This sweeping narrative is an astute exploration of the five critical military events that changed the outcome of the Revolutionary war.
For eight grueling years, American and British military forces struggled in a bloody war over colonial independence. This conflict also ensnared Native American warriors and the armies and navies of France, Spain, the Dutch Republic, and several German principalities. From frozen Canada to tropical Florida and as far west as the Mississippi River, the Revolutionary War included hundreds of campaigns, battles, and skirmishes on land and sea in which soldiers and sailors fought and died for causes, crowns, and comrades.
In this masterful, yet accessible narrative of America's fight for liberty, John R. Maass identifies the five decisive events that secured independence for the 13 hard-pressed but determined colonies. These turning points, not all of them triumphs on the battlefield, delivered a victory for the new United States. By challenging conventional interpretations of what ensures victory in warfare, From Trenton to Yorktown offers a fresh perspective on the Revolutionary War.
"Historian John Maass brings closure to centuries of debate over the Revolutionary War's most crucial moments, in this original, penetrating, and highly readable analysis of the conflict's five great turning points." --Edward G. Lengel, author of General George Washington: A Military Life'
"This is a revealing and provocative read and belongs on any American Revolution bookshelf." -- Mark Edward Lender, author of 'Cabal! The Plot Against General Washington'
"John Maass has entered the ongoing debate about the importance of battles and campaigns in determining a war's outcome. This well-written and excellent book argues persuasively that four campaigns and the Valley Forge winter were decisive turning points of the American Revolution. This superb book is especially welcome as we approach the 250th anniversaries of these pivotal events." -- Kevin J. Weddle, author of 'The Compleat Victory: Saratoga and the American Revolution'
"A solid introduction to the war of independence through five key events in the conflict." -- History of War
" From Trenton to Yorktown is a truly riveting work. Maass grabs the reader's attention and holds it to the very end." -- Military History Matters
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Ten Crucial Days: The Battles of Trenton and Princeton, 1776-77
Triumph in the Wilderness: The Saratoga Campaign, 1777
The Army's Reformation: The Winter at Valley Forge, 1777-78
Long, Bloody, and Severe: The Battle of Guildford Courthouse, 1781
The Definitive Capitulation: The Yorktown, Campaign 1781
Conclusion
Bibliography
Notes
Index
John R. Maass is a staff member of the National Museum of the U.S. Army at Fort Belvoir. He received a BA in history from Washington and Lee University and a PhD in early American history at The Ohio State University. He is the author of several books and numerous articles on early U.S. military history, including North Carolina and the French and Indian War: The Spreading Flames of War (2013); Defending a New Nation, 1783-1811 (2013); The Road to Yorktown: Jefferson, Lafayette and the British Invasion of Virginia (2015); George Washington's Virginia (2017); and The Battle of Guilford Courthouse: A Most Desperate Engagement (2020).
Osprey Publishing
Pub Date: February 11, 2025
ISBN: 9781472863751
1.02" H x 9.38" L x 6.4" W
272 pages
paperback