Customer Reviews

SARATOGA: A Military History of the Decisive Campaign of the American Revolution

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Park historians form a special resource with knowledge gained from long intimate association with the subject. After years of study, discussion, answering questions and walking the ground, they have unique qualifications that very few posses. All of them can talk about their subject, giving intelligent presentations tailored to the level of the audience with no visible effort. Those that can write produce some of the best military history available. These books are like their talks, intelligent, comprehensive and detailed. They are treasures that transport us into the thick of things, allowing us to understand the why and how of the action without boring us. After such a book, the reader knows that the experience has been educational and enjoyable. These books are money well spent for the experienced armature historian or the novice entering the subject. John F. Luzader is one of the select few, a historian with in-depth knowledge, love of the subject and the ability to communicate. This is his first book and if a fitting monument to the time, he "indulged my hobbies" with the National Park Service.
He has written one of the best campaign studies I have read. It has the right amount of detail but not so much that the story is lost. Are you unsure about 18th Century military terms and tactics? No problem, the author anticipates this problem and handles things. At the proper place, we take a slight detour to cover the problems that Morgan's riflemen face because they have rifles not smoothbore muskets. At another point, the author explains the difference between and the use of light and line infantry. Not sure what makes a Dragoon, Grenadiers, Jagers or Chasseurs, check Appendix J or relax and let John tell you when we really need to know. The author displays a sure hand in bring us along and providing the information and level of detail as we need it.
The book is a complete history of the events leading up to the campaign both political and military. How these events control and modify the planning is completely covered. The military campaign, the movement and battles is the heart of the book. Wonderful maps bolster an excellent narration. Whenever you need a map, one appears as if by magic. While 16 maps may seem few, placement and detail make them so useful that there is no "missing map" problem.
In the 1700s, politics controlled everything. Nepotism, favoritism, class and area play into every decision. Rank was a means of personal wealth and favor of the King or Congress was all-important. The author manages this and how it influences the campaign well. The interplay between Schuyler, Gates & Arnold is detailed. The role of the Continental Congress and General George Washington in all of this is not ignored. On the English side, General Burgoyne has his own set of problems in Canada, New York, Philadelphia and London. The author provides us with just enough detail to convey the problems and reasons for this without bogging down in this morass.
The Appendix is a joy! In addition to the expected chronology of events, orders of battle and army organizations are a modern driving tour with photographs. For those wishing more detailed coverage, an appendix covers the debate on Mount Defiance non-fortification, Gates & Arnold at freeman's Farm and Burgoyne's "reconnaissance in force" objections. The appendix covers over 70 pages of detailed text, charts, maps and pictures.
The writing is crisp, direct and intelligent. The story moves along while instructing the reader. The participants speak at appropriate times. The study is complete with an excellent introduction and conclusion. This is one of the best campaign studies I have ever read. My area is not the American Revolution and I hesitated for sometime before getting this book. I am very glad that I did get the book.
One last thing, books are a physical object. As such, their appeal to our senses is part of the enjoyment. This is a beautiful book! Starting with the full cover dust jacket, to the deep black hard cover with gold letters, continuing with quality paper, excellent maps and illustrations, this is a beautiful book! I am a book person and all books look good to me but very few books are as beautiful as this one. Saratoga is the combination of beauty and brains that few books can boast about.

This book is a superlative work of historical scholarship and a riveting read, in a class with David Hackett Fischer's "Washington's Crossing," which won the Pulitzer Prize.

It focuses first and foremost on the tactical decisions made by the relevant British, German and American officers--primarily generals and colonels--throughout the course of the Saratoga campaign, discussing each of the decisions sequentially and with unprecedented detail, from the preparations made by Burgoyne to invade the rebellious American colonies from Canada with an apparent military juggernaut, to the surprising surrender four months later, at Saratoga, New York, of Burgoyne's entire army.

One by one, the author considers every point during the campaign that required a decision on either side, whether long before or during a battle, and whether from the commanding heights or in the middle of the battlefield, carefully analyzing the options presented to the relevant officer, the psychological factors that impacted his decision making process, the effects of the decison, and whether a different decision would have been better or worse.

