Customer Reviews

The Day is Ours!: An Inside View of the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, November 1776-January 1777

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Dwyer gives more than just a history of the Trenton-Princeton campaign. He has painstakingly researched the written comments of the participants in the struggle from Generals Washington and Cornwallis to the lowest Privates and civilians. He lets you know what those who were actually there thought about what was going on in their own words. He also explains how the surprise victories for the little Continental army could easily have misfired. There were many chance events that favored the Continentals that could have gone the other way. My criticisms are that it could have used more maps and he goes into more detail about the lives of certain individuals more than seemed necessary

"The Day Is Ours" using actual historical letters, diaries, etc. is a real eye-opener to how close our "revolution" came to failing. The chance turn of the weather one evening, allowing Washington's army to escape certain doom, the heroism of a single soldier, turning the tide of battle come to life in this book. Well written, well worth your time to read.

Let me be brief. Through inside accounts (largely journal entries and correspondences), Dwyer creates an exciting, trenchant account of the events at Trenton and Princeton. Furthermore, Mr. Dwyer gives even accounts from both sides. Dwyer also conveys the very significance of these two battles, and the implications they had for the American cause. A must read for anyone interested in the American cause.

This is my kind of history. The book is largely first hand accounts of the Battles of Trenton and Princeton from diaries written by persons who were there. This is a book that I found so interesting I didn't want to do anything else until I had finished it. It allowed me to visualize the events as they happened and gain a feel for what it must have been like to be there. I especially liked the author's detailed presentation of how despondent the nation was following the battle losses during the last months of 1776 and how the victories at Trenton and Princeton renewed support and saved the revolution. I also gained an appreciation for the challenges faced by persons who either participated or were affected by the battles. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn more about these battles and life during the American Revolution.

This book was a great inspiration to me when I started researching and writing books on the Rev War. The author's writing style is very fluid, and the end notes were also very useful. Excellent work. One of the best on the 1776 campaign. - Gregory Edgar