Rather than try to remember bits and pieces for an end of book review, I'm starting this thread for periodic updates.
The book starts with some background on the run up to the war. It doesn't go into great detail, but it does provide enough for context along with a pretty solid profile of King George III. Short version: the king was obsessed with details, minutiae, even wrote down the time he received a note or letter. Atkinson paints the British reasons for pushing the war as a matter of pride, keeping the empire together and setting an example for other nations, plus they flat out took the Iraq 2003 appraoch and decided they could steamroll the colony.
Yeah, nah....
The book has selected text from speeches and private letters. It also focuses on Lord North and Edward Gibbon, he of the The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The war wasn't the most popular item in England, even Lord North had private doubts but was a loyal friend and subject, however they pressed forward anyway.
Some character profiles of selected American players are presented: Franklin, Revere, Hancock, Adam, Washington, Putnam, etc. which are detailed without being lengthy. I'm up to the winter of '75 and the Candian debacle, the Brits having had intercourse with a canine in the early months resulting in their leadership getting sacked and replaced. Atkinson does a solid job of breaking down the battles without being tedious and is fair in his criticism of everyone involved. To that point, he does the same with the political aspects as well, so his writing isn't a grand flag-waving 'Merica exercise.
He does provide some human detail to keep the story alive and some things I'd never read before: Loyalist governors actually fled to English ships because of the threat to their lives and their families. I don't recall the leader, but when he moved into a recently vacated house it took his staff a week to scrub the blood away because it was used as a hospital.
Great book, I'll try to make future posts a bit shorter and easier to read.
The book starts with some background on the run up to the war. It doesn't go into great detail, but it does provide enough for context along with a pretty solid profile of King George III. Short version: the king was obsessed with details, minutiae, even wrote down the time he received a note or letter. Atkinson paints the British reasons for pushing the war as a matter of pride, keeping the empire together and setting an example for other nations, plus they flat out took the Iraq 2003 appraoch and decided they could steamroll the colony.
Yeah, nah....
The book has selected text from speeches and private letters. It also focuses on Lord North and Edward Gibbon, he of the The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The war wasn't the most popular item in England, even Lord North had private doubts but was a loyal friend and subject, however they pressed forward anyway.
Some character profiles of selected American players are presented: Franklin, Revere, Hancock, Adam, Washington, Putnam, etc. which are detailed without being lengthy. I'm up to the winter of '75 and the Candian debacle, the Brits having had intercourse with a canine in the early months resulting in their leadership getting sacked and replaced. Atkinson does a solid job of breaking down the battles without being tedious and is fair in his criticism of everyone involved. To that point, he does the same with the political aspects as well, so his writing isn't a grand flag-waving 'Merica exercise.
He does provide some human detail to keep the story alive and some things I'd never read before: Loyalist governors actually fled to English ships because of the threat to their lives and their families. I don't recall the leader, but when he moved into a recently vacated house it took his staff a week to scrub the blood away because it was used as a hospital.
Great book, I'll try to make future posts a bit shorter and easier to read.
