The Day the Revolution Ended: 19 October 1781

I can't believe this book is out of print! I hope the publisher will print some more, as it is a worthy companion to Hallahan's 'The Day the Revolution Began.' Actually, I found this book to be better-written than I did 'Began.' It starts as a fascinating adventure story, with General Washington sending Sergeant Major John Champe, his command NCO, on an impossible mission that almost succeeds. The entire book is well researched, with a feel of immediacy - combining personal experiences of the participants with understanding of the larger strategies of both sides. From the stories provided in this book and others, I do not understand why Lt Col Banistaire Tarelton and most of his officers were not hanged as war criminals at Yorktown (actually, Cornwallis put them on one of the first boats out, to avoid that possibility). However, Tarleton's terrible treatment of not only the Carolina Rebels but also the Loyalist plantation owners was credited with turning more Loyalists into Rebels than any other factor in the Southern campaign. Read the book's epilog to find out Tarleton's continued career in the British Army - I was amazed. By contrast, the accounts of Tarleton's peer, Lt Col John Graves Simcoe, show Simcoe as an ethical and responsible leader of a volunteer regiment. Simcoe took this regiment (and other Loyalists) to Canada after the war. He became the first Lieutenant Governor of Western Canada, now Ontario, and is remembered as the founder of the province. The differences between Tarleton and Simcoe as leaders lends perspective to Hallahan's story. Personally, I find this book to be a great companion to 'The Day the Revolution Began,' and perhaps slightly better written as Hallahan hones his craft as storyteller. Well done, and worth the wait! jc

For those who are looking for well-documented, well-written and insightful reading on the American Revolution, I recommend "The Day the American Revolution Began: 19 April 1775" about the battle of Lexington and Concord and "The Day the Revolution Ended: 19 October 1781" about the battle of Yorktown, both by William H. Hallahan. The factual events and personalities swirling around both of these crucial engagements in the struggle of the American colonies to throw off the tyrannical yoke of King George III and his agents and forces in North America are skillfully woven into a truly enjoyable, "can't put it down" recounting of the painful birth of the United States of America. History has never been so clear and exciting!

This is a wonderful work by an award winning historian and novelist. It is very well researched and tremendously well written and thus a very good read indeed! In "The Day the Revolution Ended. 19 October 1781", William Hallahan, author of the equally successful "The Day the American Revolution Began" focuses on the last crucial years of the Revolutionary War. Hallahan is a talented writer who brings the leading figures in the war - including King George III, George Washington, General Cornwallis and a host of others - to life. He shows the seminal role played by France in Washington's victory at Yorktown, forcing the British to negotiate and grant the colonies their independence. Indeed, French support to the Americans, including two fleets, some 50,000 troops, tens of thousands of muskets, thousand of cannon, uniforms for the entire American Continental Army, and millions of hard currency in interested free loans, were the foundation upon which the American victory was built. Hallahan makes it clear that without the French, Washington and the colonies would have lost the war. Like most historians of the period, Hallahan is especially critical of a Continental Congress that failed in every way to provide for American troops in the field. Indeed, the French were responsible for the one instance in the war in which Washington's troops were paid in hard currency. This is a brilliant book!

Couldn't put it down! I love Mr. Hallahan's books, both his fiction and non-fiction. This book is another treat, and again shows how a really good writer can make history come alive.As he did in the first book of the series, Hallahan uses anecdotes and strong characterizations to make an eminently readable book. Although it seems strange to say about a history book, it's a cliffhanger! If you didn't alreay know the answer as to who won the American Revolution, you would be on the edge of your seat reading this book to find out. I recommend it highly to anyone wanting to read about the events leading up to the end of the American Revolution, especially anyone who has found history a dry read before.