The Improbable Victory: The Campaigns, Battles and Soldiers of the American Revolution, 1775-83 (eBook, PDF)

In Association with The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

A lavishly illustrated volume marking the defining point in American history.

The American Revolution reshaped the political map of the world, and led to the birth of the United States of America. Yet these outcomes could have scarcely been predicted when the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord. American rebel forces were at first largely a poorly trained, inexperienced and disorganized militia, pitted against one of the most formidable imperial armies in the world.

Yet following a succession of defeats against the British, the rebels slowly rebounded in strength under the legendary leadership of George Washington. The fortunes of war ebbed and flowed, from the humid southern states of America to the frozen landscapes of wintry Canada, but eventually led to the catastrophic British defeat at Yorktown in 1781 and the establishment of an independent United States of America.

The Improbable Victory is a revealing and comprehensive guide to this seminal conflict, from the opening skirmishes, through the major pitched battles, up to the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Impressively illustrated with photographs and artwork, it provides an invaluable insight into this conflict from the major command decisions down to the eye level of the front-line soldier.

Published to coincide with the official opening of the new American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury UK
• Seitenzahl: 260
• Erscheinungstermin: 21. September 2017
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781472823151
• Artikelnr.: 49265609

Autorenporträt

Daniel Marston BA MA (McGill) DPhil (Oxon.) FRHistS holds a Professorship in Military Studies and is also the Principal of the Military and Defence Studies Program at the Australian Command & Staff College in Canberra. He previously held the Ike Skelton Distinguished Chair of the Art of War at the US Army Command and General Staff College and was a Senior Lecturer in War Studies at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, he has been working with the USA, USMC, and British Army in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2006. Dr Chris McNab is an author and editor. He has published over 40 books, including America's Elite: US Special Forces from the Revolution to the Present Day (2013), Twentieth Century Small Arms (2001), Gunfighters -The Outlaws and their weapons (2005, contributing editor), and The Illustrated History of the Vietnam War (2000). He is the co-author of Tools of Violence (2008) and has recently completed Deadly Force (2009), both for Osprey. Chris has also contributed to The Times on the war in Iraq.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction PART 1 BIRTH OF A NATION Chapter 1 Sparks of Revolution
Explanation of the root causes of the American Revolution, and the outbreak
of hostilities in battles such as Concord, Bunker Hill and Lexington.
Chapter 2 Washington Takes Over, 1775-77 George Washington takes charge of
the Continental Army in June 1775. The rebels are driven back under brutal
British offensives against New York and Philadelphia, but the British also
suffer in Canada under Burgoyne. Chapter 3 International War, 1778-80 The
war goes international as France and Spain side with the Americans; others
soon come on board the revolutionary cause. The war intensifies into a
major conventional conflict on land and at sea, with both sides
experiencing victory and defeat. Chapter 4 The British Defeat, 1781-83 The
British capacity to prosecute a war so far from home is steadily ground
down by major battles and by the growing American expertise in irregular
warfare. At Yorktown in the autumn of 1781, the British suffer a final
defeat that forces them to the treaty table. PART 2 ARMIES AND NAVIES
Chapter 5 American land forces A detailed study of the diverse American
land forces, from regular cavalry and line infantry to irregular scouts and
light infantry, looking at how they evolved from militia to war-winning
army. Chapter 6 British land forces This chapter explores the life of the
great British 'redcoat', plus the many other regular and specialist
elements of the British Army, and looks at how they coped with the
experience of combat and survival in the North American theatre. Chapter 7
The French, Spanish and American-allied forces Foreign forces made a
critical contribution to the campaigns of the American Revolution. This
chapter looks at the other major forces in the war, and the types of
soldier they deployed. Chapter 8 Rival navies This chapter assesses the
warships and crews of the British, French and American navies, examining
how they operated in both coastal waters and in blue-water contexts.
Bibliography and Further Reading Index