George Washington's War: The Saga of the American Revolution (Paperback)

~ (Author) "During the early days of September 1759, General James Wolfe sank deeper and deeper into the dark night of despair..." (more)
Key Phrases: outthrust bayonets, forest warfare, raw militia, New York, George Washington, New Jersey (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This fast-paced, vivid narrative enhances Leckie's reputation as a popular military historian ( Delivered from Evil ; None Died in Vain ). A storyteller in the tradition of Bruce Catton, he perceives the origins of the American Revolution in the colonists' increasingly pervasive drive for independence and describes the revolution's success as the consequence of American victories in battle. Leckie has high praise for the fighting men on both sides. The British adapted unfamiliar kinds of warfare; the Americans developed the endurance and discipline they needed to make good on their defiance of the crown. The work's principal strength, however, is its juxtaposition of colorful depictions of the war's principal figures with exciting accounts of the major campaigns. The book is a reminder of what history can be when written by a master.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Leckie, who has written popular histories of the American Civil War, World War II, the Korean War, and others, now offers a fife-and-drum account of the American Revolution. This book, like his others, is long on anecdote and short on analysis. Leckie drags out many tired commonplaces, casting the patriots as heroes and the British as villains, and he focuses on kings and generals rather than common soldiers or a people at war. Leckie's deft vignettes of leaders and his belief that "right" won in the end give his account energy and conviction, but his old-school reading of the causes and conduct of the war and his total neglect of its consequences limit the book's worth.
-Randall M. Miller, St. Joseph's Univ., Philadelphia
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 688 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (September 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006092215X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060922153
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #255,499 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, very readable chronicle of the Revolution, July 11, 2000

By	J. Mullin (Plantation, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Some historians, such as Shelby Foote, have a natural ability to assimilate tremendous amounts of historical and biographical data, and weave it all into a very approachable story that reads almost like a novel. Leckie has accomplished a similar feat with this book, which is the best book I have read on the American Revolution. Short on maps and without footnotes, the book nevertheless tells as complete a story as can be hoped for in a one volume account of the war, with excellent biograophical sketches of many of the major and minor players such as Benedict Arnold, John Andre,John Burgoyne, Banastre Tarleton, Horatio Gates, Samuel Adams, and Nathaniel Greene, and countless others. He keeps the action in context, filling in readers with important contemporary details from the internal squabbling of the Continental Congress as well as British Parliament, without getting too bogged down in irrelevant detail. The passages about the treason of Arnold, and Arnold's tremendous military accomplishments and mistreatment by Congress leading up to his betrayal, were particularly riveting. There have been many books written about the Civil War, and most general readers with a passing interest in history (like myself) are familiar with most major Civil War battles and generals. However there is a dearth of knowledge and material about the battle for American independence. While we all know what happened at Yorktown, this book is suspenseful and will fill in the considerable gaps in our knowledge of this important time in the nation's history. I recommend this book with enthusiasm.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic account, January 24, 2005

By	Phil Carlucci (Valley Stream, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Robert Leckie does an exceptional job breaking the American Revolution -- from the buildup to the actual chronology of battles -- down into a book that reads like a novel without sacrificing any vital information. It is obvious that the author has done remarkable work when the reader is anxious to pick up where he left off the day before on a heavy historical text such as this.

George Washington's War begins at the end of the French and Indian War, but picks up steam in the years leading up to the Revolution -- when the colonies began to repel the efforts of the British to tax the colonies. Leckie, with great detail, introduces the reader to the lives and culture of both the British and the Americans during that time, and succeeds in portraying the opinions and mindset present on both sides of the Atlantic. I didn't detect much bias in Leckie's writing -- just as many negatives were showcased for the Americans as were for the British. Most notably in my opinion was Leckie's description of the New England leveling principle, the idea that the democratic mentality that everyone is equal actually hindered the colonies and war effort as much as it helped.

Once the war begins, the battles of the Northeast, followed by the Southern battles, are all described in great detail and in chronological order. All the connections from one to another are outlined, and by the middle of the war, the reader has a strong grasp of the major players, their effectiveness and mentality, as well as the key themes and convictions of both the armies and their leaders.

The only drawback, as has been stated frequently, is the lack of good maps. There are about 10 maps in the entire book, and none are all that helpful. I've been able to find more effective maps on the internet -- but they should be present in the book to help the reader visualize these great battles.

All in all, it's a great read for someone looking for an in-depth account of the war, the nations involved, the generals and officers, and the soldiers. If you haven't done much reading of the Revolution since your school days, you'll be amazed to see how much more there is to this time period than what's commonly taught -- the Tea Party, Paul Revere, Washington's Delaware Crossing, etc. Set aside some time (it's close to 700 pages) and read a great account of a world-changing war.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars George Washington's War - and Benedict Arnold's too, October 3, 2000

By	Scott B. Kelly (Webster Groves, MO USA) - See all my reviews

Before picking up this book, the only full-length treatment of the Revolution that I had read was Barbara Tuchmann's The First Salute (excellent book). Before that, I being a good Civil War buff, had contented myself with receiving Revolution history through general (high school and college) American history courses and History Channel episodes. Boy, oh boy, what I missed. I have not been able to stop reading George Washington's War, an for someone woefully unversed in the Revolution (save Tuchmann), this was an excellant starting point. The layman reader need not fear this book, for Leckie does not get bogged down in heavy tactical analysis, but rather illuninates the reader with the reasons why things happened. The best part of this book, though, is his portrait of Benedict Arnold. Before reading GWW, the name Benedict Arnold was synonymous in my mind with "traitor". Now, it is "fallen hero," admitedly by his own design. That Arnold turned traitor in a foul way (wanting to surrender a fort and 3,000 American soldiers) is not in dispute. But I am compelled to agree with Leckie that if it were not for Arnold's actions from '75 through '77, there would be no United States of America.