokesbury

Book Overview

The first one-volume survey of the American Revolution that is both objective and comprehensive, this outstanding narrative history traces the growth of a conflict that inexorably set the American colonies on the road to independence. Offering a spirited chronicle of the war itself -- the campaigns and strategies, the leaders on both sides, the problems of fielding and sustaining an army, and of maintaining morale -- Stokesbury also brings the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068812304X
• ISBN13: 9780688123048
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Great Introduction to the American Revolution

At 320pp (283pp main text), this is a nice-size introduction (or review) of the causes and events of the American Revolutionary War. It concentrates on the military aspects, but there are a few helpful digressions on things like the politics in London or the new American Congress (which had to change cities from time to time). The chapters are as follows: 1) The Causes of War 2) Decision and Indecision 3) Action and Inaction 4) Creating States and Armies 5) War in the Grand Manner 6) The Northern Campaign of 1776 7) Small Mercies 8) March and Countermarch 9) "Agin Burgoyne" 10) The War at Sea 11) Progression and Regression 12) The War Moves South 13) By Land and by Sea 14) Seasons of Disaster 15) The Climax of the War 16) The World War 17) Peacemaking 18) Endings and Beginnings The writing is generally quite good -- flows well, not too flowery, and the author seems to enjoy his subject. Stokesbury keeps to a mostly chronological account of the major events, battles, campaigns, etc., though, with so many things going on simultaneously, he understandably needs to back up and tell what was going on in place B or C while he was discussing the events of place A. He also occasionally sidesteps into some background information, such as why tensions were high between two individuals, colonies, or nations. From time to time, the author throws in a military or diplomatic term (or some other, old-fashioned word) that I didn't know. I usually got the gist of it from the context, but a brief glossary of such terms would have been helpful. (After all, someone reading a "brief history" is probably not going to be real familiar with such terminology.) Once in awhile, I would have to stop and backtrack to remind myself who a particular person was, but maybe that is just me. Also, it sometimes was unclear which year it was, since the narrative sometimes has to temporarily jump backwards in time. Typical of many such historical volumes, the half-dozen maps are barely adequate and could have benefited from simply showing troop and fleet movements. I would have liked several more maps, too, particularly for the battles -- at least the major ones. Also, typical of brief overviews/introductions, there are no end/footnotes. However, there is a wonderful, 8-page "Suggestions for Further Reading" section with brief comments, and, of course, an index. I caught a few typos, including some in the bibliography. (For example, a misspelled author's name, or the first & last names switched, or flipped two digits in the year published.) These are really just annoyances, but a copy-editor should have caught them. Overall, Professor Stokesbury has done an admirable job in producing a quite readable, informative, concise overview of the causes, events, and circumstances in which the American Revolution was fought. Recommended! Content: 4 Style & Structure: 3.5 Average Score: 3.75, rounded up to 4

Excellent introduction to the American War of Independence

This is a marvellous book which manages to keep the reader's interest throughout its length and is one of the best start points for anyone who wishes to learn more about the American War of Independence, without swimming in a sea of useless details. I read this book keeping Craig Symonds's ¨Battlefield Atlas of the American Revolution¨ on the other hand and I must say that these two works make the ideal pair for the beginner on the subject. Stokesbury's book may be short but this doesn't mean that it lacks analysis or criticism of the various strategies and tactics employed by the opponents- quite the contrary.

Informative & Extremely Readable

If you are looking for a well written and informative one-volume account of the Revolutionary War then go no further. This book will probably not just meet your expectations but surpass them.

Good, short-and-to-the-point account of the Revolution...

I thought this short history covered the Revolution very well. Most of these type books are very "textbook-ish", but Stokesbury manages to convey the essential history with some color and excitement that makes this stand out. Some details that aren't extensively covered in other more celebrated accounts are clearly told here along with the major stories. Also, and to my great surprise, the maps that are provided are plentiful and clearly anotated that the other more comprehensive accounts lack. I would recommend that anyone interested in the Revolution, but not intimate with all the details, read this book as an introduction.

great introductory view of the american revolution

as in his other "short historys...", stokesbury manages to hit all major events of the war in a concise, managable, and intersting way. He is informative yet entertaining. A must for any american revolution buff, novice or expert.