"AWI books" Topic

I have been thinking about gaming the AWI and I was hoping I could get a few recommendations for some books that provide a good overview of the different campaigns in the AWI. I want a general overview at first so I can identify a campaign to build my armies around and then I will dig in deeper after that.

Thanks

P.S. if possible I would prefer recommendations on books that are still easy to acquire

I would start with the Osprey Campaign series of books that cover:

Boston 1776
Quebec 1776
New York 1776
Trenton and Princeton 1776
The Philadelphia Campaign 1777
Monmouth Court House 1778
Guilford Court House
Yorktown

I find that these book provide a very good level of basic overview of the armies and the campaign as well as orders of battle from which you can design your own war game armies, and a bibliography that will point you towards other, more detailed books, on the subject.

For a general history of the conflict you could try ' Rebels and Redcoats ' by Hugh Bicheno , or ' War for America ' by Jeremy Black – both are good.
The Osprey Essential History ( ESS 45 ) will have similar information but with maps and pictures.
Donald Featherstone wrote " A Wargamers Handbook to the American War of Independence " which is a good starting place and should still be available second-hand.

Two books by David Hackettt Fischer:
Washington's Crossing. Trenton and much more.
Paul Revere's Ride.

Buchanan's "The Road to Guilford Courthouse"
link

Anything by Richard Ketchum, but particularly Sartoga.
link

1776 is also quite good.

David McCullough, 1776

Thomas Fleming, LIBERTY!

And it is the Revolutionary War, if you really want to understand it; FAR far more than a war for independence. For one thing, the war started in April 1775 and independence was declared in July 76. What were they fighting for?

I found a very readable book entitled "A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution" Written by Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron. It contains descriptions of 69 Battles in the order that they were fought, as well as maps and illustrations. It also contains information on various Campaigns. For those into sea battles,it also contains the names of 43 ships that were involved, what type of ships they were, how many guns they had and what happened to them, destroyed, captured etc.
It also lists the British, Loyalists, Hessian, American (each colony), French and Spanish troops that were involved in the War. And much , much more and, like I said, The battles are very readable and interesting.

What were they fighting for?

Until independence was declared on July 4, 1776, they were fighting for the rights of Englishmen under King and Parliament.

It's been a while since we had a real knockdown drag out fight over the term "Revolutionary War."

Someone once said on TMP back when this Board was first started that "no serious historian calls it the Revolutionary War".
Allowed to retort, I knocked it out of the park.
I listed about a dozen books on my shelf, 10 of which had "Revolutionary War" in the title. I stopped at that number because I made my point.
Shall I list the "non serious historians"? They included some British historians too.

I use AWI only because it's an instantly recognizable acronym. We don't have a really good acronym for American Revolutionary War. ARE does not cut it.

Suitable for someone new to the period and not wanting something which is too complicated or expensive and one of the most readable accounts of the entire war from a military perspective, is the second half of 'Patriot Battles' by Michael Stephenson.

The first half is about logistics and organisation really but the second half is a concise, easy to understand, run through the war with maps and blurb.

So what were they fighting about at Fort Wilson?

link

The link gives a good but rather one-sided view of the battle.

Here's a contrary view:

link

As the old major said to me in the Warminster armaments museums;

"When our American cousins ask if we have any muskets from the American war of independence, I correct them and inform that what they really mean is the 2nd English Civil War."

An interesting take, I think.

A kind chap once recommended 'Fusiliers: How the British Army Lost America but Learned to Fight' by Mark Urban. I haven't got round to it. Anyone know much about it?

Thank you for all of the suggestions. It looks there are a number of interesting books I will have to track down.

I use AWI only because it's an instantly recognizable acronym. We don't have a really good acronym for American Revolutionary War. ARE does not cut it.

It is wrong to rely on Spell check to catch everything.
I meant to say "ARW does not cut it."

For the gamer, the Greg Novak books on the Northern Theatre adn the Southern Theatre are grat books. Obs on battles, troops strengths and garrison locations for each year. Notes on campaigns and battles.

The Osprey are good books on campaigns. Saratoga, Boston, Yorktown, New York and otehrs.

All of the above. I'd also recommend:

link

Especially if you are just starting out.

"Suitable for someone new to the period and not wanting something which is too complicated or expensive and one of the most readable accounts of the entire war from a military perspective, is the second half of 'Patriot Battles' by Michael Stephenson."

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Patriot Battles is one of the worse book ou can read on the AWI. Written by a guy who has little real knowledge of the weapons, tactics or command problems of the time.

There is a srrong case to be made that the use of the word "revolution" rather than "rebellion" was a deliberate choice by Jefferson and others to make the case clear that the actions of the American colonists were part of natural law…that the breaking away was predictable just like the revolution of the the planets, etc.

db

"I've said it before and I'll say it again. Patriot Battles is one of the worse book you can read on the AWI. Written by a guy who has little real knowledge of the weapons, tactics or command problems of the time."

The first half of the book is definitely weak. The original poster asked for an overview however. The second half does that very well for someone dipping their toes.

He can then decide if he wants to go further with more specialised stuff that others have recommended.

"The American Revolution 1774–1783" Osprey Essential History by
Marston. link

"The Road to Yorktown" by John Selby

"Redcoats and Rebels: The American Revolution Through British Eyes" by Hibbert

"The War of American Independence"
By Don Higginbotham

"1776"
By David McCullough

"The Road to Guilford Courthouse, the American Revolution in the Carolinas"
By John Buchanan

"SARATOGA: A Military History of the Decisive Campaign of the American Revolution" by Luzader

"Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War" by Richard M. Ketchum

"Fusiliers" by Mark Urban is excellent – the regiment took part in most of the various theatres so it's more than just a regimental history; and the author knows the period inside out. The battle descriptions are terrific. It's the best book I know for conveying the "atmosphere" of the war.

No one's mentioned Spring's "With zeal and bayonets only" which is the best account of how the British Army fought in the war from a tactical and practical perspective.

I didn't mention "With Zeal and Bayonets Only" because the OP wanted a "general overview."

Boatner's "Encyclopedia" is a fantastic time waster. I defy you to go to a related article from a first one without getting side-tracked.

If the Continental Army is of interest to you for the War of the American Revolution I would highly recommend two books:

The Continental Army by Robert Wright.

The Book of the Continental Soldier by Harold Peterson.

Both are available on abebooks for a total of about $30.00 USD.

B

All great suggestions, but I would use some of the Ospreys with care (the New York and Guilford Courthouse one, for example).

John Ferling's _Almost a Miracle_ is also a great overview, though it's a thick one with lots of detail--very readable, though.

Bicheno and Hibbert, yes, totally agree, nice balance
Fortesque, The War of Independence and, again for the purposes of balance, WJ Wood, battles of the revolutionary War

I would suggest Christopher Ward's two volume "War of the Revolution." It is out of print and somewhat dated, but still a good overview and a bit of a classic with a lot of detail. You might find it at abebooks.com or in a library.