Fort Mifflin of Philadelphia: An Illustrated History [Paperback]

Jeffery M. Dorwart (Author), Jean K. Wolf (Compiler)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1998

Fort Mifflin of Philadelphia is the first comprehensive illustrated history of one of the only remaining examples of the oldest harbor defense fortification system in the United States. The site of Fort Mifflin, the Great Mud Island along the entrance of the Delaware River, was the natural barrier to protect early Philadelphia from maritime attack. Fort Mifflin of Philadelphia provides the most complete modern account of the crucial and heavily contested battles around the fortification during 1777, when the British and Americans realized the strategic value of the Great Mud Island as the key to control of the Delaware River, one of the busiest waterways in colonial America.

The fort was maintained as a first line of defense throughout the nineteenth century and was used also as a military prison during the Civil War. Declared a National Monument by Congress in 1906, it fell into disrepair and neglect until the 1960s, when the city of Philadelphia took administrative control of the site. With broad civic initiative, Ft. Mifflin was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970. In addition to its engaging account of military history, Fort Mifflin of Philadelphia provides the only chronicle of the efforts in the late twentieth century to preserve and restore the site.

A Barra Foundation Book

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book . . . should please anyone with an interest in the evolution of fortifications."—The Society for Army Historical Research

"It is a rare achievement for a historian to match his account of the history of a major site in terms of its original significance with an equally good study of the site as the subject of historic preservation."—Russell F. Weigley

About the Author

Jeffery M. Dorwart is Professor of History at Rutgers University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081221644X
• ISBN-13: 978-0812216448
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,297,942 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

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poorly researched, poorly written, June 5, 2008

By 

H. Finigan (Darby, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fort Mifflin of Philadelphia: An Illustrated History (Paperback)

This is arguably the worst book on the subject ever printed. The research was haphazard, at best. If you are interested in a FACTUAL, WELL RESEARCHED book on the history of fort Mifflin, pick up John Jackson's "Fort Mifflin: Valliant defender of the Delaware"