Revolutionary War Reading Recs

880 Views | 10 Replies | Last: 1 day ago by TheCougarHunter
Ag_07
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AG
Realized how little I knew about the Revolutionary War and want to do some reading on the subject.

I picked up 1776 and while an excellent read it's more focused on that one year of the war and only briefly touches on other aspects.

Don't want to jump off into a huge 1,000 page textbook but a good read on the war in general.

TIA
OldArmy07
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AG
Not exactly what the full coverage books that you're looking for, but here are a few that I've read and enjoyed:

Ron Chernow's "Hamilton" - obviously biased towards one person but still a good read.
Washington's Spies by Alexander Rose
Sapper Redux
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For the military aspect:

The Glorious Cause by Middlekauff is the best single volume account of the whole war.

The Road to Guilford Courthouse by Buchanan is a good read on the war in the South.

With Zeal and Bayonets Only is a great book on the evolution of tactics and operations from a British perspective.

For politics and political theory, Bailyn and Wood are the classics. Holton's Forced Founders is outstanding.

The American Revolution in Indian Country is a great book if you want to look at the conflict from a different lens.
Aquin
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AG
Rick Atkinson is a great writer who will keep you engaged for the entire read. Like he did for the European part of WW2, he is writing a trilogy of our Revolution.

Volume 1- The British are coming
Volume 2- The Fate of the Day, Ticonderoga-Charleston

I don't think you will be disappointed.

Here are some others to consider
Young Washington-Stark
The Indispensables-O'Donnell
Give Me a Fast Ship- McGrath
Benedict Arnold-Randall
B.Franklin'sLast Bet-Meyer
John Adam's-McCullough
Fallen Founder,Life of Aaron Burr-Isenberg
Swamp Fox-Oiler

That should give you a start.
Quad Dog
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I really liked Patriots: The Men Who Started The American Revolution

Covers the whole war and some before. Also inserts short biographies of the major players.
KentK93
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AG
Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution by Eric Jay Dolin
JayHowdy!
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I too was neglectful on not knowing my Revolutionary War history. I was well versed in WWII, Civil War, Vietnam, Korean War, but never looked into the war that created The United States of America. I tried, but just couldn't get into it.

Then I read the a fictional history series that seemed to pull the history and great story telling together and I was able to get a better understanding from the Boston Massacre to the end of the war. Rise to Rebellion and The Glorious Cause by Jeff Sharra. He is the son of Michael Sharra that wrote The Killer Angels. He has perfected the writing style that his father started. It makes the journey of learning about the Revolutionary War much easier. Though he does take liberty with the dialogue and thoughts of the major characters, the book is historically accurate, and an easy read.

And if you haven't read the Killer Angels, do so.
KentK93
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AG
BQ78
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Glorious Cause is what you are looking for, as pointed out by Sapper. But you can't go wrong with any of Richard Ketchum's books but they all focus on certain topics or years
BenFiasco14
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Washington: A Life - Ron Chernow

Alexander Hamilton - same

Lafayette - Harold Giles Unger - stick around for the French Revolution part too and his ultimate return to America.
CNN is an enemy of the state and should be treated as such.
TheCougarHunter
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AG
Washington's Crossing
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