Just finished "Washington's Crossing" by Fischer and it was so good I became sad that the journey ended. Jerseyman recommended this book to me and it was tremendous. It's time to dive deeper into The Revolution and also visit some of these spots. Thank You Jerseyman I now understand what you were talking about when you said Washington's Crossing gives you a much better picture of the millitary and the men than "1776" did. Can you recommend another one?
Jerseyman's book recommendation
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Tom:
I’m glad you enjoyed the read and that you observed the same trends I did in comparing the two books. David Hackett Fischer became my favorite modern historian after reading his seminal work, Albion’s Seed, which discusses the transference of folkways from various areas of Great Britain to the New World. His section on the Middle Atlantic states and the Society of Friends (a.k.a. Quakers) was, obviously, my favorite chapter! Since issuing this 950-page, three-pound tome, he has written such works as The Great Wave, about the effects of immigration in the early nineteenth century; and Paul Revere’s Ride, another highly recommended book concerning the American War for Independence. The elites who live in the vaunted ivy-covered towers of academia often snub Fischer, since they consider him a so-called “popular” historian. However, I think his book, Historian’s Fallacies, is a wonderfully crafted historiography volume and an extremely subtle reproach of his critics. The politics of academia are all too destructive!
I presume you are seeking recommendations of other books concerning the Revolution in the Delaware Valley—is that correct? If that is the case, then you cannot go wrong with any works from the pen of John W. Jackson. His books include: The Pennsylvania Navy, 1775-1781: the Defense of the Delaware; With the British Army in Philadelphia; Valley Forge: Pinnacle of Courage; Whitemarsh 1777: Impregnable Stronghold; and Fort Mifflin: Valiant Defender of the Delaware. Unfortunately, I think they are all out of print, but the Camden County Library System should have at least some of them. They are not written in the same crisp style as Fischer’s books, but Jackson’s research is impeccable. There are more recent works concerning the Massacre at Paoli and the Battle for Philadelphia by several authors that I could recommend if you are interested. Rutgers University Press issued a book in 2005 titled, New Jersey in the American Revolution. This work is actually a collection of monographs on a diverse range of topics prepared by various authors. Other books on the AWI with a New Jersey setting include William M. Dwyer’sThe Day is Ours! and Arthur S. Lefkowitz’s The Long Retreat: the Calamitous American Defense of New Jersey, 1776. Of course, don’t overlook the Philip Freneau Press series of books. I referenced one of them in the long discussion about the attack on Fort Mercer in the Archaeology Forum.
If you decide you need even more recommendations, don’t hesitate to ask!
Best regards,
Jerseyman
I’m glad you enjoyed the read and that you observed the same trends I did in comparing the two books. David Hackett Fischer became my favorite modern historian after reading his seminal work, Albion’s Seed, which discusses the transference of folkways from various areas of Great Britain to the New World. His section on the Middle Atlantic states and the Society of Friends (a.k.a. Quakers) was, obviously, my favorite chapter! Since issuing this 950-page, three-pound tome, he has written such works as The Great Wave, about the effects of immigration in the early nineteenth century; and Paul Revere’s Ride, another highly recommended book concerning the American War for Independence. The elites who live in the vaunted ivy-covered towers of academia often snub Fischer, since they consider him a so-called “popular” historian. However, I think his book, Historian’s Fallacies, is a wonderfully crafted historiography volume and an extremely subtle reproach of his critics. The politics of academia are all too destructive!
I presume you are seeking recommendations of other books concerning the Revolution in the Delaware Valley—is that correct? If that is the case, then you cannot go wrong with any works from the pen of John W. Jackson. His books include: The Pennsylvania Navy, 1775-1781: the Defense of the Delaware; With the British Army in Philadelphia; Valley Forge: Pinnacle of Courage; Whitemarsh 1777: Impregnable Stronghold; and Fort Mifflin: Valiant Defender of the Delaware. Unfortunately, I think they are all out of print, but the Camden County Library System should have at least some of them. They are not written in the same crisp style as Fischer’s books, but Jackson’s research is impeccable. There are more recent works concerning the Massacre at Paoli and the Battle for Philadelphia by several authors that I could recommend if you are interested. Rutgers University Press issued a book in 2005 titled, New Jersey in the American Revolution. This work is actually a collection of monographs on a diverse range of topics prepared by various authors. Other books on the AWI with a New Jersey setting include William M. Dwyer’sThe Day is Ours! and Arthur S. Lefkowitz’s The Long Retreat: the Calamitous American Defense of New Jersey, 1776. Of course, don’t overlook the Philip Freneau Press series of books. I referenced one of them in the long discussion about the attack on Fort Mercer in the Archaeology Forum.
If you decide you need even more recommendations, don’t hesitate to ask!
Best regards,
Jerseyman
The Camden County Library branches is where I do most of my hunting, so far they have been good to me. Yes, my interest right now is the events that happened around here so I will be seeking out some of those titles. I'm hooked on Fischer now and will check out more of his stuff too.
