The First Salute

Presents a fresh view of the American Revolution, chronicling key events from 1776 to 1781 and assessing the repercussions for America, England, France, and other nations

In this brilliant slice of American Revolutionary history, Tuchman ( A Distant Mirror , The Guns of August ) pits the 13 colonies against a rogues' gallery of British fools. We meet looting English admiral George Rodney who confiscated British-owned property and expelled the Jews after seizing the neutral isle of St. Eustatius, the chief West Indies depot in the transatlantic trade. British Governor Tryon of New York waged a terrorist campaign of murder, arson and plunder against Connecticut citizens in 1779, fanning the flames of rebellion. The British command was fractured by the hatred between neurotic commander-in-chief Sir Henry Clinton and Lord Cornwallis, who disdained to make war on a tattered colonial militia. On the American side, the will to fight was exemplified by men like Reverend Naphtali Daggett, ex-president of Yale, a defiant old soldier on horseback. Expertly weaving political and military history, Tuchman lets you feel how Washington's victory at Yorktown sent shock-waves around the globe. Photos. 160,000 first printing; BOMC main selection.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Tuchman's trademarks are here: trenchant observations and an exciting climax, in this case when Washington and Corwallis meet at Yorktown. But this work is not her best. The narration is loosely structured and at times repetitious; the chronology is sometimes confusing. In her first venture into American history, the popular historian highlights military and diplomatic turning points of the Revolution, focusing on European participation and its impact on the politics of the Dutch, French, and English. Despite its drawbacks, most libraries will want this Pulitzer Prize-winner's latest. BOMC main selection. Nancy C. Cridland, Indiana Univ. Libs., Bloomington
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.