Liberty!: The American Revolution [Hardcover]

Thomas Fleming (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1997

Liberty! The American Revolution brings to life one of the most important and compelling stories in our country's history: the struggle for independence and the birth of the American nation. Historian and novelist Thomas Fleming's gripping narrative captures the high drama of the revolutionary years and the unyielding courage and political genius of the men and women who imagined a new set of political possibilities for mankind - laying the foundation for the identity and character of the American people in the process. The companion volume to the PBS television series of the same name, Liberty! is illustrated with more than 200 full color paintings and photographs, illuminating the revolutionary period as never before. Most important, Liberty! traces the evolution of the ideals that inspired a generation of Americans to struggle against Britain - then the most powerful nation in the world - to establish the free society and democratic system that is so inherently and uniquely American. A remarkable work that surges with human drama, it is a book that every American family will read and treasure for decades to come.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This first-rate volume on the American Revolution combines beautiful artwork with the lucid prose of Thomas Fleming. Although Liberty! The American Revolution accompanies a PBS documentary series, the book stands completely on its own; in fact, it presents one of the finest overviews of the conflict available in print. The bulk of the text focuses on the military aspect of the Revolution, but the political and social sides receive ample coverage as well. Colorful sidebars on the mysterious origins of the U.S. flag, the evolution of Yankee Doodle, and a history of tarring and feathering are great entertainment for curious intellects. If you are going to include only a single book on the American Revolution in your library, this is probably the one to own. And even if you already have several, Liberty! should be added to your collection.

From School Library Journal

YA?This well-written companion volume to the PBS series of the same name contains information on the causes of the war and its major events, battles, and personalities. In addition, Fleming has inserted numerous sidebars on a variety of subjects that range from everyday life to espionage to the roles played by women, Jews, and slaves. The book is easy to read and moves quickly enough to hold the interest of casual readers, but contains enough detail for reports. It is profusely illustrated with well-placed, full-color paintings and reproductions. A minor flaw in this otherwise gem of a book is the lack of maps showing the location of the events discussed.?Robert Burnham, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; First Edition edition (November 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670870218
• ISBN-13: 978-0670870219
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #892,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"How do you write a book?" 24 year old Thomas Fleming asked bestselling writer Fulton Oursler in 1951. "Write four pages a day," Oursler said. "Every day except Sunday. Whether you feel like it or not. Inspiration consists of putting the seat of your pants on the chair at your desk." Fleming has followed this advice to good effect. His latest effort, "The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers," is his 50th published book. Twenty three of them have been novels. He is the only writer in the history of the Book of the Month Club to have main selections in fiction and in nonfiction. Many have won prizes. Recently he received the Burack Prize from Boston University for lifetime achievement. In nonfiction he has specialized in the American Revolution. He sees Intimate Lives as a perfect combination of his double talent as a novelist and historian. "Novelists focus on the imtimate side of life. This is the first time anyone has looked at the intimate side of the lives of these famous Americans, with an historian's eyes." Fleming was born in Jersey City, the son of a powerful local politician. He has had a lifetime interest in American politics. He also wrote a history of West Point which the New York Times called "the best...ever written." Military history is another strong interest. He lives in New York with his wife, Alice Fleming, who is a gifted writer of books for young readers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars makes the Revolution real, and human, October 8, 1999

By 

Janis Cortese (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Liberty!: The American Revolution (Hardcover)

One of the most irritating things about studying the Revolution from an American perspective is that it's so totally iconized that you can't connect with it anymore. Everyone involved is seen as perfect gods or devils, and that elevation removes them from the sphere of normal humanity; you can't relate to them anymore. This book brings the Revolution back down to Earth, and doesn't just talk about battles. It focuses on people, on the politics behind the various events, on how people's personalities influenced pivotal decisions, and yes -- on the battle strategy and tactics as well. (Although I still think they iconized Washington a bit much -- nderstandable, I guess). It's the most comprehensive book on the Revolution, the most engaging, and a fabulous jumping-off point for anyone starting an in-depth study of that period in our history. I always hated history in school -- just a bunch of cartoonish propaganda, memorized names and dates. Books like this help to illustrate how living, and vital, and exciting history is. They help to illustrate that when you get right down to it, history is not only one of the most important subjects in the world, but really the only subject in the world. If you're even VAGUELY curious about the Revolution, buy this book. It'll be the first of many.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Coffee Table Book on the American Revolution, October 17, 2000

By 

J. Mullin (Plantation, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Liberty!: The American Revolution (Hardcover)

Fleming's book is not for everyone, since the inherent limitations of the format will turn off some readers wanting a more in depth analysis of the war, its causes, or its numerous battles and personalities. If you purchase the book thinking you are buying a beautifully illustrated, well-written coffee table book about the Revolution, with numerous interesting "asides" on topics ranging from the Liberty Bell, origins of the Flag, etc., then you will be richly rewarded with this purchase.