The author is by no means oblivious to such other concerns as the adversaries' over-arching strategies, the relations between each army and its government, and the experience of the rank and file soldiers; but these concerns are peripheral to the author's main narrative. Thus, the author's methodology has something in common with that of the institutional military historian, whose primary purpose is to record and evaluate the performance of the members of a particular military organization. Indeed, on a few occasions the imperatives of this methodology momentarily interfere with the forward motion of the narrative. For the most part, however, the author applies his methodology with such superlative timing, insight, objectivity and empathy that the ultimate result transcends any parochial methodological origin, gradually and cumulatively producing the experience of a profound historical process that was shaped by nature, time and chance, collective action and individual personality.

Meanwhile, along the way, the author addresses more convincingly than anyone has ever done before the famous questions and debates to which the story of Saratoga inevitably gives rise, including: Why did General Howe fail, as originally planned, to bring or send a second British army from New York City to join with General Burgoyne at Albany, and instead leave Burgoyne stranded on the edge of the Adirondack wilderness, surrounded by a combined force of Continental soldiers and Patriot militia that gradually had grown to a size four times as large as the army of Burgoyne? What role in the American victory was played by Benedict Arnold, one of America's ablest generals, who subsequent to Saratoga became America's most infamous traitor? Why did the surrender terms permit the British army to return to Britain? And, of course, how did an American army of relatively untrained soldiers and militia, organized by an ad hoc national government, so completely defeat a British and German army of veteran professionals, organized by the world's greatest empire?

Arguably, of all the battles ever fought on American soil, only the battle of Gettysburg was as historically significant as Saratoga. This book is an accomplishment worthy of its momentous subject.

Author Luzader has produced a very fine work on Burgoyne's campaign and resulting defeat by American forces at Saratoga. So why not five stars? First of all this was the decisive campaign only in that it significantly emboldened the French to enter the war on the side of the Americans and their ultimate aid and repulse of the Royal Navy in its attempt to come to Cornwallis's aid at Yorktown proved decisive. But even this is overblown -- Washington's victories at Trenton and Princeton kept the revolution alive -- the case can be made that had he not rebounded as he did that the war would have been over in the spring of 1777. In addition, why is Yorktown not considered decisive, or Cornwallis's campaign against Greene that led to his pyrrhic victory at Guilford Courthouse and his eventual surrender at Yorktown? In short, sweeping statements always raise more questions than they resolve.

In addition there are some jarring statements that lack factual basis -- such as that a majority of Americans supported the rebellion, or to include Charles Lee as a major player, or even that he was "brilliant" (having never won a battle in the revolution), etc. Also the author displays a tendency to favor Gates for his "sagacity" and abilities while roundly condemning Arnold (for his ambition), Schuyler (with abilities and defects approximating Gates's) and Stark (for not doing what the author would have had him do.) Like Lee, Gates never won a battle in the Revolutionary War other than Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights which were entirely fought by subordinates without direction by Gates. That Gates would stand in the center of his camp listening to the sounds of battle at Freeman's Farm without doing anything is an appalling indictment against the man as a commanding general. Can anyone imagine Napoleon, Washington, or Cornwallis doing that? When Gates was forced to be involved activly in a battle the result was Camden and Gates fled faster from that field than any other general in the Revolutionary War. One wonders at the author's depiction of Gates as "physically brave." He may have been a good trainer (the author says he was), but one does not see any effects of such training. In short, I took to crossing out many of the adjectives the author used to describe individuals and their actions perferring for the actions themselves to create the proper picture.

The appendices were awesome. I particularly enjoyed the scholarly discussions contained therein such as on the missing order from Lord Germain to General Howe. The debate of the "partnership" between Gates and Arnold, however, misses the point -- a commanding general does not form a "partnership" with a subordinate in which the subordinate fights the battles while the commanding general remains comfortably secure in his camp and takes the credit. Valcours was not an exception to this rule due to the distance involved and the natural difficulties of command. The battlefield photos were also helpful.

