Customer Reviews

Washington's Secret War: The Hidden History of Valley Forge

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The young American nation had lost its first capital, Philadelphia, in the fall of 1777. The army of General George Washington had suffered clear defeats from the British, and retired exhausted to Valley Forge, a wooded area 25 miles west of the former capital. The army was there to rest up for the winter in order to fight again when warmer weather came. Washington had to fight the British once again, but that is not the story in _Washington's Secret War: The Hidden History of Valley Forge_ (Smithsonian Books / Collins) by Thomas Fleming. The war Washington had to wage while in retreat was not against the British, but against the good guys, well known founding fathers like Sam and John Adams and Benjamin Rush. In many ways, it was a matter of regional prejudice. Fleming writes of Washington's opponents, "They had long since decided that Virginians and almost everyone outside New England were morally inferior to high-minded, Harvard-educated descendents of the Puritans." They were insistent on an unrealistically idealized view of how an army of patriots could fight and how a nation of patriots might supply that army with its needs, and they were willing to sacrifice Washington in order to get their views put into practice. It might well have been that they would have sacrificed victory as well. Fleming presents a fascinating view of Washington's work as a consummate politician, using his strong understanding of practical motivations, to thwart the generals and politicians who were conspiring against him.

Mention the words "Valley Forge" and a patriotic mist clouds the vision of many Americans. Fleming does a wonderful job dispelling the myths while never neglecting the importance of the encampment. The troops certainly suffered hardship; they did not freeze to death (the winter was relatively mild) but they did starve, sacrificed to a commissary and quartermaster system that was inefficient at best and fraudulent at worst. The conspiracy against Washington was not just over how the soldiers were to be paid or fed. The radical Whigs were intent upon replacing Washington with General Horatio Gates, one of their own but a timorous intriguer who enjoyed the flattery of the politicians and officers who boosted him as Washington's replacement. Gates's foul mouth and interest in sexual hanky-panky were in stark contrast to the serious, gentlemanly Washington, whose devoted marriage is depicted here since Martha came to stay the winter with him. There were plots to blame Washington for the army's previous defeats, for holing himself up at Valley Forge, and for whatever other ills his enemies could find. There was even a bizarre plot by Gates to have the Marquis de Lafayette lead an invasion into Canada which would have inevitably have failed and ruined the career of Washington's son-like hero. We think of our founding fathers as united in their just cause, but the picture here is of backstabbing and power-grabbing.

Washington himself dealt with his critics openly, and often with generosity they did not deserve. During the six grim months at Valley Forge, he demonstrated not only military but political leadership. He was able to get concessions from Congress to support his army, and he not only remained the commander, but he was able to install men whom he had chosen and who led the troops to further success. The drills led by the colorful Baron von Steuben (who had imaginary credentials dreamed up by that hoaxer Ben Franklin) all worked well. In ten days after breaking camp, the Army was successful in meeting the British at the Battle of Monmouth. Fleming reflects that with the fame of Valley Forge "... came one of memory's favorite historical tricks: the simplification and sentimentalization of the story." Congressional ineptitude and the plot to unseat Washington didn't fit in with our view of the powerful heroes that brought us liberty, but Fleming's book is a wonderful corrective, as well as providing even more reasons to admire a master politician.

Having just finished "1776" and been extremely disappointed, I debated whether I really wanted to follow it up with another American Revolutionary War book.

I'm glad I did.

This book was enjoyable to read, insightful, thought provoking, and again, ENJOYABLE.

If you enjoy history, or even just a good read, pick it up. As you'll gather from the other reviews as well as the book description, you'll learn lots of the back story to the Continental Army's stay in Valley Forge, PA, the politiking of Washington and the Continental Congress, and the "Secret War" that was going on behind that scenes that had the potential of changing the outcome of the war.

All in all, 5 stars and an incredible book to read.

Once again, Thomas Fleming has brought us closer, ever closer, to what has been so vieled in the fog of history. George Washington, icon, marble statue, staring at us through stiff formal portraits and idealized creations in literature, is so much more in his flesh and bones. The more we get to know him the greater he becomes. Fleming is truly a marvel, once again, at bringing history to us in an intimate and marvelously written portrait of Washington's fight to retain his position as commander in chief of the Continental Army. His war against those who would displace him during the winter at Valley Forge shows his political skill at least as good as his military skill, if not better. Fleming's book 1776 Year of Illusions is far and away better than the more recently published 1776 by another author. There, as here with Washington's Secret War, Thomas Fleming teaches us history in a way that is irrisistable. A wonderful book by probably the best writer on American Revolutionary history in America today.

