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The Winter Soldiers: The Battles for Trenton and Princeton

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George Washington may not have heaved a silver dollar across the Potomac, but as Ketchum illustrates in "The Winter Soldiers", the General earned most of the other heroic tales and descriptions attached to his name: Father of our Country, the Indispensible Man, the glue who held the army together.

This account of our revolution during its darkest and most forlorn hours is riveting and well researched. Ketchum brings to life the battles of Trenton and Princeton - which arguably were the most timely and important victories of the war. What fascinates, and underscores the pedestal we have built under Washington, is how much he shouldered the burdens of the cause alone -- and how he made critical and bold decisions that kept the flame of independence from burning out in the hearts of his countrymen.

This is my second Ketchum book. I read Saratoga this past summer and also enjoyed it very much. Readers who like "Civil War" style writing with unit descriptions and first person sources from the soldiers who fought won't be disappointed. Read this book and you'll come away with a love and appreciation of the greatness of George Washington and an understanding of the heroic trials our forefathers undertook earning our liberties and independence.

Trenton and Princeton were so critical to the success of the Revolution that the password for the Trenton operation was 'Victory or Death.' Author and historian Richard Ketchum has captured this desperation in his excellent narrative of the campaign, along with the anguish, heartbreak, and jubilation that usually accompany military operations and battles lost and won.

A careful, methodical historian, Ketchum's books are all interesting and need to be read and reread. This one is no exception. Both sides are covered completely and fairly, and the personalities abound for us to ponder, shoake our heads at, or admire.

Washington was near-peerless in this campaign, from his battlefield leadership at Princeton, where his aide-de-camp shielded his eyes at what he thought was his chief's impending death, to the careful, almost desperate, planning for the daring river crossing of the ice-choked Delaware and the march to Trenton. It is easy to dismiss or take for granted the Father of our Country over two hundred years later, but he was a towering figure to his peers, countrymen, and enemies. This book, and its author, give him his due as a soldier, patriot, and leader of men.

This book is a good read, it's historically accurate, and it is a valuable addition to the literature of both the Revolution and the Continental Army that won it.

While I tend to read books on military history, I have not read much about the American Revolution. Thus I picked up this book to fill in gaps in my research. I found this book to be a wonderful work describing the American Revolution from its origins through Washington's brilliant winter campaign at Trenton and Princeton.

Before covering the battles named in the title, Ketcham provides a solid summary of the origins of the war, discusses some of the politics and difficulties both sides faced. His discription of the conflict between not just the armies, but the citizenry was very interesting. The book describes the sad cycle of violence and revenge between Tory and Patriot as armies moved back and forth. For me it put the revolution in a new light.

The discussion of military operations begins with the campaign in NewYork. It is covered quickly, but in sufficient detail to understand the action. This is important because it sets the scene to understand the reasons for the titled battles, Trenton and Princeton. The book really shines in this coverage. I was entralled with the text and speed through it. It was a wonder to me that after the disasterous New York campaign Washington was able to keep his army together and perform a series of brilliant maneuvers that just completely stymied the British forces. After reading this book I have a new found respect for Washington as a military leader. He is frequently dismissed as a general, but I now think that his leadership in this campaign should rank with the greatest.

I found this book to be very memorable, and probably worth rereading at a later date. I recommend it for any one interested in learning about this period of the American Revolution, especially if you do not have a great deal of background in the subject.

A better tale of daring exploits will be difficult to find, no matter if it's in the History section of the fiction section. Mr. Ketchum can really tell the story, especially when he has such great material to work with.

This book gives you the feel for not just the battle but the campaign, the politics, and the impact that all the events at the end of 1775 had on all involved. It is hard for me to imagine that men can be so committed to a cause that they can withstand the hardships that they did. Mr. Ketchum gives you all that you need to understand this, feel this, and to almost live pure patriotism. A truely remarkable story what these men did, and all for generations that they did not know.

Mr. Ketchum's writing is of the highest quality, never boring, and wonderfully instructive, without teaching or preaching. This is my 2nd of his books, and I am proud to say that I have his books. You cannot go wrong reading this book. You will be entertained and taught at the same time. Once again, I wish this was my text book at any level of education.

