Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2.0 out of 5 stars
good read but prejudiced, 14 April 2009
I go along with the previous 4-star review that this is a good read and full of the New York scenic detail. But be careful; the author's one-sidedness and tendency to sensationalise is given away early on by dismissing the Stamp Act as some sort of cruel punishment. To understand the politics of this era it is best to steer clear of Star Wars.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A great way to learn about pivotal events, 2 Mar 2008
I read about General Howe and his apparent incompetence in America in the book 'Generals'. Intrigued, I sought out a book on the American Revolution to understand a bit more about this crucial time in world history.
'The Battle fo New York' provides exactly what I was looking for. As the name suggests, it focuses mainly on the struggle to control New York, but it also sets the context of the Revolution more generally. It's full of detail, and especially enjoyable are the anecdotes of various participants, from both sides of the battle.
An excellent read, both entertaining and informative.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Solid Addition To Revolutionary War Canon, 6 Dec 2002
Despite the title, this book provides a good general history of the American Revolution but, from a military standpoint, starting with the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776 rather than with Lexington and Concord in 1775. Anyone who has read extensively concerning the battles will not really find anything new about Saratoga, Trenton, Princeton, Guilford Courthouse, Yorktown, etc. However, for the general reader, the book does provide good summaries of many battles and may whet your appetite to read books that are more specific...such as the volumes written by Richard Ketchum on Saratoga, and Trenton/Princeton. For the person who has already read quite a bit about the Revolutionary War, what makes this book worthwhile is Mr. Schecter's focus in the first half of the book on the battles in and near New York City, and in the second half of the book his arguments, generally convincing, that New York City was always important to the strategy of both sides. Even though the British occupied New York City, they were always worried about the rebels launching a counterattack, especially once the French allied themselves with the Americans. As British resources were limited, and as tremendous distances were involved, this nagging concern with New York City prevented the British from concentrating their forces sufficiently to be able to deliver a knockout blow. Mr. Schecter has some interesting things to say about the Battles of Brooklyn, Harlem Heights, etc. While not downplaying the strategic errors made by the rebel forces, the author is persuasive when he makes his point that these battles were not quite as one-sided as they have been portrayed in the past. Although it is true that the British took many more prisoners than the Americans did, the dead and wounded on the British side were usually greater...once the Hessian losses are factored in. This is a key point, as the British traditionally tended "not to count" the losses sustained by their mercenary forces. And while many historians down through the years have pointed out that the British commander General Gage missed several opportunities, by his conservative strategy, to trap and destroy (or force a total capitulation by) Washington's forces, Mr. Schecter points out that one reason, though certainly not the only reason, for this conservative strategy was a grudging and growing respect for the willingness of the Americans to fight. Yes, it is true that there was sometimes panic and hasty retreat on the rebel side, but there were several instances, also, of stubborn fighting...which resulted in those not inconsiderable British/Hessian casualties. This book does have some weaknesses: Mr. Schecter has an annoying habit, especially in the first half of the book, of disrupting the narrative by providing detailed information concerning current day locations of where much of the action took place. A reader that does not possess an intimate knowledge of New York City will find this information to be extraneous, and I assume there will be many such readers. Another glaring weakness is the maps. There are not enough of them and they are poorly placed- usually after rather than just before or during the narrative descriptions of the battles. On the plus side, Mr. Schecter's main thesis is interesting, he writes well and he includes many first-person quotations (which help bring the story to life). Particularly enlightening and amusing are the excerpts from the memoirs of a soldier, Joseph Plumb Martin, who fought throughout the war. He may have been a "common" soldier, but his wit, insights and writing ability were quite uncommon. Thanks to Mr. Martin we are brought down from the stratosphere of grand strategy and politics to the cold earth of the battlefield- where the citizen-soldier usually had inadequate clothing and would sometimes go several days without food or sleep...and his bed would be the hard ground and the ceiling consisted of the stars.
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