Forty Minutes by the Delaware: The story of the Whitalls, Red Bank Plantation, and the battle for Fort Mercer [Paperback]

Lee Patrick Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1999

The story of the most lopsided victory of any Army during the entire Revolutionary War. The book delves into how the battle took place, where, who, and what a Quaker family had to indure from all sides. Not just the Hessians and British, but the Americans as well. It tells of soldier life during the Philadelphia Campaign of 1777-78 and also of life in general in America during the Revolutionary War. From the highest General to a cook in the summer house of farmers plantation in Southern New Jersey.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

In the fall of 1777, things looked dark for the fledgling country known as the United States of America fighting for Independence. The young and inexperienced Continental soldiers had fought bravely, but ineffectively against the British and they're allies the Hessians. The enemy had captured Philadelphia and the powerful British navy flotilla, loaded with troops and supplies was making it's way up the Delaware to bring much needed relief to the beleaguered population of the capital city.

But General Washington had vowed, "The enemy may have taken Philadelphia. But now let them hold it. It may in fact become they're downfall". The plans were to erect a series of three river fortifications to defend against the British navy from proceeding to Philadelphia. One of those forts, manned by only 575 men would have to face the onslaught of overwhelming odds. The fort, no more than earth and wood would see some of the most vicious fighting yet seen in the Revolutionary War. The battle would take a mere 40 minutes at a fort on the Delaware River on a Quaker farmers plantation called Red Bank. A fort called Mercer.

About the Author

Lee Patrick Anderson is originally from the Philadelphia Pennsylvania area, but while in college to gain a degree in education, he felt the tug of an adventure and joined the US Navy and traveled the world for 13 years. While at one of his many exotic locations he met his wife and after having four daughters he decided that he had seen enough and settled where he had started, but this time across the river from Philadelphia in a small New Jersey town called Swedesboro. The author got the idea for his first book while working as a tour guide/docent at Fort Mercer/Whitall House Museum and because of his love for history and especially colonial America and eventually became a Revolutionary War re-enactor/interpreter who now works in Philadelphia at Fort Mifflin on the Delaware as a tour guide and visits senior centers, hosptials, and schools to give interpretations and talks on the very subject he loves so well

Product Details

• Paperback: 190 pages
• Publisher: Universal Publishers; 1 edition (July 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581128037
• ISBN-13: 978-1581128031
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,902,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, November 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Forty Minutes by the Delaware: The story of the Whitalls, Red Bank Plantation, and the battle for Fort Mercer (Paperback)

This book was very easy to follow. I found it to be historically accurate and highly informative. From the very beginning the author has the reader very captivated. The book gave a complete view on not just the battle but how the people of that era lived. It gave a good human side to a major event in our history. Whoever reads this book will appreciate both sides of this war. And most importantly, this book stimulates the sense of heritage, pride, and the importance of preserving our valuable history. The statistics were also helpful for me, because for the first time I saw the correct numbers of troops involved in the Battle of Fort Mercer. This book was well done.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read!, January 20, 2009

By 

Joann Wright "booklover" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Forty Minutes by the Delaware: The story of the Whitalls, Red Bank Plantation, and the battle for Fort Mercer (Paperback)

The conversational style of this fascinating history book made it more like listening to a good storyteller describe an event he'd actually witnessed. Too often history is written in such a dry style that reading it is like bushwhacking through facts. This book was so interesting I read it straight through and enjoyed it thoroughly. Although I walk at Red Bank Battlefield and have read many other essays and books on the battle, I NEVER understood what was actually happening there till I read this book. The details about the clothing and the people gave a rich context to the story. I bought Anderson's other book on the strength of this one!