Thank you sir for a great book. For all those who want a great historical read, this is the book. Read and enjoy!

"The Winter Soldiers" is the second book about the American Revolution written by historian Richard M. Ketchum. I found it a compelling and often moving story of the darkest hours in America's war for independence, and the two battles - Trenton and Princeton - which reversed the American army's increasingly bleak fortunes in the second winter of the war.

Ketchum traces the war's pivotal events in 1776 and early 1777. This is the time when General George Washington leads his dwindling army in a desperate attempt to hold off British advances in and around New York City; of the great American defeats at Long Island, and Forts Lee and Washington in New York; and the pursuit of the American army across New Jersey by the numerically superior and better equipped British army under General William Howe and Lord Cornwallis. It is also the time when the strategic and tactical skills, the iron will, and the sheer audacity of George Washington come to the forefront, resulting in the American army's crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776, and, against all odds, the astonishing American victories at Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey.

As he did in his earlier book "Decisive Day," the author combines outstanding scholarship and a clear and concise writing style to create a powerful and often eloquent narrative of the events of 1776-1777. For readers of American history, this is a book not to be missed!

I am not much of a war buff so I had doubts about reading a book about war. The main reason I read it was because I was born and raised in New Jersey and love George Washington. Ketchum satisfied both aspects - he explained the entire 1776 retreat through NJ and the subsequent attacks on Trenton and Princeton, while at the same time conveying the predicaments that faced George Washington and, in turn, his ability to overcome the continuously difficult situations he was in. At first, I thought the book would only discuss the battles, but Ketchum provides excellent insight into the main characters of the battles with interesting footnotes that inform the reader of where many individuals find themselves in the future. The book is both expansive and readable - a fabulous combination.

David McCullough's 1776 was excellent, but Ketchum's Winter Soldiers is even better. This is the finest kind of narrative history. The mounting tally of disappointments after New York and the near despair of the Continentals as they retreated into Pennsylvannia is expertly captured in painful detail. The later descriptions of the long, cold night marches and harrowing battles at Trenton and Princeton made me feel the extreme fatigue, but elation, those men must have felt.
This is mythic ground, but told in a straight forward manner which allows the men and their actions to show us what great accomplishments these were and helps us to understand why these stories have been treasured by generations of Americans.

This work came out some time before the Bicentennial in 1976. It is therefore something of a classic. This was the author's first work on the Rev War. He has since come out with four, each spanning certain phases of the war. The narrative tends to wander frequently as mini bios of major particiapnts are described as they appear. The author uses this leisurely style to introduce various related topics, which does add needed background, but often slows down the story.

A general background for events leading up to Trenton & Princeton is provided. This covers the battles in and around New York. Only the battle for Fort Washington gets real detailed coverage as the author feels many of the key participants were involved here and thus should be examined. Here we meet Johann Rall and his Hessians who will play a critical part in the Trenton battle. We also see Cornwallis in action, as well as a vacilating Washy who fails to evacuate the fort in time, thereby losing the largest number of Americans to date: Almost 3,000 killed, wounded and captured. This disaster propells us into the New Jersey campaign as Washy and the remnants of his army now flee across the state.

Ketchum provides good background for the growing Washy and Charles Lee rivalry. We get a very thorough mini bio of Lee, showing all the inconsistencies of his character, while allowing for some of his strengths as well. While the battles of Trenton and Princtoen have probably been overstated in their importance for the Revolution, there can be little doubt that the rebel cause was in dire straights by late December 1776.

As is typical with Ketchum the book is fully two-thirds over by the time we get to the battles themselves. Trenton is nicely described, but unfortately the following action a few days later at Assunpunk Creek also in Trenton gets pretty brief treatment. Here if Cornwallis had pressed his attack late that day, or if Washy had decided not to retreat toward Princeton the Revolution might well have been decided that day. This remains one of the great what-ifs of the conflict. My personal opinion is that Washy had chosen his position too well behind the creek for Cornwallis to have forced it frontally. His gallent troops tried, but their repulse was almost certain. Still it was a close run thing as the rebel rearguard which harrassed the British all along the road toward Trenton was nearly trapped as they ran across the stone bridge before the advancing British bayonets. American casualties were probably close to a 100 or more, although most histories are vague on this point. The British may have suffered two or three times that amount since they fought a series of actions which delayed them getting into Trenton itself.

