In this contrarian history of America's revolution, Harvey, an English journalist and former member of Parliament, picks apart the various myths surrounding the path to revolution. The title is a quote from George III meant to demonstrate England's paternal feelings for its colonies: "We meant well to the Americans--just to punish them with a few bloody noses and then to make laws for the happiness of both countries." Harvey demonstrates that, for the most part, the colonies were self-governing (Britain having neither the desire nor the funds to be too involved) and doing a good job of it--by 1750 the standard of living in the colonies already surpassed most of the continents. "Taxation without representation" was, Harvey argues, a red herring dreamed up by the elite leaders of the colonies, whose real concern was the "Proclamation Line" that prohibited colonists from seizing more westerly lands. Harvey finds George Washington to be "stubborn, tough, often mean-minded, acutely self-conscious, hot-tempered . . . often harsh, ruthless with his competitors . . ." In all, a challenging book. Allen Weakland
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About the Author
Robert Harvey is not only a distinguished journalist and former member of Parliament, but also the author of several books, including Liberators: Latin America's Struggle for Independence.
