British Are Coming (The Revolution Trilogy, 1)

I read and reviewed Rick Atkinson's Liberation Trilogy -- An Army at Dawn, The Day of Battle, and The Guns of Last Light -- and thus was eager to share his thoughts about the American Revolution. Also, I was curious to know if he offers the same combination of rock-solid research and  lively narrative, one that anchors human experience within an authentic historical context. This first volume of his new trilogy is a brilliant achievement in all respects.While interviewed by Scott Simon for NPR, Atkinson discusses what motivated colonial leaders to seek independence: "Certainly you had some people, white slave owners in the south for example, who felt pinched economically by the restrictions that have been placed on them. But I think that it's not romanticizing that era excessively to believe, particularly when you look at the contemporary writings and what it is they believed at the time, that [the founders] had their eye on a grander future than simply a slave-holding country that was a nice place to be if you were white and rich. I think that really we sell them short if we don't acknowledge that 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator' and all those other fine words out of the Declaration of Independence are what they really believed. They're aspirational, yes."No brief commentary such as mine can do full justice to the scope and depth of information and insights that Atkinson provides in this first of three volumes in his Liberation Trilogy but I do hope I succeed in urging everyone who reads this commentary to obtain a copy and thereby accompany him on a thorough, enlightening, and entertaining  exploration of two of the most important years thus far in the history of what became the United States of America. How did thirteen quite different colonies led by a wide variety of personalities accomplish that after declaring independence from what was then the most powerful nation in the world?That is one of several obvious questions to which Atkinson responds but he doesn't stop there. Another of his primary objectives is to portray these years in human terms -- with all due respect to the nature and extent of colonial ambition -- and that includes both revolutionaries and those who oppose them.Slowly, portraits of major figures reproduced in the book almost seem to come to life. They include George III, Thomas Gage, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, Joseph Warren, Israel Putnam, George Washington, Henry Knox, Benedict Arnold. Horatio Gates, William Howe, John Burgoyne, Charles Lee, Thomas Paine, and Nathaniel Greene.Also accompanying the text, there are paintings and sketches of major events that include King George's four-day review of the massive British fleet at Portsmouth; Franklin's humiliation by the king's council in the "Cockpit" in 1774; British regiments advancing on Concord in 1775; British regulars landing at Morton's Point, also in 1775; American seizure of a commanding position on Dorchester Heights in 1776;  also, a "drubbing" of the British fleet off Sullivan's Island; the Hessian defeat at Trenton;  and Washington's defeat pf British forces in Princeton before heading for winter quarters in the New Jersey highlands.Thanks to mini-bios and the illustrations that accompany the abundance of historical material, I never felt overwhelmed. After completing his Liberation Trilogy, Rick Atkinson has added another masterpiece with this first volume of the Revolution Trilogy. Bravo!

Rick Atkinson is a very insightful military historian as evidenced by his WW2 trilogy. This first book of his new trilogy on the American Revolution continues that line of analysis. What was clear to me after finishing reading was that Atkinson assumes the reader will find the deep origins and the politics of the period elsewhere in other books. He is giving you military history and the war was fought and he does so brilliantly. How armies are supplied and maintained is ignored so often in many history books that it was so refreshing to read the details of how the British and Rebel armies acquired their needs. Gun powder does not fall from trees, weapons don't just show up in soldiers hands, food isn't lying around to eat, bullets don't appear in air and many other material objects have to be bought, borrowed or stolen. It was so enjoyable to read about the vast supply issues that the British had and about the ports and factories in England making war supplies. This book reveals the military viewpoint of strategy and tactics of the revolution and it does a great job. The unfolding naval and army powers of the British and the tenacious fighting of the American rebels are revealed in a very well done chronological manner. I am most impressed with how Atkinson doesn't jump around a time line but mostly stays very focused with each chapter following a linear chronology. The personalities of the primary officers of both sides are well done and how they influence events. This book gets very high marks from me for very good maps which are placed well in the narrative flow. Very many military histories have terrible maps and maps are essential to understand a battle. This book is outstanding with its maps. I highly recommend this book and don't be put off because I am saying it is a military history primarily. The Revolution was a war with the horrors of killing and destruction. It wasn't only a debate in congress. Atkinson has done a brilliant job with this book and hopefully he continues in the next two.

A superb book, that maintains the standards set in his Liberation Trilogy. Like a previous reviewer I find his decision not to mention the seizure of the 'rebel' airports disappointing but it doesn't detract from an immensely readable and informative opening volume

A readable and cogent history of the events leading up to the outbreak of the American Revolution.A remarkable example of history scholarship.

I was leery about committing myself to such a “ door stopper” of a book. However, I read George Will’s interview in the New York Times. Wills declared that the book is a must read masterpiece, and I agree. I read the book over three weeks. I particularly enjoyed that so many of the early events of the American Revolution occurred on Canadian soil near where I was raised.

This reads like a novel and you can imagine it is ripe for turning into a movie. Entertaining and very accessible - it is a great introduction to the period.

Detailed review of the first year of the American Revolution. Gives a good account from both sides of the issue and is one of the most objective views of the war that I have yet read. Full of details that other accounts overlook that are very interesting.