Customer Reviews

Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War

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With all of the buzz in historical circles about the works of McCullough and Morris, it seems there are current authors who are not recognized for the fine work they do. Ketcham is one such author.

This is a superb account of the campaign which truly broke England's hold on the American colonies. There are several distinguishing aspects in this account...one being the amount of information presented concerning the English view of the campaign. Most American historians seem to accentuate only the American side, however, the inclusiveness of Ketcham's account in terms of English plans and execution adds much to what could have been just an account from the colonial perspective. My wife and I had the opportunity to tour the battlefield this past summer and this really fleshed out what we experienced during our trip.

Ketcham's account of the role played by Native Americans in this series of battles is also a revelation. This book is totally accessible to anyone regardless of their historical background. I would compare this book in quality to the recent biographies of John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt. If you are at all interested in the colonial period or the American Revolution, I would definitely commend this book to you. We are so lucky to be living in a time when so many great histories and biographies are so readily available.

I read this book when it first came out and was enthralled. I happen to live in the Lake Goerge/Saratoga region, and know the surroundings he describes VERY well. I have visited many of the sites mentioned in the text. Believe me, his perspective on the landscpapes, and the hardships of travel in this locality are very accurate.

Like many reviewers comments, he has a way of description that brings the pages to life. The struggle and turmoil of the local people invloved and their undecided nature was well written.

How the locals in the region took to this invasion from the north, and how they eventually rallied just in time to thwart their advance at (old) Saratoga was right on the money.

Surprisingly, the Parks, and Historical sites that remain today, as well as some of the "areas" left somewhat untouched by history, still give one the sense of wonder. If you find it incredible how these armies could advance through some of the terrain he describes, you would be twice as surprised by actually seeing it as I have.

As I read this narrative, I was fortunate that I could place myself exactly where he describes the campaign and visualize from his text and my own perspective from visits I have made. I could tell that this author had been here before.

I met the author in Glens Falls, NY right in the "heart" of the region he describes, and found him to be as graceful in person as he is on the written page. A true historian. Books on the Revolutionary War are not known to be written with the "glamour" and tenacity of the Civil War, but his treatment will, and has changed that.

We always read about how people in the Civil War felt from their own writings. It is true, there are MANY writings (Journals and Diaries) left from this great period in our founding. Hopefully more authors will make the concerted effort that Ketchum took to bring aspects of those writings to life in a cohesive narrrative.

Many future books on the Revolutionary War could take their lead from the style with which this author has put down the written word. When I finished the book, I wanted more. This is what inspires interest, learning, and understanding.

I think that no one could go wrong if this was the only book they ever read on this campaign. It would be a shame however, if it never got read at all. Read the book. You won't be disappointed.

Ketchum writes a detailed history of Saratoga and the events leading to the battle drawing largely from the correspondence of the soldiers who fought the battle. As such, "Saratoga" gives a detailed, participants' view of the battle. At this level, the work is enthralling, tense and a book which is difficult to put down.

Shortcomings exist in several areas. First, the maps are weak. The text is detailed and makes reference to many points which are difficult or impossible to discern from the maps in the test. Moreover, given a battle so dependant on terrain, terrain is poorly illustrated on most of the maps.

Second, Ketchum is weak on the sumary of the battles and skirmishes. On the major actions the impacts are clear, yet on some of the minor actions, the results are less clear.

Left unexplained is the success of the Indian groups fighting with the British. Indian actions against American troops seemed singularly successful. It is unexplained why the Indians were so successful as well as how the Americans countered.

Finally, while it is clear that Burgoyne's failure at Saratoga may have insured the success of the Revolution, it is less than clear whether Burgoyne's success would have insured Britsh success in holding the colonies. On finishing the book one is left with something of the feeling that comes at the end of Fitgerald's "Fire in the Lake": Battles may be won by the British, but the war was lost at the start.

In the end, Ketchum's greatest success lies in illustrating the committment and fervor of the individual American to obtaining independence.

Excellent book, trust me! ... Someday, after a long lifetime of mostly nonfiction reading, I'll look back on this one and say Ketchum's Saratoga is one of the gems I would really regret having missed ... If any of you readers out there knows of any other such treasures in this topic (American Revolution) as this one, please let me know. americanrevolution@kovac.ch

Richard M. Ketchum is as good a writer as there is. This account of the Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolution could just be THE definitive work on this subject.

As the preface to this book states, at Saratoga the British campaign that was supposed to crush America's rebellion ended instead in a surrender that changed the history of the world. Those 24 words are as succinct as it gets. Who could have guessed that those ragged farmers could have at first cut off and then captured a complete British army in the field? Yet that is exactly what occurred. Along with Yorktown and Cowpens this was one of the few times American forces faced English regulars in a stand up, toe to toe fight and won.

Saratoga signaled the ability of American arms and the ferociousness of the American spirit. It destroyed an intricate British campaign to separate New England from the rest of the States and ultimately secured French recognition of American Independence.

This is one richly detailed literary effort that truly does describe the turning point of America's Revolutionary War.

