Posted on 01/07/2016 9:42:45 PM PST by Politicalkiddo
I'm looking for really in-depth resources about the Revolutionary War for my own personal knowledge. Documentaries, books, etc. Thanks in advance. :)
The Minute Men: The First Fight: Myths and Realities of the American Revolution. by John R. Galvin
bkmk
Ping for later.
Very cool!
Crushin’ on Washington ... We should start a group ;)
How lucky you are to be so close to such riches!
I read about the letters in Citizen Washington, loved that book!
I love seeing works of what he and Martha might have actually looked like in their prime!
And, I like your profile page, a lot! The Word is just always so true!
Oh, rereading, I see you found those Online!
I will research ~ Thank you!
“...but learning from a college professor without the revisionist history, really helped me a lot.”
I was in an American history course, but I had to switch to psychology because the class involved a lot of writing and I don’t have time to do that with my work schedule. Maybe sometime in the future...
You all are magnificent people. Thank you very much! These should keep me busy for a while. ;)
Several of the AmRevWar series from the last 20 years, since they really started making them, are quite good.
“George Washington” is an excellent series on the man, and shows some very realistic living history during the war rather then the pretty-boy images usually made of the rebel forces.
“The War of the Revolution”, by Christopher Ward. Excellent volumes. Originally called “Rag Tag and Bobtail”.
American Heritage volume on the AmRev is great overview.
“Washington’s Crossing” is a great volume I hear but have not yet read it. My parents and husband all did and thought it was fantastic, including much detail and reference, even on the war in general. Many people rave about McCollough’s “1776” but my family was not overawed by it.
Oh yes! That is good. We have an original volume and it is written in numeric form: “Spirit of ‘76”.
Very cool book, but often diverts into general sight-seeing!
I have an original copy of the first volume.
Whoa whoa whoa....it is “VOICES of ‘76”!
I kick myself frequently that I sold my set. Even with the sight-seeing :)
I know this doesn’t address the ‘war’ specifically, so take it as it is...
Along with all the non-fiction books mentioned, I’d suggest taking a look at a novel series “Sparrowhawk” by Edward Cline.
It’s six books (also a ‘companion’ book) and the first two set the scene.
The first book “Jack Frake” is about a young male living in @1730’s in England - a peasant with abusive parents, who finds friends in the smuggling trade - an ‘honored’ profession at the time, since it was the main way for regular people to get the things they needed. The leaders were political and “Jack” learns a lot from them.
The second book “Hugh Kenrick” is the same era, but Hugh is the son on a Baron, with all that comes with that. He’s also a bit of a rebel and gets in trouble for not toeing the line so to speak.
Eventually they make their way to Virginia separately. And the series goes up to the Declaration including some of the war.
What I found informative, being a Revolutionary buff and reading much of the non-fiction and the correspondence letters from Jefferson and Adams and Madison, is that the novel brings home the effect of the Townshend act, stamp act, etc. on the people involved. Mainly the colonists, both the loyalist and rebels, but also Cline follows the politics going on in England as well - showing those who are sympathetic to the colonists, and those who are not and want to bring them under Royal control. He gives real examples (from his own study of actual history) of, for example, how the stamp act impinged on every aspect of the lives of the colonists - needing stamps for almost anything on paper - letters, contracts - almost any exchange. And it shows the impact much better than just reading about it in Wikipedia.
He also includes the actual persons involved. The royal governors in Va., Jefferson, Patrick Henry. Peyton and John Randolph (TJ’s cousins)and other actual Burgesses, and depicts actual events (along with the fiction characters as well).
While the absolute best way to learn of the period is to read the actual letters of those involved. Many of the authors of books of that period are .... well, biased. Even the noted biography of Jefferson by Dumas Malone - which I’m currently reading, attempts to put revolutionary politics in today’s terms - progressive, conservative, leftist (sigh) and then the ‘liberals’ were classical liberals who believed in a republic and the “conservatives” were the big gov’t party - federalists some bordering on monarchists.
Cline, the author of Sparrowhawk, is influenced by Ayn Rand, but, rather than a chapter on philosophy as in Galt’s Speech in Atlas Shrugged, Cline puts it in the context of events happening so distributes it out in the actions of his characters. I wouldn’t call him an Objectivist, just someone influenced by Rand. And as such, I think he gets the politics right for the time vs. those liberal writers who tend to either spin the ‘founders were self-serving slave holders’ or those who at one point wanted to make Jefferson ‘the first Democrat President’ which he most definitely was not.
bookmark
Recently published by Nathaniel Philbrick “ Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, a Revolution “.
Goes into great detail of the enormous importance of Joseph Warren a virtually unknown founding father.
The account of the battle is the best I have ever read and not to boast, but I have read a bit about that battle. Its just a terrific read. You’ll remember the account of the militia sharpshooter in the redoubt for some time.
Also - a very important book on the subject published in 1942 is Ester Forbes book “ Paul Revere and world he lived in “. One of my favorite books on Colonial America. Captures so many interesting customs, the time period - you’ll love it. It won a Pulitzer Prize, too.
Almost forgot, Philbrik’s book was picked up by someone in Hollywood and the battle will finally be made into a movie.
How such an epic moment in American history has avoided being made into a film I can’t imagine. Am so looking forward to the release.
- and lets not forgot: without the French we would not have won.
Piles of French money, supplies, weapons, an army and a navy - imagine the revolution without them?
Common Sense, Thomas Paine
To Begin the World Anew, Bernard Bailyn
The Ideological Origins of the American revolution, Bernard Bailyn
George Washington’s War, Robert Leckie
Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America, Jack Rakove
The Ordeal of Thomas Hutchinson, Bernard Bailyn
Founding Brothers, Joseph Ellis
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