The Battle of Yorktown, 1781: A Reassessment (Warfare in History) [Hardcover]

John D. Grainger (Author)

Book Description

Series: Warfare in History | Publication Date: July 15, 2005

Yorktown [1781], where a British Army, commanded by Lord Cornwallis, surrendered to the American forces under George Washington and their French allies, has generally been considered one of the decisive battles of the American War of Independence. This accessible and authoritative account of the battle and the wider campaign goes back to original source material [diaries, letters, speeches, and newspapers], offering both a narrative of the events themselves, and an analysis of how the defeat came about and why it came to be seen as crucial. It shows that the battle was really a siege, that it involved relatively few numbers, and relatively little fighting, and was not immediately seen as decisive, with the war continuing for a further two years. It sets the battle and campaign in the wider context of a war which included action in the West Indies, Europe, Africa, Asia, and at sea; shows how movements of the French and British navies were a crucial factor; and, overall, reassesses the causes and significance of the battle.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Not only reviews the campaign as a whole but brings to the reassessment of events a probing judiciousness which commands respect. (...) Although this reassessment plays down Yorktown's role as a decisive battle, it provides an excellent rationale for studying the campaign as a test case in military deception, inter-service working, strategic opportunism, and the organization of swift movements of forces to a culminating engagement. WAR IN HISTORYA welcome addition to the literature. An effective, well-written and clear study. HISTORYMakes a solid contribution to our understanding of the Chesapeake encirclement.... (The author's) often controversial conclusions make this book worth studying. JOURNAL OF MILITARY HISTORYProvide(s) a useful corrective to star-spangled American renderings. MILITARY HISTORY (US)

About the Author

John D. Grainger, a former school-teacher, is the author of numerous books on military history, ranging from the Roman period to the twentieth century.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Boydell Press (July 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843831376
• ISBN-13: 978-1843831372
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,067,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous view from a different angle than we usually see, but...., October 9, 2006

By 

Retired Shipbuilder (Yorktown, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Battle of Yorktown, 1781: A Reassessment (Warfare in History) (Hardcover)

Grainger gives an exhaustively researched world wide view of the Yorktown campaign that particularly interests me as a resident of Yorktown living on Wormley Creek and sailing the surrounding waters. All of the author's verbose description of the crucial fleet actions in the Chesapeake Bay would be immeasurably enhanced by the addition of a nautical chart of the Bay entrance showing the location and depths of the described shoals and depths that controlled the fleet movements. The two simple maps in the front of the book are a wholly inadequate visual aid for an otherwise excellent work.