"George Washington's 'Founding War of Conquest'" Topic

The standing army, Native American opposition, and the high cost of territorial expansion.

link

Amicalement
Armand

I am reading the book right now and enjoy it. It is a good companion to Ospreys on Wabash and Fallen Timbers. I learned some good info on Washington and Blue Jacket.

I recommend it if you have any interest in the Northwest War which is largely unknown.

Hmmm. Seems to be a heavy layer of opinion and interpretation in there, both book and article. Not saying the book wouldn't be a good read, but I get the feeling it's tinted with a point of view beyond what the history is. I'm usually skeptical when someone tries to "read minds" over the great gulf of history and tell me what someone long dead thought or intended. But perhaps there are documented primary sources (diaries, letters, etc.) from Washingon et al. which the author references that convey their thoughts, motivationsand goals on the matter.

Hogeland definitely has opinions and they are not as pro founders as one often sees in history of this period, but it is a solid book and the unflattering things he presents seem to be fairly rooted in the facts.

For me the book did spend a bit too much time taking Washington to task for his personal land grabs beyond the mountains, but it is an integral part of the tale.

Book reviews are opinion pieces. However the reviewer didn't just fall off the tree, and has some knowledge of the subject. She also offered positives to go with the negatives--it was balanced.

I haven't read Hogeland's other books, but have ordered this due to the subject. Will probably blog my own review at some point.