The author also does not mention the divisions in the population with regards to loyalists, patriots and neutrals. He does point up the fact that New York was generally a loyalist state, but he misses the ethnic and religious aspects present in the American Army. Like Stark, Poor and Morgan, most of the men fighting at Hubbardton, Bennington, and Saratoga were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians and almost all the rest were Congregationalists. Burgoyne even told Daniel Morgan after his surrender, "Your Scotch-Irish Rifles is the finest in the world." It is odd for a scholar of author Luzader's impressive accomplishments to miss these points. His only reference to the Scotch-Irish was his denigration of Stark for not doing what the author thought would have been best to help win the war (in his "personification of Yankee cussedness wed to Scotch-Irish combativeness.") Well, that combativeness arguably won the war for American independence.

All that being said, this book is an excellect study of Burgoyne's campaign, both from the British and the American side. Saint Clair's defense (or not) of Ticonderoga and the resulting battle of Hubbardton were masterfully treated, as was Burgoyne's decision to take the overland route to the Hudson. In fact, there are so many good and thorough treatments of plans, problems and maneuvers in this work that it is a shame to give it less than five stars. But the campaign did not rise to the level that it earned supposedly by resulting in the author's sentence; "American independence became a reality."

I recommend this book to all those interested in the American Revolutionary War.

Saratoga
A Military History of the Decisive Campaign of the American Revolution
John F. Luzader

As Eric H. Schnitzer, Park Ranger and Historian at Saratoga National Park (and former Royal Welch Fusilier in America under the command of the renowned Lt Col Peter L. Ford), states so well in the foreword - "According to many historians, history is replete with `turning points.' Each is a catalyst upon which a social movement, a government, a technology, or a war made a decisive turn and forever changed the destiny of overall history." But, "unlike previous authors, however, John Luzader writes with a thorough understanding of the subject, made possible by decades of writing and research. As a former park historian of Saratoga National Historical Park, he is able to bring to bear his years of methodical and experienced study and deep access to the park's unparalleled collection of source material related to the northern campaign... (he) has walked the battlefield countless times, is intimately familiar with the landscape he writes about, and understands the critical role it played in both the strategic and tactical situations faced by the armies."

Mr. Luzader provides a well written and easy to follow guide to this historically significant battle, starting with a brief back ground of "The Long Road to Saratoga" and the "Dramatis Personae" that made up the key players in this drama (including pictures of them). He then proceeds to take the reader in hand down the long winding trail (that is the way of all history), with insightful and interesting side paths to all the major events that orbited the main affair, as well as a clear, step-by-step guidance through the Battle of Saratoga itself (including Freeman's Farm, Bemis Heights, and all the secret nooks and crannies that make history so wonderfully interesting). Some of the most interesting, and enlightening sidebars, offered throughout by the writer are the what-ifs and possible alternatives to many of the decisions made - for example: Burgoyne's options after Ticonderoga were (a) the overland route through Skenesborough that he actually took, or (b) to pull back and follow the original plan by going down Lake George, or (c) he could have sent a "flying column" after St Clair while the rest of the army went back to the Lake George route. So why didn't he chose one of the alternatives? Read the book and find out!

This is an author that really knows his stuff - and it shows: from simple maps showing unit movements, outlines of army organizations, and detailed lists of unit strengths and casualties. Why he even has a "Glossary of Military Terms" in the back for the novice (about time someone did that), as well as "A Modern photographic Tour of Saratoga National Historic Park".

This is a well-written, deeply researched and very knowledgeable book with great insight on the subject that I found both easy to read and quite interesting (dare I say, at times even fascinating). I highly recommend this inclusive study of the military and political history of the multifaceted story of one of the great "turning points of the American Revolution".

Actually, if it weren't for the justifiable fear of the usual butcher-job that Hollywood does to history, I would say that this book would make an excellent basis for a grand epic - but let's hope that Mel never reads it.


Lt Col Peter L. Ford, RWFA (ret'd)
Member of The America Revolutionary War Roundtable of NY

In constructing narratives military historians are always challenged by the need to balance overwhelming details. What, and just as importantly, how and where to include detail? And what to omit without sacrificing accuracy or completeness? The mark of a good military historian is the ability to strike this balance; the mark of an excellent one is to strike the balance while simultaneously creating a good read, useful to specialists and general readers alike.

