|
Join History Book Club for a great deal on ALMOST A MIRACLE
In this gripping chronicle of America’s struggle for independence, veteran historian John Ferling transports readers to the grim realities of that war, capturing an eight-year conflict filled with heroism, suffering, cowardice, and fierce dedication. As Ferling shows, it was a war we came much closer to losing than to winning.
The British began the war with the assumption that a show of force would quickly make the colonists capitulate. And by late 1776, the American cause was on very shaky ground after they were driven out of New York City and its environs. It was the last week of that year before they won a significant victory; George Washington surprised and defeated the Hessians at Trenton. Such victories were rare as Washington had to build and maintain an army when suppliers were often corrupt and the weak Congress had great difficulty raising money. Balanced against the American problems were the mistakes of British generals and the great difficulty of maintaining their force with the 3,000-mile supply line across the Atlantic.
Throughout, Ferling keeps his focus on the people—be they politicians, generals, or soldiers in the ranks. He provides cameo biographies of the leading figures and goes into detail describing how the soldiers were equipped, supplied, and lived. John Ferling’s last book, A Leap in the Dark, was a brilliant portrayal of the American Revolution as a political event. Now in Almost a Miracle, he does the same for the military story.
Visit
History Book Club for more information
|