I enjoyed much of the book and part of me wants to rate it much higher. However, 2 things stuck out that bother me. First, the role of Gates in the Conway Cabal is very cloudy in some of the other books I have read while this one insists on his role being a strong one. The author notes when he makes an inference about things but I can't say I always agreed with his conclusions. The second is the timeline issue. The book skips around a few months and backtracks here and there which makes the when and why somewhat confusing. This could have been solved rather easily by including a few more dates when meetings took place etc.

But, I still strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Winter at Vallet Forge and the months leading up to it. A perspective much different than you will find in 1776 or John Adams books can be found here.

The Continentals were not just up against the mighty British Empire. They had to fight for food, shelter and supplies at every turn and many Tories, Quakers and "rebels" turned a blind eye to their struggle. Washington's character and his adversities against all kinds of foes including the Adams cousins is well documented and very well explained.

For a novice like me, this was anothe fascinating book on the struggle for liberty.

If you believe George Washington was a great man, this book will reinforce that belief. (If you believe otherwise, you have been misinformed.) Washington had no need whatsoever for the Revolutionary War; he was a wealthy man who could have lived in peace and ease under British rule for his entire life. Yet he choose to risk everything he had and sacrifice many years of his life to the War of Independence.

In Washington's Secret War, the author presents Valley Forge, not just as a winter when soldiers fought for their lives against hunger, disease and cold, but as a winter when George Washington fought not only the elements, but also against those who schemed to bring him down.

The book begins with several chapters of set-up wherein we learn who is who and what happened that Washington ended up at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777. We find out who is more interested in profit or position than independence. We see the Quakers in Pennsylvania who tend to act so noble, profit from the British conquest of Philadelphia, while they walk right by American soldiers dying of hunger and cold in British prisons. The author states it thusly: "So the American prisoners in the New Jail and the statehouse froze and starved while Philadelphia's most pious--and wealthiest--citizens went complacently-even self-righteously-about their business only a few blocks away."

Back in Valley Forge, Washington was fighting against corruption and incompetence that kept food and clothing from getting to the soldiers who froze and starved. Congress itself was a huge part of the problem. And while Washington fought for his men, he also fought for his position as command of the American troops against lesser men who conspired against him. Luckily for Washington, there were a few in Congress who were his friends, most notably Henry Laurens, who helped him overcome the attacks of Generals Lee, Gates and other small men wishing to be big.

Fleming spins this altogether into a wonderful story, that were not its finish already known, would make a great thriller. Some contemporary historians tend to slight Washington's intelligence, but Fleming shows us Washington as a man able to "...respond to attacks from Gates and his allies with the dexterity of a master politician."

This is a wonderful book that makes history comes alive. Fleming brings out not only an overview of what was going on, but also digs into details that pulls the reader into the story. This is the best book I have read concerning the attempts of little men to undermine Washington's leadership.

The book was a little slow to get to the main theme, and ended somewhat abruptly (I wanted to keep reading more!), but this is a must read for the Washington fan, and is just a great story besides. This is the type of writing than high schools need to get students interested in history. This is the best book on the attempt to undermine Washington that I have read. Not only do we learn of "Washington's Secret War" from this book, we go away with a deeper appreciation of what men overcame at Valley Forge and what their sacrifice means to us today. Fleming quotes President Ford: "The patriots of Valley Forge send us a single, urgent message. Though prosperity is a good thing, a nation survives only so long as the spirit of sacrifice and self-discipline is strong within its people..."

This author has been described elsewhere as a layman's historian and without being derogatory in any way - I agree. Mr. Fleming examines critical moments in history and without necessarily shining any new light, does shine a brighter light on the participants in his topics. In this case the focus is on George Washington's battles during the winter of 1777-78, (while encamped at Valley Forge), not with his British military opponents but with his fellow "patriots", many of whom were trying, at the very least, to minimize his responsibilties and at the most, remove him from command.

If names from history such as Mifflin, Laurens, Rush, Gates, Lee, Conway, von Steuben, Greene ring a bell, the author distinguishes the good guys from the bad guys and puts all of them into the context of this pivotal moment in US history - assigning appropriate blame to those who allowed the condition of the Revolutionary Army to deteriorate to its dismal condition in 1777 and praising those indivduals who not only held the army together but also made it stronger after Valley Forge.

