Customer Reviews

The Minute Men: The First Fight : Myths and Realities of the American Revolution (Ausa Institute of Land Warfare)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Gen. Galvin wrote an extraordinary account of the minutemen's most dramatic battle. But he also shows that this was not their first battle by any account. The French and Indian wars had battled hardened many of the troops and all of the troop's leaders. He gives solid evidence that this was not a battle by "farmers" but military men. A fantastic read for anyone interested in the true history of the area.

Excellent insight into the life and times of colonial America through the eyes of the men who gave birth to our country. These men were the foundation for the American military tradition. Written by a man with an infantry background, Gen Galvin has written an excellent and entertaining book which gives the best account I have found to date on what the minute men were like, while dispelling many myths and revealing some fascinating facts. Spanning from the early colonial period, to the French and Indian war, to the American war of Independence, this book is well worth the read for anyone interested in colonial American history, the war of independence, or a great study for those interested in light infantry combat.

Who ever believes that the American peole have no military tradition should read this book.

In this book, the reader is shown in detail the origins and developement of a military concept unique to this nation from its begining to its highest moment at the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Well written, well thought out, with ample detail provided. The reader is given insights to the men of these units as well as their British opponants.

Indeed, once you understand the organizaaion and concept, you actually feel the British regulars were unlucky unknowing sheep sent off to slaughter. Poor Brits.

John Galvin's "The Minute Men" is a well researched, well written, and an extremely interesting and important work on the American Revolution.

In his book, Galvin, a soldier of distinction (he retired as a four-star general, having served as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe), a historian, and a native of Massachusetts debunks a number of myths surrounding the New England Minutemen. He shows that both the Minute Man concept and the alarm systems that mustered more than 14,000 men, who, marching and fighting in companies and regiments, defeated a British column of some 1,000 men at Lexington and Concord, were deeply embedded in Colonial history and culture.

The authors makes a strong case that the Minute Men were better led and more experienced than their British counterparts, many of them having served in the Seven Years War alongside the British, against the French and their Indian allies.

In comparison, most of the British soldiers, despite the long history of their regiments, were either new recruits or had never seen combat before. The fact that the first American volley at Concord bridge sent a British company there into headlong flight, stunning their officers, is proof of the inexperience of the red coated regulars.

After Lexington and Concord, British intelligence showed that the New England colonies alone could put some 30,000 men in the field of combat, without affecting the farming ability of the colonies. By the end of the Revolutionary War, Massachusetts alone had contributed some 26 of the 80 regiments raised for the Continental Army. And the small Colony contributed more than 620 private fighting ships to the American cause.

"Minute Men" is an easy and fun read and ranks among the top ten books on the American Revolution. Anyone interested in the beginnings of American independence should start here.

The Minute Men, by Major John R. Galvin

The "embattled farmers" of Concord and Lexington were part of a vast colonial army with a long tradition of organization and training going back to the early 17th century as defenders against Indian attacks. Most of this book is about "the shot heard round the world" on April 19, 1775. The 'Prologue' says a lot of legends and anecdotes have obscured the reality. The Minute Men and militia were well organized, commanded, and controlled from nearly constant warfare over 140 years. The militia system was changed to meet varying conditions (p.13). Minute Men were drawn from the militia, trained and equipped to assemble rapidly for combat (p.14). This concept was adopted by the other colonies (p.15). Chapter 1 tells how the needs of the times created changes in the Colonial militia (pp.21-22). The Indian wars fostered cooperation between the towns (Chapter 2). The end of King Philip's War was followed by 80 years of intermittent warfare (p.31). A bounty was paid for every Indian scalp (p.33); they were vulnerable in winter times but not defenseless (p.35). This training and experience would be needed in the future (Chapter 3). Chapter 4 discusses some of the events in the French and Indian War.

The conquest of Canada saw the Colonies turning to discuss politics and their right of self-governance (p.49). There was a list of common grievances (p.50). Ministers took the lead in opposition to British policies (p.53). The closing of Boston port and the massive attack on the old charter lead to a change in political opinion among the people (Chapter 5). Chapter 6 tells of the demonstration at Worcester against the Intolerable Acts; it show how united the Colonists were in defense of their rights. This led to the new militia system: all officers chosen by the people in each regiment; one-third of the men ready to act at a minute's warning (pp.64-65). Resistance grew in the fall of 1774. Chapter 7 describes how this new militia was adopted (p.71). The adoption of elected officers led to an improved sense of involvement and responsibility, and the elimination of Crown loyalists. Weapon handling was more important than parade drills (p.73), but earnest training began in 1774. The British regular regiments had little combat experience (p.75). General Gage received wishful advice from the Tories of Boston (p.103). On April 16 General Gage was told to attack Concord where the Provincial Congress was meeting, and guns, powder and other supplies were stored.

