The loss of America in 1781 has traditionally been blamed on incompetent British military commanders and political leaders whose arrogant confidence and out-dated tactics were no match for the innovative and determined Americans. But this is far from the truth.

Weaving together the personal stories of ten prominent characters, including King George III, Prime Minister Lord North, General Burgoyne, and the Earl of Sandwich, Andrew O'Shaughnessy demolishes the myths, emerging with a very different and much richer account of the conflict - one driven by able and even brilliant leadership.

About the Author

Andrew O'Shaughnessy is the Saunders Director of the Robert H. Smith International Centre for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, and Professor of History at the University of Virginia. Originally from Britain, he lectured at the University of Oxford before moving to the US, where he currently lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Reviews

'Brilliant.'

-- BBC History

'A first-rate study, scholarly, yet accessible.'

* Military History Monthly *

'Captivating.'

* TLS *

'Fascinating, well written and extensively researched.'

* Saul David, Sunday Telegraph *

'First-rank revisionist history.'

* Independent *


Awards
Winner of New York Historical Society Book Prize 2014 (United States) and Great Midwest Book Festival in the Regional Literature category, given by JM Northern Media LLC 2013 (United States) and Cincinnati History Prize 2014 (United States) and New York Roundtable of the American Revolution 2013 (United States) and George Washington Book Prize 2014 (United States) and Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award 2014 (United States). Commended for American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence 2013 (United States). Short-listed for Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize in Military History 2014 (United States).



Book Information
ISBN 9781780745015
Author Andrew O'Shaughnessy
Format Paperback
Page Count 496
Imprint Oneworld Publications
Publisher Oneworld Publications
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 35mm