I'm delighted to say that Mr. Luzader has struck precisely these notes in Saratoga. More than this--his use of routinely overlooked sources, specifically those of German mercenaries allied with Burgoyne--has resulted in some fresh perspectives on an iconic battle. In addition, Luzader has blended, then interpreted existing scholarship on such matters as the Gates/Arnold controversy, post-battle Parliamentary inquiries, and a running assessment of memoirs by various participants. Thus, the book will likely stand as a general reference to both the battle and its prequel.

I would recommend this book to any writer seeking a model for a campaign study.

Richard F. Miller,
Author, Harvard's Civil War: History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry; A Carrier at War: On Board the USS Kitty Hawk During the Iraq War; In Words and Deeds: Battle Speeches in History

Luzader's book is a fresh new look at the battle of Saratoga and Burgoyne's campaign in 1777. Luzader was a ranger at Saratoga National Park and he knows his stuff.

He finally clears up a lot of the 'mythology' about the campaign too. Such as the consequences of the 'Jane McCrea' massacre and its contribution to American militia enrolement.

My only quibble with the book are the inferior maps. There is no real scale and they come across almost as schematics. But, do read the book it is excellent. General Gates career will have to be re-evaluated after this important work.

I need not add to the detail of the other reviews, other than to say this is the definitive account--not just of the campaign and battles, but of the disputes and controversies that arose before either was over. This is a work of a lifetime, and John Luzader not only provides an excellent account of the events (with many good maps), but also sorts through and straightens out the legendry that this crucial conflict generated at the time and ever since. It is also a good read.

I found this book to be very informative. It covered not only the battle of Sept. 19th and Oct. 7th but also Bennington and Ft. Stanwix. I learned a great deal about the many personalities surrounding the series of events that led to the surrender of Burgoyne on Oct. 17th. The bravery and determination of American troops at Saratoga was a major factor in the ultimate victory but I also came away wondering why the British undertook the invasion from Canada at all. The supply lines from Canada were long and challenging. To deliver supplies to the British once they were on the west side of the Hudson involved a long upstream trek of the Richelieu River, a portage at the Richelieu Falls, a second portage of about three miles up to Lake George from Lake Champlain and then 16 miles overland to the Hudson. This was compounded by the lack of coordination between General Clinton at New York City and General Burgoyne. After reading this book, I consider the British undertaking an over confident gamble that, if successful, would have looked brilliant but in truth an effort agains the odds.
I thought the book was constructed well and presented events in a logical manner. I found the detail about the displacement of Schuyler by Gates and the quarrel between Arnold and Gates a bit cumbersome, but it added to a better understanding of events as a whole and was a necessary addition to the book. I think it important to understand that Bennington, Ft. Stanwix and the Saratoga battles were connected and all contributed to the eventual downfall of the British. None of the many other books I have read about the American Revolution presented this so clearly. To understand the success of the American Revolution requires a clear picture of the contribution made by the victory at Saratoga. Reading this book is very much worth the effort.

This is a good review of tactic and strategy employed in this American victory at Saratoga. I thought the author gave a good strategic analysis of the battle of Saratoga and its impact on the out come of the American Revolutionay war. On the down side the author spends considerable time to denigrate the analysis of other historians that preceeded his own view point. He makes a good case that General Gates was a considrable better leader than others have concluded. Since this is my first read on the battles of the Ameriacan Revelution I have nothing to balance his viewpoints. Maps are well done. One is left guessing why an experienced General Burgoyne would have allowed his army's supply route to be cut off and dallyied into October until he had only a weeks supply before taking any action.

Superbly written, researched, and organized history of one of the most dramatic episodes of the American revolution--a series of military engagements leading up to the climactic battle of Saratoga that every American should be aware of. The underlying story, characters, and background are inherently fascinating, and would make a grand film. Read it for educational value or for entertainment and you will not be disappointed.