Rebellion in the Ranks: Mutinies of the American Revolution

By John A. Nagy

Book Overview

How General Washington Avoided the Peril From Within His Own Forces "It gives me great pain to be obliged to solicit the attention of the honorable Congress to the state of the army...the greater part of the army is in a state not far from mutiny...I know not to whom to impute this failure, but I am of the opinion, if the evil is not immediately remedied and more punctuality observed in future, the army must absolutely break up."-- George Washington, September 1775 Mutiny has always been a threat to the integrity of armies, particularly under trying circumstances, and since Concord and Lexington, mutiny had been the Continental Army's constant traveling companion. It was not because the soldiers lacked resolve to overturn British rule or had a lack of faith in their commanders. It was the scarcity of food--during winter months it was not uncommon for soldiers to subsist on a soup of melted snow, a few peas, and a scrap of fat--money, clothing, and proper shelter, that forced soldiers to desert or organize resistance. Mutiny was not a new concept for George Washington. During his service in the French and Indian War he had tried men under his command for the offense and he knew that disaffection and lack of morale in an army was a greater danger than an armed enemy. In Rebellion in the Ranks: Mutinies of the American Revolution , John A. Nagy provides one of the most original and valuable contributions to American Revolutionary War history in recent times. Mining previously ignored British and American primary source documents and reexamining other period writings, Nagy has corrected misconceptions about known events, such as the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny, while identifying for the first time previously unknown mutinies. Covering both the army and the navy, Nagy relates American officers' constant struggle to keep up the morale of their troops, while highlighting British efforts to exploit this potentially fatal flaw.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1594160554
• ISBN13: 9781594160554
• Release Date: December 2007
• Publisher: Westholme Publishing
• Length: 386 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Subject Matter, rarely covered

Total enjoyable reading. Even history buffs will find many unknown facts revealed in this book.

Rebellion in the Ranks John A. Nagy

If you are interested in knowing the truth of how precarious the American Revolution really was, this book is must reading. Through incredible research, Nagy reveals tragic but engrossing events of the frequent mutinies that threatened the cause for Independence during the entire war, actions that have been overlooked in the commonly related accounts of those critical years. Nagy corrects many of the inaccuracies of these sad events and identifies insurrections that were previously unknown. His accounts of incredible courage, hardship and defeat are often drawn from the participants themselves, their daily suffering and the perspectives of the mutineers. This work is historically important and will open your eyes to the truth about the War as you have never heard it related.

This one is a winner for history buffs...

John Nagy's book Rebellion in the Ranks: Mutinies of the American Revolution will become a standard reference book for the serious Revolutionary History student. It will begin appearing on must read lists for college classes dealing with this period.

Revolution's mutinies

This is a excellent book about a little known fact of the War..Mr. Nagy's book will surely become a university text on the subject..It is well written and full of facts , many not previously known....