Tom:
To continue the chronology, I suggest you read William M. Dwyer’s book, The Day is Ours!, which is a logical and temporal extension of David H. Fischer’s work. Dwyer’s volume will educate you on the battles of Trenton and Princeton. There are few people who can exceed Dwyer’s knowledge and research prowess regarding these battles, so I do recommend it.
Meanwhile, you cannot go wrong reading more of Fischer’s musings, regardless of the topic.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
To continue the chronology, I suggest you read William M. Dwyer’s book, The Day is Ours!, which is a logical and temporal extension of David H. Fischer’s work. Dwyer’s volume will educate you on the battles of Trenton and Princeton. There are few people who can exceed Dwyer’s knowledge and research prowess regarding these battles, so I do recommend it.
Meanwhile, you cannot go wrong reading more of Fischer’s musings, regardless of the topic.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
Excellent! I'm on it!
The Hessians were a fascinating bunch. They quickly had to change their arrogant thinking and start to respect their opponent huh?
Tom:
The Hessian military force served as mercenaries for King George III, but represent a group of professional soldiers with many of the officers emanating from the aristocratic class. Since they acted as soldiers of fortune, they did not have the same “dog in the fight” as their British counterparts. Still, they comported themselves with a high level of military style and acumen for the most part. Yes, many of the officers did exhibit arrogance, based on their sense of titled superiority with von Donop chief among them. The British senior command had as much to do with changing Hessian attitudes in the use of these troops-for-hire as did Hessian defeats at the hand of American forces.
There are numerous translated diaries that provide a fascinating view of the American landscape from the Hessian vantage point. If you are interested in some of titles for these diaries, just let me know.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
Because of the German/French- Alsace Lorraine ancestry on my father's side of the family, I am very interested in The Hessians. My last name, Folcher, is very common in Alsace-Lorraine. I was wondering have you ever checked out "Marching to Captivity" by Gustave Folcher? WWII era.
Stanford University has a lecture series up on iTunes U about Colonial and Revolutionary America, and one of the lectures was on how the various traditions and folkways from England came over, and how things like population density, availability of labor, and availability of women affected the growth of various areas. (Northern colonies and Southern colonies.)
If you are an iTunes consumer, this link will bring you right to it. http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/itunes.stanford.edu.1948870601
I'll have to dig up Washington's Crossing.
I picked up an excellent book about the Revolutionary War at Fort Ticonderoga while in Vermont/New York last month:
Forgotten Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution by Joseph Glatthaar and James Martin
I'm no expert on the Revolutionary War (The War Between the States is really my area), but I was shocked about the large role that the Oneida Indians played in helping our country gain its freedom (especially considering their size, they were the least numerous of the six nation of the Iroquois), and that I (and probably the vast majority of people) know nothing about it. No less than George Washington and General Lafayette (who served with the Oneida) recognized the vast importance of their contribution to the effort, but leading up to, during, and after the decisive battle at Saratoga.
The book is well written and easy to read to boot, always a positive when reading a history book.
I picked up an excellent book about the Revolutionary War at Fort Ticonderoga while in Vermont/New York last month:
Forgotten Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution by Joseph Glatthaar and James Martin
I'm no expert on the Revolutionary War (The War Between the States is really my area), but I was shocked about the large role that the Oneida Indians played in helping our country gain its freedom (especially considering their size, they were the least numerous of the six nation of the Iroquois), and that I (and probably the vast majority of people) know nothing about it. No less than George Washington and General Lafayette (who served with the Oneida) recognized the vast importance of their contribution to the effort, but leading up to, during, and after the decisive battle at Saratoga.
The book is well written and easy to read to boot, always a positive when reading a history book.
Tom:
I also have Alsatian blood flowing through my veins and I suffer from the same identity crisis as you, no doubt, endure. My surname is a popular beer in France, yet it is also the name of small village in south-central Germany. Hence, the identity crisis. I have not read Gustav Folcher’s book, but I will try to find it.
If you are interested in the Hessians and their activities in the colonies as mercenaries, I would recommend you acquire some of the translated diaries out there. My collection includes Captain Johann Ewald, Johann Conrad Döhla, Captain Friedrich von Muenchhausen, and others. The Philip Freneau Press series of books includes one titled, The Hessian View of America, 1776-1783. The Johannes Schwalm Historical Association (http://pages.prodigy.net/halschwalm/jshahome.html) serves as the main organization for documenting Hessian activities during the American War for Independence. They have published an annual for many years now. Bruce Burgoyne is one of the main translators of Hessian diaries and documents. Here is his website URL: http://www.geocities.com/hessians1776/. All of these diaries contain information on events that occurred in the South Jersey area.
The Hessian engineers and cartographers did a thorough job of documenting their army’s activities during the war and most of these maps are still in the Hesse Archiv in Germany.
I hope you have found Dwyer’s book and are enjoying it.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
Mike:
Thanks for your contribution to this thread. I will have to obtain a copy of the book you recommend and read it!
Best regards,
Jerseyman