An illustrated collection of essays that explores the international dimensions of the American Revolution and its legacies in both America and around the world.
DAVID K. ALLISON is Senior Scholar at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. LARRIE D. FERREIRO teaches history and engineering at George Mason University in Virginia, Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. He is the author of Brothers at Arms- American Independence and the Men of France and Spain Who Saved It, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
"A collection of 16 essays that discuss topics such as the naval
strategies of France and Spain, the recruitment of soldiers from
Prussia (nearly 30,000 by war's end) and the messages that
paintings by American and French artists conveyed after the war."
-Dallas Morning News
"The American War for Independence was more than a contest between
scrappy colonists and British regulars on the North American
continent. It was, as this collection of new essays edited by
Smithsonian scholar Allison and historian Ferreiro explains, one
theater of one campaign within a grand conflict with and among
European powers that stretched over more than a century. This
richly illustrated and colorful volume, drawing on the
Smithsonian's holdings, is an accompaniment to a yearlong
exhibition of the same name at the National Museum of American
History, and highlights artwork, documents, and artifacts. The
narratives cover such topics as the British Grand Strategy and the
war aims of America's allies among the major powers; the roles of
campaigns in India, on the high seas, and at the colonial
periphery; and the global legacies of these wars for autonomy and
freedom. This welcoming and informative book is a great addition to
history collections. Everyone owes it to themselves to experience
this view of America's past and place in the larger world."
-Booklist
"This thought-provoking volume, which is a companion to an exhibit
opening at the Smithsonian, is accessible, assuming no prior
knowledge; it may even, as the exhibitions' organizers hope,
convince American readers that international alliances are
important today." -Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A fresh look at the Revolutionary War from an international
perspective. A fine corrective to the traditional David-vs.-Goliath
account of our War of Independence and a thoroughly entertaining
read." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"The big picture painted here is invaluable and timely in its bid
to enlarge Americans' myopic view of our Revolutionary War and how
we won it. The Founders' great achievement was not only of their
own doing; it was crucially collaborative and occurred in the
changing context of a dynamic world. More power to them. True
greatness is never simple." -Washington Times
"David K. Allison and Larrie D. Ferreiro's The American Revolution:
A World War is a dazzling collection of first-rate scholarly essays
that rethink our nation's founding. Instead of the parochial 'shot
heard round the world' folklore spun about Lexington and Concord,
we are served up a far more world-beat story about the 1770s. Every
American should read this marvelous book." -Douglas Brinkley,
Professor of History, Rice University, and author of Rightful
Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America
"The American Revolution is a game-changer. For too long, Americans
have told the story of their Revolution without global context,
save for nods to French aid. The Smithsonian's insightful volume,
appropriately authored by an array of scholars from eight nations,
is the perfect antidote to our collective myopia. Now is the time
for us to realize that our nation, even at its inception, has never
been a world unto itself." -Ray Raphael, author of A People's
History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the
Fight for Independence
"An excellent and beautifully illustrated multiauthored
introduction to the neglected global dimensions of the American
Revolutionary War that presents the latest scholarship by both
international and American historians. It provides a useful and
engaging series of accounts for a wide audience of enthusiasts,
students, and teachers alike. It is also a timely reminder that
European allies played a critical role in the defeat of
Britain." -Andrew Jackson O'Shaughnessy, author of The Men
Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and
the Fate of the Empire
"It was more than an 'American' Revolution. Americans have given
their ancestors both too much credit for victory over Britain and
too little for the global resonance with which their independence
was won. The brilliant essays that David K. Allison and Laurie D.
Ferreiro have collected vividly set the Revolution in its context
of conflict among the great powers of the time, which extended
across oceans and continents. The book exposes realities of which
U.S. readers have been insufficiently aware: the revolutionary
struggle was a civil conflict at home and a world war abroad."
-Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, author of Our America: A Hispanic
History of the United States
The editors have assembled an impressive group of thoughtprovoking
essays for this book. These essays are complemented by more than
100 well-chosen illustrations, almost all of which are in color.
All of those readers who are interested in the American Revolution
will definitely want to add this attractive and fairly priced
volume to their personal libraries. -The Journal of America's
Military Past
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