The Road to Valley Forge: How Washington Built the Army That Won the Revolution

By John Buchanan

Book Overview

Acclaim for The Road to Valley Forge

Buchanan is a master of the historical narrative . . . a host of new insights into George Washington as a leader of men.
-Thomas Fleming, author of Liberty!: The American Revolution

The Road to Valley Forge is an effective operational history, clearly written, judicious in its judgments and based on a careful look at the war from both sides.
-Jeremy Black, author of War for America: The Fight for Independence, 1775--1783

John Buchanan skillfully guides us through 1776 and 1777, the two most critical years of the Revolutionary War for George Washington as commander in chief. With a gift for finding the apt quotation and the telling anecdote, the author traces the growth of Washington as a commanding general and the professional development of the Continental Army.
-Don Higginbotham, Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The Road to Valley Forge tells the whole story of Washington's growth from inexperienced backwoods general to true Commander in Chief of a professional fighting force. This warts-and-all portrait of America's greatest hero reveals a courageous and intelligent man struggling desperately to learn from his mistakes, forge a motley assortment of militiamen into a real army, and demonstrate to all of his fellow Americans that they could, indeed, become masters of their own destiny.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471441562
• ISBN13: 9780471441564
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Wiley (TP)
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A Flowing Narrative

This is the second book I have read by author John Buchanan. I hardly expected this book to equal its companion, ROAD TO GUILFORD COURTHOUSE, but found THE ROAD TO VALLEY FORGE to be an equally compelling read. Buchanan's writing style is both fluid and succinct. When the First Continental Congress met in 1775 to choose its military leader, it wisely chose George Washington, a veteran of the French and Indian War. Then it proceeded to make Washington's life miserable by denying him the resources needed to succeed. Perhaps the members of Congress recognized that Washington had the tenacity to withstand its seeming indifference to his success. Buchanan's book covers the first eighteen months of Washington's command of the army, from the siege at Boston to the winter at Valley Forge. Some of this is quite painful to read as Buchanan has an art for depicting the misery it must of been for those involved, and for Washington himself to watch his miserable, tattered army suffer a series of defeats. Also recounted, is the betrayal of Washington by some of his closest aides, who wrote letters to Congress condemning his actions, decisions and leadership abilities. THE ROAD TO VALLEY FORGE provides details of Washington's leadership and battles with enlightening explanations of 18th-century military technology. Washington knew, winning a revolution did not necessarily require battlefield victory, it required wearing down the enemies desire for victory. He kept his army alive, never allowing General Howe the opportunity to fully extinguish the smoldering remnants of the Continental Army. In many ways, what Washington accomplished was exactly replicated 60 years later in Texas when the men at the Alamo bought enough time for Sam Houston to assemble a viable fighting force. However, Washington had no Alamo to buy him time, so he bought his own time by keeping his army just out of reach. When engagement was unavoidable, he sacrificed minimal loss while insuring the bulk of his fighting force lived to fight another day. If you've read Guilford Courthouse, you know what to expect and will not be disappointed by this book. If you haven't read Guilford Courthouse, what are you waiting for? Buchanan is a fine author and has once again, written a wonderful account of American history. Monty Rainey www.juntosociety.com

A Good Narrative History

Having read "Road to Guilford Courthouse," I picked up "Road to Valley Forge" on the merits of the author alone, hoping it would be as enjoyable as the former. Buchanan again delivers a very good narrative history of the New York and Philadelphia campaigns of 1776-1777. His style reminds me of siting in a well taught college lecture, listening to an engaging teacher, without being distracting. Having read several books on the campaign and always on the alert for inacuracies, I found his work tight on details (when compared to other, more well know histories). Especially interesting is the attention paid to the actual military engagements. Many histories gloss over the martial aspects focusing more on the political/leadership, but Buchanan delivers both. An interesting read for those interested in the tactics of the campaign without being weighed down by too much "this unit went here, this one was behing this fence, etc." In my humble opinion, not as good as "Road to Guilford Courthouse," but a good read nonetheless.

Great read and insight into the ways and means of General Washington

Buchanan's previous "The Road to Guilford Courthouse" was an assigned text for a course on the American Revolution. After reading "The Road to Valley Forge," the latest of Buchanan's works, I'm completely attracted to his marvelous writing style. He is a joy to read. His analysis of "The Great Virginian" (Washington) as tactician, strategist, and commander-in-chief is particularly insightful, accurate, and straight-forward... and so can be well-appreciated in these days of author opinions strewn haphazardly over landscape of history.