There are a few digressions in this book - for instance one reads of the Brirish theatrical productions in camp in more detail than may be necessary. And I can't recall the last history book where the terms "blabbermouth" and "whiner" were used. On the other hand and at the risk of raising some hackles I would recommend this book as a follow-up to McCullough's "1776". For just as in that book, the central character is George Washington and one can't help but gain a further appreciation and respect for his leadership.

Besides recommending '1776' by David McCullough, I've also just finished "Washington's Secret War", The Hidden History of Valley Forge, by Thomas Fleming. I found the former to be a good lesson in American HIstory from that era and the latter to be an insider's view of the personal battles General Washington faced and how he was able to endure jealousies and overcome their negative effect on himself and the Continental Army.

In Fleming's work, I was particularly struck by the story of General Charles Lee's traitorous behavior on the battlefield, and the "epiphany" George Washington experienced at the moment, turning a certain defeat into a formidable victory by virtue of his military leadership.

General Von Steuben, who was largely responsible for instilling discipline and pride into a demoralized, starving and naked Continental Army at Valley Forge, is shown to be a very colorful character, as well as a leader respected by both officers and enlisted men.

J.C. Sullivan, Northfield, Ohio

After reading several excellent reviews on this book, I will have this to add. I found the book to be highly informational and entertaining reading material. Thomas Fleming did well to dispelled many legends and myths about Valley Forge. Nevertheless, it was a ordeal that could have broken the back of the American army. The first 100 pages is nothing but misery and woes of the American army and its commander, George Washington. Fleming's descriptions of the political war waged against Washington made me think that Congress was full of traitors. However, I realized that we are looking at things from hindsight. Then from that point on, it was all about how Washington dealt with all of his problems, military and political, with extreme sense of skill, candor and foresight. The book goes all the way to Battle of Monmouth and we see the evolution of the American army thanks to Baron von Steuben.

More I read about George Washington, more I realized that of all of our Founding Fathers, he was the one who was totally irreplaceable. If any of the other Founding Fathers died or never existed, we could have strive on in our Revolution but without George Washington, there would be no United States. Thomas Fleming clearly reinforced my view very strongly in this book.

Like one of the previous reviewers, I really enjoyed reading this book and was bit letdown when it ended when it did. Of course, that would go beyond the premise of the book but it was such a ride, I was sorry to see it end.

This book does a masterful job of explaining two important ideas in the America revolution. First and foremost it deconstructs the myths surrounding Valley Forge and while showing how hard it was at times for the soldiers it also puts their struggle into perspective. The author does an excellent job of looking at how Lafayette and Baron von Stoyben figure into the revolution. The most impressive part however is the way in which the author looks at George Washington's political side. He analyzes how Washington fended off attacks from several political enemies including Horatio Gates. The quartermaster problem that the army faced is shown in acute detail. This book does take a look at the battle of Monmouth in addition to these two topics but the battle is looked at as an afterthought and much more could have been said. Despite that flaw it is still a 4 start book and covers an area of the revolution not yet written about in much of the literature. It is really a book for those who want to learn beyond the surface of the revolution. For those who want to move beyond just the biographies of Washington and learn about the other players that assisted the founding fathers (and worked against them) than this is a great book for you.

Although not based on original research by the author, much of the content in this popular history is not well known to the general public, and a wide variety of readers should find it to be an entertaining and fresh telling of the Valley Forge story. The weather was not as bad as it is often portrayed, and the troops did not suffer as badly as is sometimes made out. As a result, much of Fleming's book is not so much about Valley Forge but about Washington's political travails and development, specifically his defeat of the misnamed "Conway Cabal". Adams, other members of the Continental Congress, and self-serving military commanders are rightly made to look very bad, with ambition and radical ideology interfering with reasonable efforts to correct the army's problems. Pennsylvania radicals, for instance, believed that masses of state militia alone could overwhelm the Brits in Philadelphia. Washington began to turn the situation around, however, and his lengthy 28 page report convinced many in Congress that he was not to blame for the army's problems. Fleming is a great writer, and his small subchapters make the book easy to read. The characters are not merely names, but come alive as real people, with Fleming treating us to great tidbits like Horatio Gates bragging that his son had contracted a venereal disease as well as Mrs. Loring's low-cut dresses and her later religious conversion and denial of immoral behavior.