Customer Reviews

American War of Independence Commanders (Elite)

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As usual, René Chartrand provides excellent value in Osprey Elite #93, American War of Independence Commanders. Chartrand outlines the career of 24 of the most significant ground and sea commanders on both sides, as well as including capsule biographies on another twenty-odd figures. For readers seeking a short summary of commanders in the American Revolution, this volume is an excellent addition to the other Osprey volumes on the same subject.

Chartrand provides color plates and short biographical sketches of 24 noteworthy commanders of the American War of Independence, including: 8 British (Burgoyne, Howe, Clinton, Carleton, Elliot, Rodney, Cornwallis, Tarleton) 11 Americans (Benedict Arnold, Gates, Knox, Sullivan, Clark, Lee, Greene, von Steuben, Lafayette, Lincoln and Washington), 4 French (Suffren, Marquis de Bouillé, Duke of Lauzun, Rochambeau) and 1 Spanish (Bernardo de Galvez). Each of the color plates and sketches provides a decent overview of the individual commander, with Chartrand providing comments that assess their character and leadership abilities, as well as their accomplishments. A large number of other officers from both sides are also mentioned in more summary fashion, with an illustration and a short biographical caption (including Kosciuszko, Pulaski, Ethan Allen, Wooster, Montgomery, Schuyler, Daniel Morgan, Varnum, Francis Marion, Anthony Wayne, Moultrie, John Paul Jones, Gage, Richard Howe, Simon Fraser, Hood, d'Estaing, and the Comte de Grasse). Unfortunately, Chartrand entirely forgot the German contribution on the British side, and should have included mention of at least the three most significant German generals: the Baron von Riedesel, Baron von Knyphausen, and Leopold von Heister. A number of other significant officers of general rank (the French engineer Duportail who was made a Major General in the American army and played a major role in several campaigns, including Yorktown; the American Major General Stirling; and the British General Charles "No Flint" Grey) and several others of lesser rank who played significant roles (e.g. "Light Horse Harry" Lee as a counterpoise to Tarleton) should probably also have been mentioned, but were not. Note that unlike other Osprey volumes on commanders, Chartrand - thankfully - does not waste space summarizing the major operations of the war but concentrates entirely on the biographical sketches.

Just what you would want in an Osprey book, great plates, good biographical information, and tid bits which you may not have known about these men.
What I found refreshing, is that other theatres of operations were covered. The Great Siege of Gibraltar, Galvez`s exploits, and the West Indies and Indian areas. We tend to forget that the American Revolution was not confined to North America, but a global conflict.

It is a quality Osprey publication to give the reader a brief portrait of the notable commanders of the American revolution.