The attack on the stone bridge was certainly rash of Cornwallis, and a side of his recklessness which would come out later in the war in the Southern campaigns can certainly be seen here. Still, Cornwallis was a fighter, unlike Howe and to a certain extent Clinton as well. One may also see that perhaps he was angered by Washy's Trenton attack which prevented him from going back to England to visit his dying wife. Cornwallis' decision not to press the attack that night was not due to any slackness on his part. The British had fought all day, and had been repulsed at the last minute. Cornwallis could see that Washy was in a strong position on the opposite side of the Assunpunk, and his artillery was very prominent. This would require bringing up the support brigade left at Princeton as well as additional artillery.

This decision would in turn bring about the next sequence of events. Washy decides to wisely slip away from Cornwallis, marching around his flank to fall upon the support brigade at Princeton. The failure of Cornwallis to watch for this kind of movement was a key mistake on his part. He should well have followed the advice of his adjutant general who did not think Washy would stay around until next morning. Failure to press an attack late in the day was one thing, but neglecting to watch out for the usual American withdrawal tactic must go down as one of Cornwallis's great miscalculations. Once more the Americans manage another miracle get-away, with the help of the British again!

At Princeton Colonel Mawhood pays the price for Cornwallis's laxness. But not before his gallent 17th Foot with support elements of the 55th chase away a large chunk of the American advance-guard, bayoneting the brave general Mercer in the process. Some British who were in that wild charge claim if they had had any support they might have routed the whole American army. Certainly Mawhood's bayonet charge at Princeton goes down as one the finest examples of what British troops could accomplish given the right circumstances. Still, Washy saves the day in one of his most inspirational moments. Riding onto the battlefield like a knight-errant of old he rallies the strickend militia and brings up his veteran regulars to overwhelm the victorious, but over-extended British. The Americans lose at least 100, again often under-counted by most historians today, the British about twice that.

Ketchum's work remains a good read today, and was one of the first detailed studies about the Revolutionat at that time. He does get a bit carried away with the Spirit of 76 Patriotic syndrome that plagues most American historians, but he is still a good story teller by any standards. The Trenton-Princeton campaign was a pivotal moment in the Revolution, although as later events would show, it was not the only crisis of the conflict. Well worth reading.

Richard Ketchum does a masterful job of capturing the details and personalities that drove the American Revolution to its sometimes inexplicable conclusion. He spends time exploring the minds and temperments of key English characters such as King George III, Lord Frederick North, Edmund Blake and takes the time to explain the rationale for the war beyond the tired adages of "No taxation withourt representation" or "The intolerable acts" etc.

His discussion of the multiple missed opportunities for reconciliation by the British authorities is revealing. His examination of Washington's continual losses during 1776 and how the Americans were pushed all the way from New York to Pennsylvania sets up the the desparate plight faced by Washington in December 1776.

Ketchum examines the personality and character strengths and flaws of Johann Rall, the Hessian commander at Trenton to help explain how the Continentals pulled off their first victory of the war. He also describes decisions by the generals and their subordinate commanders on both sides that caused the fortunes or misfortunes we are familiar with all the way from Boston to N.Y. to New Jersey during that momentous year.

Ketchum's writing style is very contemporary, entertaining, magnetic and credible. As you read you can just imagine the Hollywood movie that should be made from his version of the decisions, personalities and events of 1776. His maps add immeasurably to the understaning of events and are integral to the enjoyment of this book.

Mr. Ketchum as an historian writing about the American Revolutionary War ranks among the best. His base of knowledge is broad and deep and his books read easily. If you want to learn about the major battles in New Jersy in 1776/1777, this book is a must.