Discover how a few brave patriots battled a great empire. Be an eyewitness to the thrilling American war for independence: the battles and leaders, soldiers and heroes, scoundrels and patriots. It's all here in this ultimate visual guide that show you how it really was. See a continental solder's musket, a spy's hollow "silver bullet", Washington's sword, a bullet-riddled battle flag, the Liberty Bell, the Declaration of Independence. Learn why Washington was commander-in-chief, how the Declaration of Independence was written, how Benedict Arnold was at first a patriot hero, how solders were drilled, who the Loyalists were, how France helped win American liberty. Discover how Betsy Ross sewed the Stars and Stripes, the secrets of spies and traitors, why it was Breed's not Bunker Hill, why King George admired Washington, why Yorktown was not the end of the Revolution, and much, much more.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
STUART A.P. MURRAY
Author, editor, project editor
Murray is author of more than 40 books. He is a former journalist (reporter and editor) as well as a book editor.
Many of his titles are under the name Stuart Murray, but since there are a number of authors with that name, he has been using his middle initials, A.P., since 2006 or so.
Murray wrote the series Northwest Territory (Berkley), eight historical novels, under the pseudonym Oliver Payne. He also was founding editor of Bantam's Stagecoach series of Westerns, written under the pseudonym Hank Mitchum. He wrote Virginia City, an early title in this long-running series.
Murray is a principal in Lily Book Productions, a book publisher and packager in Red Hook, New York. He can be reached at lilyproductions@gmail.com
AUTHOR'S VITA
Nonfiction:
The Library: An Illustrated History, by Skyhorse Publishing, 2009.
Photographer of Our Nation: Biography of Mathew B. Brady, by Sharpe Publishers, 2009.
Painter of the Revolutionary War: Biography of John Trumbull, by Sharpe Publishers, 2009.
Fact Atlas of World War II, by Hammond and Langenscheidt, 2009.
Atlas of World Religions, by Hammond and Langenscheidt, lead contributing editor and writer, 2008.
Atlas of the United States, by Hammond and Langenscheidt, lead contributing writer 2007.
Witness to the Civil War, revision of the 1895 Leslie's Illustrated History of the Civil War, with new narrative text; by Harper Collins and Smithsonian Institution, 2006.
The American Revolution -- Questions & Answers, family reference; by Harper Collins and Smithsonian Institution, 2006.
A Strong, Collected Spirit, Edward I. Gersh with Stuart A.P. Murray, by Lily Books; Gersh boxing memoir, 2005.
Eyewitness: The Vietnam War, by Dorling Kindersley, a young adult reference, 2005.
Atlas of American Military History, by Facts on File, an illustrated compendium of American military maps 16th-21st centuries; 2004.
Vietnam War Battles and Leaders, by Dorling Kindersley, young adult reference; Fall 2004.
Eyewitness: Mars, by Dorling Kindersley, young adult reference, 2004.
American Revolution Battles & Leaders, by Dorling Kindersley, young adult reference; 2004. Starred review in Booklist.
Civil War Battles & Leaders, by Dorling Kindersley, young adult reference; 2004. Starred review in Booklist.
Daily Life in the United States in the 20th Century, 1940-60 and 1960-1980 (two volumes of a five-volume set), by Greenwood Publishing, young adult reference, 2003.
Encyclopedia of War & Weaponry, by Grolier, young adult reference; 2002.
Eyewitness: The Revolutionary War, by Dorling Kindersley and Smithsonian Institution; young adult reference; 2002. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Book Award 2002; Kansas State Reading Circle 2002; Notable Social Studies Trade Books 2003 (NCSS/CBC joint committee).
Eyewitness: Wild West, by Dorling Kindersley and the Smithsonian Institution; young adult reference; 2001.
The Cornell Steamboat Company, by Purple Mountain Press; the story of a great Hudson Valley passenger boat and tugboat company based in Rondout/Kingston, New York; 2001.
A Time of War, by Berkshire House; Berkshire County, Massachusetts, in the Civil War; 2001.
America's Song: The Story of "Yankee Doodle," 1999, by Images from the Past, Bennington, Vermont. Third-place winner in the history category of ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year for 1999; Top Ten finalist, music category, Booklist Magazine's Book of the Year, 1999; starred review in Booklist.
Washington's Farewell, 1999, by Images from the Past, Bennington, Vermont; George Washington's farewell in 1783 to his officers in New York City.
Rudyard Kipling in Vermont, the story of Kipling's four years in Brattleboro, where he wrote the Jungle Books; by Images from the Past, Bennington, Vermont, 1997. Top-five finalist, Independent Publishers biography Book of the Year in 1997; audio, Books on Tape.
The Honor of Command, General Burgoyne's Saratoga Campaign, by Images from the Past, Bennington, Vt., 1997.
Norman Rockwell at Home in Vermont, 1939-53, Images from the Past, Bennington, Vermont, 1996.
Go for the Goal! youth-soccer coaching, Simon & Schuster, 1994.
Norman Rockwell's "Four Freedoms," co-authored with James McCabe; Berkshire House, Publishers, 1993; starred review in Booklist, a Literary Guild selection, recommended by Library Journal; reprint rights to Random House: Gramercy Books.
America's Shaker Heritage, Golden Hill Press, 1993, recommended by Library Journal.
History of Hopatcong Borough, by the Hopatcong, New Jersey, Historical Society, 1975.