Here's what I'll say about "Saratoga": I learned a great deal from reading the book, but I can't say that it was a fast read. Part of that is because so many of the starring characters in this story were not completely familiar to me, so I had to, at times, recall whom I was reading about. There were times when the book dragged a bit and I wish it could have been written in more of a narrative style. However, I'm very glad I read it because Saratoga is a campaign that tends to be glossed over in classes while the focus is on the respective primary armies. It was an incredibly important part of the war and Ketchum explained what happened and why we should know. I'd recommend it to a history student or buff, but not someone looking for a casual read.

This is a relatively new book, and it is an excellent history of the series of battles, the campaign, that was the turning point of the American Revolution. Seldom does a British armed force surrender; in the Revolution two did-at Yorktown and at Saratoga. This prompted the French to weigh in as allies and send aid, as well as a fleet and an army, to support the Americans against Britain. Ketchum, who was an editor at American Heritage and responsible for some of their better publications, including one on the Revolution, has told his tale with verve, wit, and accuracy. His character sketches are colorful and right on target. The author's treatment of both sides is even-handed, and the bitter fighting at both Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights is painted with a wide, colorful brush, not leaving out the sheer horror and brutality that was 18th century warfare. This book is highly recommended. Although I believe John Elting's The Battles of Saratoga to be better, this volume belongs in every collection on the Revolution.

I visited Burlington Vermont recently, July 2000, and enjoyed a tour of Whitehall, Hubbardton and the Saratoga battlefield with a friend and amateur historian. He recommended Ketchum's "Saratoga" and I concur with the majority of the reviews listed here. This is a gem of a history. If you have cut your teeth on Kenneth Roberts, as I have, and read some the drier histories out there, like Parkman's "Montcalm and Wolfe," to fill in the gaps, then you will be astonished and pleased at Ketchum's narrative style and in-depth scholarship. Buy this book and tour the area. You will not believe the terrain at Hubbardton, Bennington and Bemis Heights, the beauty of Lake Champlain, the majesty of Fort Ty and the only monument to Arnold.

By the way...it was quite clear to me why Ketchum made the effort to describe Franklin's missions to Canada and France. All too often we get history in discreet chunks and Ketchum has provided perfect a lead-in and finale in the form of the epitome of the most original of Americans.

"Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne presented a plan to end the Revolutionary War and stifle the American colonists' bid for independence. It would involve a three-pronged campaign, with Burgoyne leading a contingent from Canada down to Albany, NY. The end result, he believes, would be the destruction of the Revolution itself.

However, as the Preface notes at the outset, "At Saratoga, the British campaign that was supposed to crush America's rebellion ended instead in a surrender that changed the history of the world." This book examines the campaign conceptualized by Burgoyne and the factors that led to his crushing defeat--and the entry of France as an ally of the colonial rebellion.

The story of Saratoga is also a story of English ineptitude. General Howe was to send troops northward toward Albany; General St. Leger was to lead a contingent from the west toward the east. The result would be a devastating defeat of the colonials. However, Howe did nothing; St. Leger was unable to make the rendezvous and turned back at Fort Stanwix. That left Burgoyne alone against the American forces.

And never did a Yankee general get so much credit for so little merit as Horatio Gates. He commanded the motley American army facing off against Burgoyne. The book well illustrates that others, such as Benedict Arnold, had a much more critical role in victory.

But the heart of the book is the factors leading up to the defeat of the British army at Saratoga. Great detail, a well portrayed narrative arc, from Burgoyne's optimistic start of the campaign to the lugubrious end. Well portrayed are the battles at Fort Ticonderoga, the disaster at Bennington, and the final denouement at Saratoga.

This is a nice portrayal of the campaign that changed the course of the war, well written and with enough detail to understand what was happening. Well worth looking at for those interested in this battle and the Revolutionary War.

"Saratoga" is the third book written by historian Richard M. Ketchum on major battles of the American Revolution. Using letters and other first-hand accounts from both American and British sources, Ketchum skillfully, impartially, and with great detail narrates the events which occurred in upstate New York during the spring, summer and autumn of 1777. These included the early British victories at Fort Ticonderoga and Hubbardton; the later American victories at Bennington and Freeman's Farm; and the surrender of all British forces by their commander, Lieutenant General John Burgoyne, at Saratoga, New York, on October 17, 1777.

For me, this was a fairly well written account of the battle commonly described as "the turning point of the American Revolution." Ketchum's descriptions of the various personalities and battles are vivid and colorful, and almost transported me to the battlefield. However, "Saratoga" is not as good as his earlier works "Decisive Day" and "The Winter Soldiers." The pace of the narrative is slower, especially at the beginning. Here Ketchum seems to go into too much detail setting the stage for battles to come. (For instance, I kept wondering why so many pages were devoted to the author's description of the Franklin-Carroll mission to persuade Canada to join the rebellion.) "Saratoga" could also have benefited from more maps and illustrations of better quality. These are, however, relatively minor reservations about an overall excellent book, one which I heartily recommend to anyone seeking a greater understanding of one of the most important battles ever fought on North American soil.