Rebels and Redcoats: The American Revolutionary War [Paperback]

This is a book that really needs to be read in the United States. Unfortunately, I suspect it won't be. (I notice that it is already out-of-print in America.) The information in it wouldn't be particularly shocking to most academics, but the book would be an eye-opener for the general public. Personally, I enjoy Mr. Bicheno's wit and sarcasm. However, his method may not be the best way to gain "the hearts and minds" of the unconverted. For example, here is Mr. Bicheno on John Paul Jones: "His later career included service in the navy of the freedom-loving Catherine the Great of Russia, finally fleeing St. Petersburg to evade an allegedly fabricated accusation of rape. What may have been his remains were....deposit(ed) in a magnificent crypt at the Annapolis Naval Academy. Not many other career criminals have been similarly honoured." Or here is the author on Thomas Jefferson: "...always inhabiting a world of soaring rhetoric that impinged upon reality only in places..." Again, I find this sort of thing amusing - but I was already one of the converted. Mr. Bicheno would have done better to present the facts in a cool manner, but he seems to enjoy bull-baiting. In any case, he is usually right on-the-mark. There was plenty of bumbling and humbug on both sides, trading with the enemy, etc. This was one of the least necessary revolutions in history, when you look at the freedom and rights the colonists possessed. And the hypocrisy of people pontificating about human rights, when said people were busy oppressing blacks and exterminating Native Americans, is obvious. Mr. Bicheno does occasionally get carried away with his rhetoric: at one point he states that Benjamin Franklin, in 1777-1778, intentionally prolonged the conflict so he could continue to benefit from his profiteering. Even I found that a shade too cynical. On the other side of the coin, the author states that one reason Benedict Arnold switched sides was because he was disgusted by the rebels forming an alliance with the Roman-Catholic French. It seems that Mr. Bicheno can himself be a trifle starry-eyed. Arnold was disgusted...with what he felt was a lack of recognition of his (admittedly substantial) services, and with people of inferior abilities leap-frogging over him via political string-pulling. Of course, as with most traitors, money also had a little something to do with his change of heart.....Still, Mr. Bicheno is mostly correct concerning motivations and actions. As he rightly points out, this was really the first American Civil War. There were just as many Loyalists as Rebels, and a large percentage of the people were sitting on the fence, waiting to see which side would come out on top. The book is full of wonderful colour plates and there are numerous, excellent maps (35, to be precise). One caveat concerning the book is that it is not intended to be the starting-point for someone reading about the Revolution. It presupposes that you have some knowledge of the battles and the political background. Indeed, considering the fact that the book is only 260 pages long and so many battles (minor as well as major) and troop movements are mentioned, the novice would wind up being very confused by the military aspects of the book. But, for the person who wants to build on their existing knowledge of the military and, especially, the political developments, this is a good, solid addition to the genre.

This is a very entertaining and thought-provoking history of the American War of Independence. It has a wide coverage and a strong point-of-view to put over. However, Bicheno is a contrarian enragé who enjoys, I suspect, the opportunity to gore oxen and especially sacred cows. Few of the American participants escape without several blows from his doughty cudgel, and while he is just as blunt with the British they have been fair game for generations. Sam Adams is characterised as the Abu Nidal of the Revolution in a witty move that is sure to annoy many and hurt some. For those of us not prepared to take anything on trust Bicheno's view encourages one to reconsider one's present understanding. However, for many Americans the opinions are going to be hard to swallow and the method of delivery deeply antagonistic. I have no horse in this race but it made me go back and re-read, and more importantly, re-think the way I see the war. For that alone I recommend it.

The American war was no stranger to spin, the English Civil war being a useful primer for both sides, and some of the hard opinions of individuals expressed by Bicheno are based on one version of a story that may have two sides. I noted in passing that Simon Girty is tarred with the torture of Colonel Crawford (which one eye witness stated he argued against)and Lord Dunmore with selling his ex-slave unit back into slavery after the war (which is also subject to counter claims). At this remove of time and distance we cannot know, but the the versions used clearly indicate a greater moral turpitude than the versions not used.

I was extremely disappointed. Having read Holmes' introduction and surmised that there would be ample explanation of the political and social rationale of the various command decisions,this was not to be. Instead we have an exhaustive account of military moves without sufficient context to allow an appreciation of just why these were carried out. In the plethora of detail you can easily get lost. One of the supposed advantages of this book over others is the detailed maps. I agree that these are absolutly essential to an appreciation of the tactical analysis. However the maps are too small (at least in paperback), references in the text guide you to a map and the initial moves are not shown or are on a larger and earlier map. All in all a confusing read which I gave up on, something that only happens once in 500. I would recommend "A Few Bloody Noses" by Robert Hardy as a better read.