George Washington's War: The Saga of the American Revolution

Robert Leckie does an exceptional job breaking the American Revolution -- from the buildup to the actual chronology of battles -- down into a book that reads like a novel without sacrificing any vital information. It is obvious that the author has done remarkable work when the reader is anxious to pick up where he left off the day before on a heavy historical text such as this. George Washington's War begins at the end of the French and Indian War, but picks up steam in the years leading up to the Revolution -- when the colonies began to repel the efforts of the British to tax the colonies. Leckie, with great detail, introduces the reader to the lives and culture of both the British and the Americans during that time, and succeeds in portraying the opinions and mindset present on both sides of the Atlantic. I didn't detect much bias in Leckie's writing -- just as many negatives were showcased for the Americans as were for the British. Most notably in my opinion was Leckie's description of the New England leveling principle, the idea that the democratic mentality that everyone is equal actually hindered the colonies and war effort as much as it helped. Once the war begins, the battles of the Northeast, followed by the Southern battles, are all described in great detail and in chronological order. All the connections from one to another are outlined, and by the middle of the war, the reader has a strong grasp of the major players, their effectiveness and mentality, as well as the key themes and convictions of both the armies and their leaders. The only drawback, as has been stated frequently, is the lack of good maps. There are about 10 maps in the entire book, and none are all that helpful. I've been able to find more effective maps on the internet -- but they should be present in the book to help the reader visualize these great battles. All in all, it's a great read for someone looking for an in-depth account of the war, the nations involved, the generals and officers, and the soldiers. If you haven't done much reading of the Revolution since your school days, you'll be amazed to see how much more there is to this time period than what's commonly taught -- the Tea Party, Paul Revere, Washington's Delaware Crossing, etc. Set aside some time (it's close to 700 pages) and read a great account of a world-changing war.

George Washington's War was my first book by Robt Leckie, who has since become one of my favorite authors. The book looks at a fairly long period in our history, and in that sense the title is misleading. Nonetheless, Washington is the pivotal character in the story that begins with the French-British struggle for North America and ends with the British expulsion to the north. The story is told even-handedly, and while Washington himself is beyond reproach, American policy making and execution will make most citizens squirm rather frequently. I have a strong feeling I'll re-read this book somewhere down the road.

Before picking up this book, the only full-length treatment of the Revolution that I had read was Barbara Tuchmann's The First Salute (excellent book). Before that, I being a good Civil War buff, had contented myself with receiving Revolution history through general (high school and college) American history courses and History Channel episodes. Boy, oh boy, what I missed. I have not been able to stop reading George Washington's War, an for someone woefully unversed in the Revolution (save Tuchmann), this was an excellant starting point. The layman reader need not fear this book, for Leckie does not get bogged down in heavy tactical analysis, but rather illuninates the reader with the reasons why things happened. The best part of this book, though, is his portrait of Benedict Arnold. Before reading GWW, the name Benedict Arnold was synonymous in my mind with "traitor". Now, it is "fallen hero," admitedly by his own design. That Arnold turned traitor in a foul way (wanting to surrender a fort and 3,000 American soldiers) is not in dispute. But I am compelled to agree with Leckie that if it were not for Arnold's actions from '75 through '77, there would be no United States of America.

Some historians, such as Shelby Foote, have a natural ability to assimilate tremendous amounts of historical and biographical data, and weave it all into a very approachable story that reads almost like a novel. Leckie has accomplished a similar feat with this book, which is the best book I have read on the American Revolution. Short on maps and without footnotes, the book nevertheless tells as complete a story as can be hoped for in a one volume account of the war, with excellent biograophical sketches of many of the major and minor players such as Benedict Arnold, John Andre,John Burgoyne, Banastre Tarleton, Horatio Gates, Samuel Adams, and Nathaniel Greene, and countless others. He keeps the action in context, filling in readers with important contemporary details from the internal squabbling of the Continental Congress as well as British Parliament, without getting too bogged down in irrelevant detail. The passages about the treason of Arnold, and Arnold's tremendous military accomplishments and mistreatment by Congress leading up to his betrayal, were particularly riveting. There have been many books written about the Civil War, and most general readers with a passing interest in history (like myself) are familiar with most major Civil War battles and generals. However there is a dearth of knowledge and material about the battle for American independence. While we all know what happened at Yorktown, this book is suspenseful and will fill in the considerable gaps in our knowledge of this important time in the nation's history. I recommend this book with enthusiasm.

Robert Lecke's book vividly retells the story of the American Revolution, periodically expanding on the biographies of the major and minor participants. Here are the men that were the characters in this great event. Not just Washington, Cornwallis and George III, but engaging characters like Henry Knox (the Boston bookseller who became Washington's chief artillerist). And, Nathaniel Greene the ironworker. Almost absent are Jefferson, Franklin, etc. since they played very small roles in the war itself. It helps to have a grounding in military history, since Leckie is not inclined to stop his narrative for long to teach 18th century warfare. My only objection is the inadequate number of maps. I actually had to refer to an atlas to follow what was going on. I would read any of his books.