Fiction:
White Fire, Images from the Past, historical adventure, set in southern Africa; June 2000; Book of the Year finalist, fiction, ForeWord Magazine; 5 stars -- Southern Africa Vacation Book Review.
Judith's Dime Novel, Avalon, 1998; an idealistic young eastern woman on her way by stagecoach to meet her fiancee in San Francisco, discovers that the real Wild West is nothing like the dime novels she loves to read--or is it?
The Land of Gray Wolf, by Thomas Locker; rewrote this illustrated children's book; Dial Press, 1991. ALA Pick of the List.
As Oliver Payne: Northwest Territory Series of eight historical novels by Berkley Books, 1981-87; set in Revolutionary War America. The titles: Warpath; Conquest; Defiance; Rebellion; Conflict; Triumph; Betrayal; Honor
As Hank Mitchum: Virginia City, Western, Bantam, 1982.
Excerpts from reviews of books by Stuart A.P. Murray.
A TIME OF WAR; Berkshire House, 2001
"Murray is a prodigious researcher who uncovers the nitty gritty of what goes on during great events as well as the stories that make the headlines. His organization and brilliant storytelling give you a real feel of what it was like. . . ." The Berkshire Eagle
"A Time of War is a thoroughly engaging book that sheds light on the changing conditions of life on the home front. [It] should interest not only the people of western Massachusetts, but all who are curious about the interactions between the northern home and battle fronts." Civil War Book Review
RUDYARD KIPLING IN VERMONT -- Birthplace of the Jungle Books; Images from the Past, 1997; Top-five Book of the Year finalist, Independent Publisher, biography category.
"[A] masterful job of weaving together Kipling's writing, biographical details, and source material from the time, including newspaper articles, court records, and photographs taken without Kipling's knowledge. Part history, part biography, part literary criticism, this book reads like a novel and remains in the mind. Rudyard Kipling in Vermont: Birthplace of the Jungle Books may well begin a complete reexamination of Kipling's life and work.
Independent Publisher
"Delightful. . . . [The author] tells this bittersweet story with vigor and clarity. . . . A substantive, meaty dish flavored with juicy tidbits."
Boston Book Review
"Good use of Kipling's diaries, his poems, and family illustrations, to produce a fascinating chapter in American literary history and insight into Kipling's life and affairs." The Word (U.K.)
"As much a description of a collision of cultures, with Kipling as protagonist and observer, as it is a personal biography." The Bloomsbury Review
AMERICA'S SONG: The Story of "Yankee Doodle"; 1999, Images from the Past, Bennington, Vt.; Third-place winner, history category, ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year 1999; Top Ten finalist in music category for Booklist Magazine's Book of the Year 1999; starred review in Booklist.
"America's Song is perhaps the best small history since John Hershey packed the bombing of Hiroshima into one hundred pages and won a Pulitzer. The two works are similar in that they concentrate on the extremely human side of history. . . . America's Song is an outstanding work in that it is extremely accessible to all that can read with a modicum of interest about our country's past.... [Murray] writes with a lyrical quality at some points, and at others like a fast-paced adventure novelist. ForeWord Magazine
"A Yankee Doodle Dandy: [America's Song] takes the reader through the many reincarnations of the tune -- it was set with new words in the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Civil War -- right up to modern times, in which George M. Cohan's 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' is still sung. [This] delightful little book . . . reminds us of the significant, though near-forgotten, contributions of Dutch settlers to American history. America's Song is also full of fun and surprises." Yankee Magazine
"The latest proof that good things come in small packages traces the history of the song 'Yankee Doodle.' . . . Copiously illustrated, the pocketbook-size volume is terrifically entertaining and informative popular history, written with great panache." Booklist; American Library Association.
WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL; Images from the Past, 1999
"[This] compact narrative about Washington's 1783 farewell to his officers in Fraunces Tavern in New York adds excellently to popular literature of the American Revolution. Accessible for a wide range of readers. . . " Booklist
"Murray uses a writer's touch to make history come alive." ForeWord Magazine
WHITE FIRE; Images from the Past, 2000
Finalist for fiction book of the year, 2000, by ForeWord Magazine
"Skillful use of plot and characters; Murray has written another winner." Library Journal
"Murray proves his skill with useful explanations of vernacular phrases and historical background for the 1828 setting. In straightforward language, Murray also keeps an even pace and alternates easily between Dirk's racing adventures and Rachel's descriptions of the family trek." ForeWord
"Author, journalist, and editor Stuart Murray has written a superbly crafted historical novel, capturing the yesteryear feel of 1828 in southern Africa. White Fire is a stirring, very highly recommended, action-adventure oriented historical novel which is enhanced for the readers pleasure with a meticulous attention to accurate detail throughout." Midwest Book Review
"[An] historical . . . novel that will please fans of historical fiction and romances." Booklist
"Murray's portrayal of nobility and honor among each group strikes a chord. His clashes between Zulus and other African tribes, and his interdependent relationships between Boers and native servants, illustrate how the violence of South Africa never was as simple as black versus white. . . . This book becomes a wonderful adventure. . . . Librarians should eagerly add this title to their collections." Today's Librarian
THE HONOR OF COMMAND; Images from the Past, 1997
"A most handsome book [with] the best illustrations I have ever seen for the Saratoga campaign." Vermont History
"Murray possesses a keen eye for detail and a novelist's sense of pace and color. He brings this momentous campaign to life [and] captures the character of the British military leader in all his complexity." Brattleboro, Vermont, Memorial Library