Chapter 12 to 26 tell of the historical events of that day with more details than in any general history. The militia at Lexington were in formation on the green, not blocking the roads or in ambush. They did not expect an attack, but it happened. The British then marched to Concord. Faced with a larger force of militia, they returned back to Boston while under continual fire. They were saved by a relief column from Boston, which was attacked in turn. Chapter 27 tells of the aftermath, Chapter 28 of the use of the concept for the New Army (men ready to assemble on a minute's notice). This ready reserve would "reinforce the continental army".

Chapter 29 sums up the Minute Men. Few then or now realized there was "a well-organized, well-equipped, and relatively well-trained army of 14,000 men". It is a myth that the minute men "fought well with no organization, no equipment, no training, and no planning" (p.256). The minute man concept went back over a century in the various wars. Galvin says the legends and anecdotes often conceal hidden information (p.258) [like history as entertainment rather than information]. I think this legend was created in the late 19th century when our "well-regulated militia" came under attack form the newly powerful corporate aristocracy. History was censored for their purposes.

When George the 3rd decided to impose tyranny upon the American Colonies, one of the many things he did was to begin dismantling the existential threat to his rule: the local militia system. General John Galvin, US Army, Retired, has done a wonderful job of describing not only the Special Forces units of that militia - the Minute Men - but also the first battle of the American Revolution, the 20-mile running ambush called Lexington & Concord.

The self-defense system of the colonial period was composed of two parts: the general militia, which could be considered regular troops, and the Minute Men, a special force of militia ready at a minute's notice and specially trained for rapid response, assault, and communication - much like today's Special Forces. Much of the battle on April 19, 1775 was fought by Minute Men, and it was they who fired the first American shots at the Concord Bridge.

Gen. Galvin spends a few chapters describing the evolution of the minute man concept - a council of war, ready at a minute's warning, with a decentralized command structure and integrated communications system, then proceeds into a detailed description of the battle. Despite their lack of technology, Minute Men were extremely adept at what they trained for, and highly capable - even if their enemy did not think of them as such. This difference in attitude is particularly well described, as Galvin shows not only that it takes training and equipment to be an effective soldier, but attitude as well. The Americans had the attitude of soldiers preparing for war, while the British Redcoats had an attitude of contempt towards their enemy's supposed inferiority.

Fred, of Fred's M14 Stocks, is fond of saying that April 19th, 1775 was the date when "marksmanship met history, and liberty was born". While this is true (the Americans were much better shots than the Redcoats) there were other aspects of the battle that played perfectly into the hands of the Americans. For instance, the British suffered not only from disunited command throughout the day, but also allowed the Americans time to assemble, reinforce, and prepare ambushes. Galvin's description of the battle is extremely detailed, omitting nothing.

For some reason, I wrote a lot of marginalia in this book, something I'm not prone to do. The text lends itself to that, with it's short and succinct chapters, well summarized ending paragraphs, and easy readability. A war college could easily adopt this as a text for a specialized class on tactics, or general study of the battles of the Revolution. If your interests cover either, you should pick this up, for it is well worth your time.

I am an admitted history nut of the American Colonial/Revolutionary period and have at least a couple dozen books on the period and this is one of the best. The writer is a career high ranking military member and brings a different slant to the story of the minute men and their place in our country's history. He looks deeply into their origins and their history leading up to and through the battles of Lexington and Concord. If you are going to read only one book on this subject this is the one.

This book should be required reading for high school American History. The true story of the American Minutemen is inexplicably never told. In this book, the reader learns of the foresight, wisdom, experience, tactics, strategy, bravery and strength these people brought to bear upon the strongest army on Earth; why it's no surprise we won and how the Minutemen & Militia birthed our Armed Forces of today.
It's a quick read and will have you on the edge of your seat. It will also make you proud of the foundations of our government and military.
Don't miss it! In fact, buy the 3 books recommended together; this one, "Paul Revere's Ride" and "The Day The American Revolution Began." If your Revolutionary history consists of "Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere . . ." then you need these 3 books.

This is a very good book written about the early days about how the new colonies dealt with attacks during the French and Indian War, and the American Revolutionary War and the events that led up to the Revolutionary War. It also talks about how the Militia is formed, organized and performs in the various battles.

I read a great deal of historical books, but the Minute Men was a fresh read. I learned a bunch and enjoyed doing it. It is of special interest to those of you, who like strategy and analysis of battle. It has a few more details than most will like that slows the read down
, but they add to the depth of the read. Best of all, it offers an insight to the minute men and the American Revolution that I will treasure. This was a great Kindle book.