For Want of a Nail: If Burgoyne had won at Saratoga (Greenhill Military Paperback) [Paperback]

Robert Sobel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2006 | Series: Greenhill Military Paperback

For Want of a Nail is an alternate history classic. The outcome of one battle in the American Revolution diverges from reality, and sparks an unstoppable chain of events which affects the history of the whole North American continent. In reality, the British general John Burgoyne, heavily outnumbered by American troops, surrendered his army to General Horatio Gates at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, a major turning-point of the Revolution. Robert Sobel takes a step sideways and presents the alternative version: reinforcements arrive at Saratoga, Gates' men flee, and Burgoyne is victorious. Rather than openly allying itself with the American rebels, France withdraws its support, as does Spain, and the colonies surrender. Those former rebels who refuse to live in the Confederation of North America established by the British leave their homes and settle in what becomes the United States of Mexico. From then on the two continental nations find themselves constant rivals, locked in military, political and economic conflict. Sobel provides a detailed, intricately documented insight into two warring powers that develop in such dramatically different ways from their shared origins.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

For Want of a Nail is an alternate history classic. The outcome of one battle in the American Revolution diverges from reality, and sparks an unstoppable chain of events which affects the history of the whole North American continent.

In reality, the British general John Burgoyne, heavily outnumbered by American troops, surrendered his army to General Horatio Gates at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, a major turning-point of the Revolution. Robert Sobel takes a step sideways and presents the alternative version: reinforcements arrive at Saratoga, Gates' men flee, and Burgoyne is victorious. Rather than openly allying itself with the American rebels, France withdraws its support, as does Spain, and the colonies surrender.

Those former rebels who refuse to live in the Confederation of North America established by the British leave their homes and settle in what becomes the United States of Mexico. From the on the two continental nations find themselves constant rivals, locked in military, political and economic conflict. Sobel provides a detailed, intricately documented insight into two warring powers that develop in such dramatically different ways from their shared origins and underlines the power of single events upon the course of history.

Professor Sobel teaches History and Economics at Hofstra College, New York, and is the Lawrence A. Stessin Distinguished Professor of Business History. He has been a regular contributor for Newsday and is the author of many books on American commercial history. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Neal O. Hammon, an architect, is the author of several books and numerous articles on pioneer history, including My Father, Daniel Boone published in 1999. He served in World War II aboard the USS Montpelier and was recalled to serve on the USS Helena for two years during the Korean War. He graduated from the University of Illinois. Richard Taylor is a professor of English at Kentucky State University in Frankfort. He has written a novel ("Girty"), four collections of poems, and Three Kentucky Tragedies. In 1992, he received the Distinguished Professor Award at KSU. He served as Kentucky's Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2001. He and his wife live near Frankfort with their three children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 442 pages
• Publisher: Greenhill Books; First Paperback Edition edition (February 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853675040
• ISBN-13: 978-1853675041
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #518,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is this fiction or not?, August 13, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: For Want of a Nail: If Burgoyne Had Won at Saratoga (Hardcover)

This is easily the most amazing book I have ever read. Mr. Sobel takes a single battle from the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Saratoga, changes the winner and goes on to build an entire world from the result. The loss of this battle for the Americans results in the loss of the entire war, leaving the British the victors of the American Revolution. After the British execute the leaders of the revolution, they begin to build an entirely new nation from the American colonies and Canada. Those who favored the revolution emigrate to the southwest to establish their own nation. The rest of the book is the history of those two countries and the tensions between them from the 1770's to the 1970's. The people and events are much more real than you would imagine fictitious characters and events could possibly be. Mr. Sobel footnotes the book with references from publications in his new world and includes charts and graphs. Some of the characters are based on historical figures from our own history, but most seem to be complete fabrications from the author's imagination. All of his characters have complete personalities. He also includes technical developments, such as weapons and ground cars, and social developments. When you read this book you will find yourself asking if this world actually exists. It just doesn't seem possible that an author can so thoroughly create a world, with all of its aspects and people, from his imagination. For Want of a Nail: If Burgoyne Had Won at Saratoga is one of my favorite books. I have read the book three times in the past twenty years and I am looking forward to owning a copy of the latest edition! The last time I read this book was three years ago so my memories of the story just can't do it justice. Don't take my word for it, get your hands on a copy of this book and read it for yourself!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than I had Hoped, October 28, 2000

By 

"m_peror07" (Knoxville, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: For Want of a Nail: If Burgoyne Had Won at Saratoga (Hardcover)

I was a bit hesitant getting For Want of a Nail..., mainly because I've heard from various places that it is a "fictional textbook", and so might be drier than Death Valley at noon. But when I actually started reading it I was quite surprised to be totally absorbed in the narrative, even the really dry parts were at least slightly interesting. A survey from the doomed Revolution (where our Founding Fathers are held with complete contempt) to an uneasy (and completely different) Cold War in the early seventies. A really fascinating part of the narrative is how one event 200 years ago can vastly change the history of the entire world...by the time you get to "today" all the names are unrecognizable, as are many parts of the world map. Sobel even puts down an extensive list of "source material" from historical texts that never existed, but don't ignore them though because they sometimes provide interesting foreshadowing for the rest of the chapter/book. I have a feeling that octopus-like companies like the Kramer Associates are going to become a major factor in our own future. In For Want of a Nail... they provide a third party to the CNA and USM, a nation in all aspects but doesn't own any land. And oddly enough I actually agreed with many of Dr. Dana's points at the end of the book, which made me like it even more. One minor point of contention: the British seem to invest the CNA with a LOT of autonomy, nearly too much to be believable at some points. But basically it is worth every penny. Stop reading this and buy it now!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My history professor brother and I recommend this book, October 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: For Want of a Nail: If Burgoyne Had Won at Saratoga (Hardcover)

I had never read an alternative history before, but I have certainly read my share of text books. I can't
help but think that someone went to a parallel universe and brought this "text book" back with them.
This is really more than one book in one. The beginning, everyone can recognize, as it starts with
history of the revolutionary war all school children know. It then gets even more interesting as the time
line departs from the familiar. I did like, and agree with, the appearances of just a very few familiar
names as the years ticked by- Lincoln and Edison are there. Some people are simply destined to be
born, and make a mark. I would expect that this is a bit of the "pebble in the stream" theory of some
time travel books that I have enjoyed only in reverse, of is it in the alternative? Not to ruin anything, but
the current president reminded me some of Bill Clinton in the absurdity of his situation while in office.
Then again, if Sobel had written of a president who got impeached for sex with an intern, critics would
have called it implausible. After reading this book, I researched it on the Web and discovered that this
book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and has won Sci-Fi awards. I also saw a web page that had
in depth discussions of the military tactics described in the book. This seems incredible as Sobel has
written mostly business histories and biographies. After reading For Want of a Nail, I bought Calvin
Coolidge, by Sobel and liked that too. I give this book high marks. For what it is worth, I am a real
estate attorney. My brother is a college history professor at UVA and he gave this book very high
marks as well.