Christopher Hibbert has written many acclaimed historical narratives and biographies, including, most recently, Queen Victoria and The Days of the French Revolution.
Tracing events from the 1765 Stamp Act to the 1783 Treaty of Paris, Hibbert notes the escalating logistic difficulties Britain had in supporting campaigns against North America, France and Spain and, more than other historians, stresses French intervention in accounting for America's victory. PW called this ``lively, beautifully written and freshly informative.'' Illustrated. (Oct.)
YA-- The story of our struggle for independence from the Boston Tea Party to Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown is among the most familiar in American history. The key events and personalities have been described in popular fiction, history, and movies. Hibbert's unusual and interesting book takes readers through the familiar chronology from the English point of view. The result deepens one's appreciation of the obstacles that faced the British in their attempts to maintain control of North America. Their strategy and tactics are especially understandable when presented in this context. The blunders of English decision-makers in both the government and the army are given the prominence they deserve. Sam Adams and George Washington appear briefly as their enemies saw them. British leaders appear as complete figures with both flaws and strengths. By providing the often overlooked side of an important and commonly told story, this book offers new insights and pleasurable reading.-- Paul Haskell, Edison High School, Alexandria, VA
This popular account of the American Revolution has many virtues. Hibbert is a proven writer of dramatic, personal history. An Englishman, he gives equal weight to the politics, policies, and personalities of the court of George III. He explains not just how America won its war for independence, but why Britain lost it. His stirring treatment of battles and marches is based on recent research that minimizes patriotic idealism, stressing instead the difficulties of maintaining a professional army in a republican society. All military and Revolution buffs will appreciate this well-written work--and they'll learn something new. --Harry W. Fritz, Univ. of Montana, Missoula
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