A People Numerous and Armed: Reflections on the Military Struggle for American Independence (Ann Arbor Paperbacks) [Paperback]

John Shy (Author)

Book Description

Series: Ann Arbor Paperbacks | Publication Date: December 15, 1990

A series of essays about the social, political, and intellectual dimensions of the Revolutionary War

Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: University of Michigan Press; Revised Edition edition (December 15, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0472064312
• ISBN-13: 978-0472064311
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #526,126 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read for the dedicated military historian, March 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A People Numerous and Armed: Reflections on the Military Struggle for American Independence (Ann Arbor Paperbacks) (Paperback)

This book is not meant for the casual reader. However, if you are a serious history buff and don't mind engaging a book intellectually this is a good book to spend some time with. I had the pleasure of having John Shy as a professor at the University of Michigan. I have nothing but positive feedback on his scholarly work. The somewhat narrow scope of the book's topic and the assumed background knowledge might deter a casual reader. History buff who wants to dig deeper into Revolutionary War issues? Then this book is a good one to pick up!

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read...must have for any Military History buffs, November 12, 2000

By 

John Loader (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A People Numerous and Armed: Reflections on the Military Struggle for American Independence (Ann Arbor Paperbacks) (Paperback)

This was a nice collection of intelligent and well written essays on the American Revolution. I chose this book based on a recommendation from my history teacher. It was a requirement to write a book review on it.

This book contains a great amount of information on the American Revolution. The author seems to have done much pain-staking research to bring details to life. Unlike a traditional history book, this book focuses on specific aspects of the Revolution. It brings to light much of went on militaristically and socially on both sides of the ocean during that time. If you have ever wanted to know more about the American Revolution then what you learn in College or High School US History, this book is a must have. It is written on an academic level and requires a high degree of English comprehension.

Overall an enjoyable experience.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Under-appreciated masterpiece, December 23, 2008

By 

Federal Farmer (Montgomery, AL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A People Numerous and Armed: Reflections on the Military Struggle for American Independence (Ann Arbor Paperbacks) (Paperback)

Most military histories concentrate on explaining the what and why of campaigns and battles. I'm all for that; you can't really comment intelligently about a war if you don't know what even happened. Shy, however, takes analysis to a level few reach. He has not only figured out how to ask the most interesting and insightful questions about this war, he seemed to not have derived them until he had immersed himself fully in the history of the war. This book permanently changed how I approached and understood military history. These essays were critical to the integration of military history into the mainstream of historical scholarship. If you have only dined on battle histories, narratives, and general's biographies to this point, A People Numerous and Armed will show you that scholarship is extremely interesting.