Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence
by John Ferling
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Book Summary Information
Author: John FerlingEdition: Hardcover
Published: 2007-06-04
ISBN: 0195181212
Number of pages: 704
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence
Book Review: Very Good Military History
Summary: 4 Stars
I greatly enjoyed "Almost a Miracle", which reviewed the Revolutionary war from the point of view of the military. It is intended by the author as a companion volume to "A Leap in the Dark" (2003) which covers the political side of the war. (Full disclosure: I have not read the earlier book.)
Plusses: + The military focus filled in for me a side of the war that I was not as familiar with. + The book covered military action throughout the country, including that in the South. The latter is presented as pivotal in the outcome of the war; the other books I have read on the war gloss over much of the Southern action and focus on the North. + The book features biographical summaries for many senior officers on both sides, along with portraits, who are not given much attention in most Revolutionary War books.
Minuses: - The author can sometimes be excruciatingly repetitive, as evidenced by his use of the words "Fabian strategy" at least 10 or 20 times throughout the book. - About half-way through the book, the author starts using an excessive number of idiomatic phrases. Two examples, of the many scattered throughout the text: one general was "hot under the collar"; two others where "not on the same wavelength". I felt that the latter phrase was especially egregious due to its anachronistic nature; radio waves were not even invented until the late 19th century. These may be nits; however, a good editor could have cleaned them up.
Summary of Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence
In this gripping chronicle of America's struggle for independence, award-winning historian John Ferling transports readers to the grim realities of that war, capturing an eight-year conflict filled with heroism, suffering, cowardice, betrayal, and fierce dedication. As Ferling demonstrates, it was a war that America came much closer to losing than is now usually remembered. General George Washington put it best when he said that the American victory was "little short of a standing miracle."Almost a Miracle offers an illuminating portrait of America's triumph, offering vivid descriptions of all the major engagements, from the first shots fired on Lexington Green to the surrender of General Cornwallis at Yorktown, revealing how these battles often hinged on intangibles such as leadership under fire, heroism, good fortune, blunders, tenacity, and surprise. The author paints sharp-eyed portraits of the key figures in the war, including General Washington and other American officers and civilian leaders. Some do not always measure up to their iconic reputations, including Washington himself. Others, such as the quirky, acerbic Charles Lee, are seen in a much better light than usual. The book also examines the many faceless men who soldiered, often for years on end, braving untold dangers and enduring abounding miseries. The author explains why they served and sacrificed, and sees them as the forgotten heroes who won American independence. Ferling's narrative is also filled with compassion for the men who comprised the British army and who, like their American counterparts, struggled and died at an astonishing rate in this harsh war. Nor does Ferling ignore the naval war, describing dangerous patrols and grand and dazzling naval actions.
Finally, Almost a Miracle takes readers inside the legislative chambers and plush offices of diplomats to reveal countless decisions that altered the course of this war. The story that unfolds is at times a tale of folly, at times one of appalling misinformation and confusion, and now and then one of insightful and dauntless statesmanship.
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