Appleseed - American Revolution Books/Media List

[as_rocketman]

Updating with a resource found on the RWVA website: http://www.friendsofminuteman.org/parkers_revenge.htm

This is the project report from an archaeological survey and dig carried out to identify the location and probable action of Parker's Revenge, along Battle Road outside of Lexington. 325 pages. Some of it is dry discussion of land usage and right-of-way between then and now, but it gives as good sense of Redcoat and Militia behavior, tactics, and artifacts. It also has a happy ending. Worth the read -- and it's free!

[sly-jay]

Cool thread! Tagged

[readysetgo]

Henry Knox: Visionary General of the American Revolution by Mark Puls
Paperback: 288 pages, Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (May 11, 2010), ISBN-10: 0230623883, ISBN-13: 978-0230623880

Great read! In the narrative vein of 1776 by McCullough. Sheds light on this extraordinary General. He's mentioned liberally in almost all the histories but reading this makes you wonder why he isn't highlighted in those stories even more. He was at the Boston Massacre, Battle of Bunker Hill, Siege of Yorktown up into and beyond Shays Rebellion. Washington had the highest praises for him and this book shows why. I could go on and on, pick it up, this is a must read. I think I'll pick up General Nathaniel Greene's bio next.

[readysetgo]

I like:

Arthur Tourtellot, Lexington and Concord (earlier edition published as William Diamond's Drum) Originally published in 1959, so lacks some of the later research cited in PPR, but another readable telling of the story.

It only took me a few years...I finally came back around to read this ^

Thank you for the recommendation. It was absolutely a "readable telling" and complimented PRR very well for me. Several things stood out but the one I personally found interesting was the scathing criticism of Hancock. I don't remember reading about him so unfavorably in any of the other histories I've read.

John R. Galvin, The Minute Men. Written by a military man. If you're interested in how the colonists were organized in advance and during the fight - in detail - this is the go-to source.

David Hackett Fischer, Washington's Crossing. DHF's other Revolutionary history, written in the same engaging style as PRR. 1776 was not a piece of cake - this is the real story.

Washington's Crossing has been on my shelf for a long time and I will pick up a copy of The Minute Men at some point. Hope to get both those polished off eventually.


Anybody else reading anything good?

Lexington and Concord, Tourtellot_Back Cover.jpg

[Dougbert66]

A few from my American Revolution shelves:

Redcoats and Rebels: The American Revolution through British Eyes -- Christopher Hibbert

Rebels & Redcoats: The American Revolution through the eyes of those who fought and lived it -- George F. Scheer and Hugh F. Rankin

And lest we forget that it was the Southern campaign that ended the war...

This Destructive War: The British campaign in the Carolinas, 1780-1782 -- John S. Pancake

A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens -- Lawrence E. Babits

If you are ever in South Carolina, I highly recommend visiting Cowpens and Kings Mountain battlefield parks. The Battle of Cowpens highlights the leadership skills of Daniel Morgan, especially his understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of rifle armed militia. This battle was the turning point of the Southern Strategy and led to the defeat of the British at Yorktown, VA later that year.

[readysetgo]

A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens -- Lawrence E. Babits

Thanks for the recs.

I've got "A Devil of a Whipping" on my wishlist for some time, I'll definitely pick that one up.

It's fun to think how much more General Morgan would have contributed if it weren't for health issues that occurred around that time (and plagued him for the rest of his life).

[Dougbert66]

Thanks for the recs.

I've got "A Devil of a Whipping" on my wishlist for some time, I'll definitely pick that one up.

Worth the read. Great topo maps. Babits has another smaller book intended as a walking guide to the battlefield. He has spent a lot of time on site and researching the battle and the ground where it was fought. I love a good battle account with good maps.

It's fun to think how much more General Morgan would have contributed if it weren't for health issues that occurred around that time (and plagued him for the rest of his life).

Absolutely. Cornwallis might have been whipped at Guilford Courthouse had Morgan been there. Eutaw Springs might have had a more decisive outcome.

I picked up another interesting book when I last visited Kings Mountain a few years ago, but haven't read much of it (yet). The Battle of Kings Mountain: Eyewitness Accounts -- Robert M. Dunkerly. It has nice black and white photos of the current state of the battlefield and first hand accounts from patriots and loyalists who were there. Should be another good read.

[readysetgo]

Check this out! David Hackett Fischer's Paul Revere's Ride has been revamped audiobook style. I've found references to an earlier recording by "Books On Tape" but never find one available, not sure if this is an older reading or new.

Anyway, here are some links. I'll add these to the top post.

@ Amazon (CD Format 9781541405097) (MP3 CD Format 9781541455092)
@ Audible (free 30 day trial includes 2 free books)
@ Itunes

@ The Publisher, Tantor Media



Pretty stoked to listen to this. P.S. If anybody has an older audio copy of this I'd love a chance to buy it or borrow it.

[readysetgo]

The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War by J. L. Bell
Hardcover: 258 pages, Publisher: Westholme Publishing; 1 edition (May 30, 2016), ISBN-10: 1594162492, ISBN-13: 9781594162497

5 stars for what it is, a microhistory type. I think it brought a great perspective to events leading up to 04/19/1775. Tracking the movements of Mass. artillery and the cat and mouse game being played by both sides at the time. A little dry in places but I think the author was understandably working to justify his fairly intricate hypothesis.

I especially liked the story of the raid on the magazine at Quarry Hill and the subsequent uproar it caused, don't think I've read much about that before.

Shout out to allthingsliberty.com which is the website of Journal of the American Revolution. This book is one in a series that they sponsor. Great articles on the site.

[readysetgo]

The American Revolution: A Visual History by DK

[Darto]

Angel in the Whirlwind. Written to be a popular as opposed to a scholarly account of the Revolution. And Washington is praised instead of criticized throughout.

https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Whirlwind-Schuster-America-Collection-ebook/dp/B0044R96SW/

[readysetgo]

Seems to me, the knowledge of our founding needs regaining more and more everyday.

allthingsliberty.com is a great resource and jumping off point online. See some of their book recommendations (and don't dismiss the comments either, some nuggets in there too):

REVOLUTIONARY WAR 101: BEGINNING BOOKS

ESSENTIAL AMERICAN REVOLUTION LIBRARY?

THE 100 BEST AMERICAN REVOLUTION BOOKS OF ALL TIME

Angel in the Whirlwind. Written to be a popular as opposed to a scholarly account of the Revolution. And Washington is praised instead of criticized throughout.

https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Whirlwi...dp/B0044R96SW/

Not suprisingly, your recomendation is listed several times in the links @ allthingsliberty. Thank you!

[readysetgo]

Hillsdale College Online Courses is a treasure trove of visual media regarding USA and western civilization.
(Disclaimer: it's all free but they are going to spam you for donations liberally, which I actually don't mind, especially because they take zero federal dollars to run the college)

Picked up some dupes in audio format recently from goodwillbooks.com.

[readysetgo]

OK, finally got to Galvin's "The Minute Men" after being challenged in an OT thread. Started to look to buy but then realized I had acquired it already. No doubt, required reading, not surprised it's recommended often, it was excellent.

Might jump into a Noah Webster biography. Recently watched "The Professor And The Madman" movie (sean penn, I know, puke but...) and dang it was good and love the word play and etymology subject. Curious to read about "The Forgotten Founding Father" by Joshua Kendall.

Or maybe I'll finally jump into Babits "A Devil of a Whipping" which I've neglected for too long, loving the battle of cowpens as relayed in Daniel Morgan's autobiography.