The Men Who Lost America: British Command During the Revolutionary War and the Preservation of the Empire

O'Shaughnessy, Andrew

ISBN 10: 1780742460 / ISBN 13: 9781780742465

Editore: Oneworld Publications, 2013

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Minor shelfwear and some toning to edge of text block. Otherwise clean bright tight book.

Codice articolo 641914

Dati bibliografici

• Titolo: The Men Who Lost America: British Command During the Revolutionary War and the Preservation of the Empire
• Editore: Oneworld Publications
• Data di pubblicazione: 2013
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 1780742460
• ISBN 13: 9781780742465
• Rilegatura: Rilegato
• Condizione: Near Fine
• Condizione della sovraccoperta: Near Fine

Descrizione articolo

Riassunto

In 1781 the British Empire suffered its most devastating defeat in a war that most believed Britain ought to have won. Common wisdom has held that incompetent military commanders and political leaders in London must have been to blame, their arrogant confidence and outdated tactics proving no match for the innovative and determined Americans. But this is far from the truth. Weaving together the personal stories of ten prominent men who directed the British dimension of the war, Andrew O’Shaughnessy dispels the myths, emerging with a very different and much richer account of the conflict – one driven by able and at times even brilliant leadership.

 

In interlinked biographical chapters, O’Shaughnessy follows the course of the war from the perspectives of King George III, Prime Minister Lord North, military leaders including General Burgoyne, the Earl of Sandwich, and others whose stories shed new light upon our understanding of how the war unfolded. Victories were frequent, and in fact the British conquered every American city at some stage of the Revolutionary War, retaining key strongholds even during the peace negotiations. Taking a wider lens to events, O’Shaughnessy looks past the surrender at Yorktown to British victories against the French and Spanish, demonstrating that, ultimately, many of the men who lost America would go on to save the empire.

Recensione

"Splendid - turns everything you ever thought you knew about why the British lost the Revolutionary War on its head." Andrew Roberts, broadcaster and author of The Storm of War "Andrew O'Shaughnessy's pen portraits are the historical equivalent of Reynolds' or Gainsborough's work. Deeply researched and carefully executed, they give new insight into the pre-eminent figures of the age" Mark Urban, broadcaster and author of Fusiliers "Enormously enjoyable" Sir Michael Howard, OM, CH, CBE, Emeritus Regius Professor of History, University of Oxford "This is the book that serious historians have long lacked... a major contribution to our understanding of the American Revolution." Jack Rakove, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Revolutionaries "Wonderfully balanced... shows that these men fought courageously in what turned out to be an impossible mission." T.H. Breen, author of American Insurgents, American Patriots "Skilfully crafted. Anyone interested in the American Revolution and its war should read this." Stephen Conway, UCL, author of The British Isles and the War of American Independence "Richly detailed, deeply researched... brings [the British leaders] back to life as eminently capable men fighting an ultimately unwinnable conflict." David Armitage, Harvard University "A highly-effective account of the role of leadership at a key moment in world history." Jeremy Black, author of Britain in the Eighteenth Century "There is no book quite like this... Crisp, sensitive... compelling... A must-read..." Maya Jasanoff, Harvard University, author of Liberty's Exiles "At last, Andrew O'Shaughnessy has done justice to [the British leaders'] abilities and efforts, while not neglecting their weaknesses and mistakes." Harry T. Dickinson, Edinburgh University "Page-turning... gets past the stereotype of an imperial government intent on suppressing its colonies and offers instead a long-overdue mature account of a war Britain almost won." Julie Flavell, author of When London Was Capital of America "Andrew O'Shaughnessy has written a remarkable book about an important but curiously underappreciated subject: the British side of the American Revolution. With meticulous scholarship and an eloquent writing style, O'Shaughnessy gives us a fresh and compelling view of a critical aspect of the struggle that changed the world. This is a great book. --Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House

‘A fresh and compelling view of a critical aspect of the struggle that changed the world. This is a great book.’ Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of American Lion ‘Reveals the talents as well as the human foibles of a rich cast of intriguing characters. O’Shaughnessy gives the American revolutionaries exactly what their story has so long needed: worthy adversaries who fought hard and well.’ Alan Taylor, Bancroft and Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of The Civil War of 1812

“Splendid... turns everything you ever thought you knew about why the British lost the Revolutionary War on its head.”
Andrew Roberts, broadcaster and author of The Storm of War

“Andrew O’Shaughnessy’s pen portraits are the historical equivalent of Reynolds’ or Gainsborough’s work. Deeply researched and carefully executed, they give new insight into the pre-eminent figures of the age”
Mark Urban, broadcaster and author of Fusiliers

“Enormously enjoyable”
Sir Michael Howard, OM, CH, CBE, Emeritus Regius Professor of History, University of Oxford

“This is the book that serious historians have long lacked... a major contribution to our understanding of the American Revolution.”
Jack Rakove, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Revolutionaries

“Wonderfully balanced... shows that these men fought courageously in what turned out to be an impossible mission.”
T.H. Breen, author of American Insurgents, American Patriots

“Skilfully crafted. Anyone interested in the American Revolution and its war should read this.”
Stephen Conway, UCL, author of The British Isles and the War of American Independence

“Richly detailed, deeply researched... brings [the British leaders] back to life as eminently capable men fighting an ultimately unwinnable conflict.”
David Armitage, Harvard University

“A highly-effective account of the role of leadership at a key moment in world history.”
Jeremy Black, author of Britain in the Eighteenth Century

“There is no book quite like this... Crisp, sensitive... compelling... A must-read...”
Maya Jasanoff, Harvard University, author of Liberty’s Exiles

“At last, Andrew O’Shaughnessy has done justice to [the British leaders’] abilities and efforts, while not neglecting their weaknesses and mistakes.”
Harry T. Dickinson, Edinburgh University

“Page-turning... gets past the stereotype of an imperial government intent on suppressing its colonies and offers instead a long-overdue mature account of a war Britain almost won.”
Julie Flavell, author of When London Was Capital of America

“Andrew O'Shaughnessy has written a remarkable book about an important but curiously underappreciated subject: the British side of the American Revolution. With meticulous scholarship and an eloquent writing style, O'Shaughnessy gives us a fresh and compelling view of a critical aspect of the struggle that changed the world. This is a great book. --Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House