Fleming has done his research, and I thought the text was well-written and detailed enough to provide a well-rounded overview of the struggle. Many of the war's colorful characters, like Banastre Tarleton, Nathaniel Greene, Benedict Arnold, John Burgoyne and Samuel Adams, are explored well both in print and in the excellent illustrations. For those readers whose curiosity is piqued by this book, and who want a more thorough account of the war as well as a detailed discussion of the political and biographical backgrounds that Fleming cannot include here, I recommend Robert Leckie's excellent one volume George Washington's War.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give me Liberty!, July 4, 2004

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Liberty!: The American Revolution (Hardcover)

The volume, 'Liberty! The American Revolution' by Thomas Fleming, is a companion volume to the wonderful PBS series by the same name, a six-part treatment of the period leading up to and including the American Revolution in the mid-to-late 1700s.

As Fleming shows in his text, the seeds of the American Revolution were planted long before the actual conflicts began. This was not an overnight decision on the part ofthe colonists or the British; intense negotiations and political attempts were made for years prior to the outbreak of hostilities. The colonists largely came from Britain; the leadership certainly looked to Britain for political, moral and cultural guidance, as well as primary trade and security vis-a-vis the Spanish, the French, and the Native Americans. American leaders were, by and large, British leaders too -- George Washington held a commission and fought with the British in the French and Indian War.

This was a family break-up in many ways -- Fleming's astute use of the actual words of the people of the time show the emotions that conflict, the love-hate relationship both sides embodied. The first chapter shows the beginnings of discontent on both sides, with the colonists beginning to be stressed over being ignored by the British leadership, and the British leadership, in the form of George III, newly ascended to the throne, and various high-powered ministers, feeling that the colonists were rather ungrateful toward their (so-they-considered-themselves-to-be) rightful lords.

Liberty, ironically, was what George III and his first minister, William Pitt, were all about. The Seven-Years War was won as a fight for liberty; the colonies in America and elsewhere were won over to Britain, who had a parliamentary democracy (however poorly enacted) as opposed to absolute monarchy (such as in France). So, the break-up between Britain and the American colonies becomes all the more troublesome -- not only were the opposing sides practically family, but largely believed the same things.

Fleming never makes the direct comparison, but one can get the sense of Jonathan Swift here, that the battles are fought over relatively minor things (like which side of the egg to crack) -- in the scheme of world politics then and now, the controversies were relatively slight. However, the issues of taxation, governance and respect were important, not perhaps so much for what they were, but for what they did portend as future treatment, and the colonists did not like being second-class citizens in a British-dominated world, even if, to the British leadership, being second-class British was better than being almost anything else. There was also the spectre of the Irish tyranny, perpetrated by the English, that loomed large as a possibility. Sadly, one cannot say that these fears were unjustified.

Fleming's book is intriguing, introducing sides to the conflict that one doesn't recall from grade-school and high-school civics classes -- the conflicts among the colonies themselves; the dissent among the colonies who often wanted a repair rather than a break with Britain; and the personal reflections and fears of the founding fathers and mothers (yes, there were many women involved in this process). Using diaries, correspondence, official documents and media reports of the time, Fleming weaves together a narrative history that achieves a good popular balance between historical detail and narrative reporting.

Fleming's admiration for the founding Americans, their bravery and their intelligence, is very apparent. Fleming's concern to present the British in a fair and balanced light is also apparent, and often portrayed as trying to be reasonable and responsive to many of the colonial concerns, if not always pleasant and courteous to the colonial leaders themselves. The writing is interesting and thoughtful, and done in a popular tone that gives personality to the people who figure in the events.

Fleming's final chapter looks at the aftermath of the war, and the struggle for unity as a nation. George Washington's statement that liberty could be both a blessing and curse was taken to heart -- when the Constitutional Convention met to amend the Articles of Confederation, it went far beyond its original mandate, and it was telling that not all colonies sent representatives, and not all that were sent agreed to stay through the proceedings.

The format of the book is quite nice to read -- there are pull-quotes, text boxes, full-colour pictures, drawings, maps, and charts. There are 'visual interest' items on every page, from grand paintings of conventions and major persons, to small details, such as the 'dove of peace' weathervane Washington installed at Mount Vernon prior to his depature to become President. The book is well-indexed, and matches the companion television series very well, but is also perfectly suitable as a stand-alone volume.

A great read in many ways, it makes a great gift for anyone (or to oneself) with an interest in history.