Saratoga 1777: Turning Point of a Revolution (Campaign)

by Brendan Morrissey

Book Overview

The Saratoga campaign was a watershed, and is widely believed to have been the turning point of the American War of Independence. For the first time British regulars were beaten in open battle by... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1855328623
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Length: 100 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.7" x 0.2" x 7.2"

Customer Reviews

this man knows his stuff !

Like his other books, Mr. Morrissey shows his meticulous research of the northern campaigns, particularly as it relates to upstate New York. Excellent work.

Outstanding Short History

Brendan Morrissey is an exceptional historian. He has the talent and scholarship to take the complex history of the battles of the American Revolution and summarize them into a compact, accurate, unbiased and immensely readable short format for the Osprey Campaign Series. His chose of artwork strongly supports the text and often includes uncommon artwork and illustrations. He consults with the major experts and keeps a neutral perspective concerning the combatants. I have all of his books in my collection. Col. Kim R. Stacy, Savannah, GA, USA His contribution to the Osprey Campaign Series includes: Monmouth Courthouse 1778: The Last Great Battle in the North (Campaign) Saratoga 1777: Turning Point of a Revolution (Campaign) Quebec 1775: The American Invasion of Canada (Campaign) Boston 1775: The Shot Heard Around the World (Campaign) Yorktown 1781 The American Revolution: The Global Struggle for National Independence On to Victory: Guilford Courthouse and Yorktown 1781 (The History Channel, American History Archives)

Saratoga 1777- very good overview

As a collector of toy soldiers I found Morrissey's book well written and very well illustrated. It is a very good overview of the Saratoga campaign which leaves the reader wanting more. In the back of the book there is a section entitled "Wargaming the Saratoga Campaign." I think that it would be helpful for military modellers and war gamers if in the future there would be more detailed information on the manner in which field fortifications were constructed.

Good text. Excellent maps, minor quibbles

A fairly new resident of New York State, this book opened up my eyes to many of the events in my area. I'm an amateur in Militray History. I know the difference between a smoothbore and a rifle, but I had to look up what "refusing" a flank entailed. I can't accurately comment on the veracity or completeness of the book. It seemed convincing and fully fleshed. Illustrations are good, though not stellar. They have a lot of information in them, but are all of the "action" type. I'd like to have a few of whole formations, rather than complete chaos. Maps are excellent, the one complaint is that many of the 2page 3D maps have their center of interest in, well, the center, where the binding runs through them, forcing you to stress the cover. I had no problems reading the keys or understanding the color coding, nor any issues with the placement of the illustrations. I would recommend reading over the maps _before_ reading the main text. It will aid your understanding greatly.As far as the text goes, I found it concise and engaging, much more accesible than many history books, even the popular types. In neither pandered to the neophyte, nor assumed a degree in hsitory. Granted, You'll need some companion information on 18C. warfare to fully enjoy it, but it is readable enough on it's own.My only quibble is the _occasional_ use of surnames of officers rather than units in the text, when those surnames are not used on the maps. However, the meaning of the author can be gleaned from the maps, while enhancing your understanding of the battlefield by forcing you to actually study them.I'm taking a day trip to Bear Mountain next week to check out the forts. Hope he writes one about the earlier battles around NYC.

Excellent British Summary of the Battle

I've been waiting a long time for a book like this - one that combines effective, very good writing, with excellent photos, maps, and illustrations. That is a tribute to the Osprey style of Campaign books, but also to Mr. Morrissey as well. I enjoyed his text very much. I had no problem with the British slant (as Mr. Morrissey described himself on this site), even as an American who grew up not far from where events depicted occurred. I hope that the NPS and NY State make this excellent book available for purchase at the Battlefield and other nearby, related State sites.I do have one small quibble. Mr. Morrissey observes that the Jane McCrea incident was overblown and not as a strong factor in mobilizing rebel forces as has been depicted by other, usually American, sources. Maybe he is correct with regard to the incident strictly by itself. Even though Miss McCrea may have been killed by an errant American shot, it's propaganda value must be viewed in the context of other "related" incidents that occurred. One day prior to Miss McCrea's death, a loyalist family was wiped out by Burgoyne's indians in the Argyle area of Washington (then Charlotte) County, not far from Fort Edward. The killing party was reported to be the same as the one blamed for McCrea's death. The murdered victims consisted of John Allen, a farmer; his wife, Eva Kilmer Allen; Eva's young sister Catherine Kilmer; the Allen children, two very young boys (one an infant); and two African-Americans, a girl and a young man. Although the family were loyalists, all citizens in that part of the County quickly heard the news. That news coupled with the reported killing of Jane McCrea caused widespread alarm to Loyalists and Whigs alike. Given that General Burgoyne had earlier issued a proclamation warning the citizenry that he would unleash his savages on the recalcitrant population - the fact that loyalty to the King apparently meant nothing was not lost on anyone. Therefore, the effect of the massacres (even if Jane McCrea's was not what it was initially reported as), I think, should not be treated lightly. Regardless of that, I would eagerly recommend this book to others interested in the events. The book is a wonderful teaching aid. Although I've read much on the events (as a direct descendant of Eva and Catherine Kilmer's father, and a former Washington Co. resident), this book added much to my understanding of the battle and related events.