Description
Between 1776 and 1783, Britain hired an estimated 30,000 German soldiers to fight in its war against the Americans. Collectively known as Hessians, they actually came from six German territories within the Holy Roman Empire. Over the course of the war, members of the German corps, including women and children, spent extended periods of time in locations as dispersed and varied as Canada in the North to West Florida and Cuba in the South. They shared in every significant British military triumph and defeat. Thousands died of disease, were killed in battle, were captured by the enemy, or deserted. Collectively, they recorded their experiences and observations of the war they fought in, the land they traversed, and the people they encountered in a large body of letters, diaries, and similar private and official records. Friederike Baer presents a study of Britain's war against the American rebels from the perspective of the German soldiers, a people uniquely positioned both in the midst of the war and at its margins. The book offers a ground-breaking reimagining of this watershed event in world history.
About the Author
Friederike Baer is Associate Professor of History and Division Head for Arts and Humanities at Pennsylvania State University, Abington College. Her research focuses on the experiences of German-speaking people in North America from the Revolutionary period to the late nineteenth century. Her publications include the monograph The Trial of Frederick Eberle: Language, Patriotism and Citizenship in Philadelphia's German Community, 1790-1830, winner of the St. Paul's, Biglerville Prize for the best book in Lutheran church history.
Reviews
Professor Baer has written a lucid and engaging history of the Hessians' experience in a war far from their native lands, using a remarkable number of primary sources in German to do so. * John R. Maass, Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online *
In this terrific book, Baer (Pennsylvania State Univ., Abington College) displays her comprehensive research in both the extant literature and numerous archives in Great Britain, France, the US, and all six German states that fought in the American Revolutionary War. The result is a truly definitive account of the 30,000 German auxiliaries, ranging from the six treaties they signed to the individual contingents' experiences and perspectives. * Choice *
In Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War, Friederike Baer offers a thorough and critical analysis of the German experience in the American Revolution. Relying on a variety of international sources, Baer reveals how German soldiers perceived the conflict, and how their contributions affected the outcome of the war. Despite their being major players in the British war effort, the contributions of German auxiliary soldiers remain some of the most under-studied elements of the American Revolution. Baer's efforts to shed light on these often-overlooked sources has helped to fill a critical gap in modern Revolutionary scholarship, making Hessians an essential read. * Brady J. Crytzer, Journal of the Early Republic *
It is bound to become required reading for anyone interested in America's struggle for independence. * Robert A. Selig, Yearbook of German-American Studies 56 *
It is rare these days to encounter a scholarly work free of jargon, political polemics, and presentist interpretations. It is especially rare to find a book superbly grounded in primary sources that is also readable. Friederike Baer's Hessians not only fits the bill in both cases but also expertly analyzes a historically significant and fascinating subchapter of the American Revolution that has not been comprehensively examined for over a hundred years. * The Journal of American History *
Awards
Winner of Finalist, American Battlefield Trust Prize for History Winner, 2022 ARRTOP Book of the Year Award Winner of the 2023 Society of the Cincinnati Book Prize.
Book Information
ISBN 9780190249632
Author Friederike Baer
Format Hardback
Page Count 528
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 862g
Dimensions(mm) 152mm * 224mm * 38mm
About the Author
Friederike Baer is Associate Professor of History and Division Head for Arts and Humanities at Pennsylvania State University, Abington College. Her research focuses on the experiences of German-speaking people in North America from the Revolutionary period to the late nineteenth century. Her publications include the monograph The Trial of Frederick Eberle: Language, Patriotism and Citizenship in Philadelphia's German Community, 1790-1830, winner of the St. Paul's, Biglerville Prize for the best book in Lutheran church history.
Reviews
Professor Baer has written a lucid and engaging history of the Hessians' experience in a war far from their native lands, using a remarkable number of primary sources in German to do so. * John R. Maass, Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online *
In this terrific book, Baer (Pennsylvania State Univ., Abington College) displays her comprehensive research in both the extant literature and numerous archives in Great Britain, France, the US, and all six German states that fought in the American Revolutionary War. The result is a truly definitive account of the 30,000 German auxiliaries, ranging from the six treaties they signed to the individual contingents' experiences and perspectives. * Choice *
In Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War, Friederike Baer offers a thorough and critical analysis of the German experience in the American Revolution. Relying on a variety of international sources, Baer reveals how German soldiers perceived the conflict, and how their contributions affected the outcome of the war. Despite their being major players in the British war effort, the contributions of German auxiliary soldiers remain some of the most under-studied elements of the American Revolution. Baer's efforts to shed light on these often-overlooked sources has helped to fill a critical gap in modern Revolutionary scholarship, making Hessians an essential read. * Brady J. Crytzer, Journal of the Early Republic *
It is bound to become required reading for anyone interested in America's struggle for independence. * Robert A. Selig, Yearbook of German-American Studies 56 *
It is rare these days to encounter a scholarly work free of jargon, political polemics, and presentist interpretations. It is especially rare to find a book superbly grounded in primary sources that is also readable. Friederike Baer's Hessians not only fits the bill in both cases but also expertly analyzes a historically significant and fascinating subchapter of the American Revolution that has not been comprehensively examined for over a hundred years. * The Journal of American History *
Awards
Winner of Finalist, American Battlefield Trust Prize for History Winner, 2022 ARRTOP Book of the Year Award Winner of the 2023 Society of the Cincinnati Book Prize.
Book Information
ISBN 9780190249632
Author Friederike Baer
Format Hardback
Page Count 528
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 862g
Dimensions(mm) 152mm * 224mm * 38mm
