Angel in the Whirlwind: The Triumph of the American Revolution

Angel in the Whirlwind: The Triumph of the American Revolution
by Benson Bobrick

Angel in the Whirlwind: The Triumph of the American Revolution
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Book Summary Information

Author: Benson Bobrick
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1998-07-01
ISBN: 0140275002
Number of pages: 560
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)

Book Reviews of Angel in the Whirlwind: The Triumph of the American Revolution

Book Review: A comprehensive history of the American Revolution
Summary: 5 Stars

Benson Brodrick does a good job of "fleshing out" the main characters on both sides of the conflict; as well as presenting the lives of the common people. His discussion of the politics in the colonies and Great Britain before and during the war is illuminating. His description of the major battles is pretty much complete.
CONS:1) The campaigns and battles could use better maps and in a larger scale.
2) When the author provides the biographies of individuals he often does so in the middle of a storyline about a campaign, political/social event, etc. This in itself isn't bad, but because he regresses many years in telling the stories of these people's lives, by the time he returns to the main story, the reader loses track of the month and year involved in the story.
Despite this, even serious history bluffs will enjoy (and learn from) this book!

Summary of Angel in the Whirlwind: The Triumph of the American Revolution

George Washington at Valley Forge, Benedict Arnold's treason at West Point, Corwallis's defeat at Yorktown--these are the characters and events most Americans remember from their high-school history lessons about the Revolutionary War. Yet the war itself is so removed from us in time, its villains and heroes so remote, that it fails to grasp the place in popular imagination occupied by the Civil War, the two World Wars, or even Vietnam. Benson Bobrick's fresh account of the Revolutionary War, Angel in the Whirlwind, might just change all that. The secret to Bobrick's success lies in his entertaining, lively prose, and--more importantly--in his choice of focus: this account of the American Revolution weaves the fortunes of two of its more fascinating participants, George Washington and Benedict Arnold, into its larger story. Washington's fascination is rooted in his military genius and talent for leadership, Arnold's in his flawed character. At once a fearless soldier and a greedy opportunist, Arnold's perfidy makes an interesting counterpoint to Washington's heroism.

Bobrick does a fine job of covering the ins and outs of this extraordinary war, giving readers enough background to understand the complexities of the issues that led to the Declaration of Independence by taking them through the war years leading to Washington's inauguration. Better yet, he creates a sense of the times in which these stirring events occurred, limning the details of the common people's lives and attitudes to add a sense of immediacy. Angel in the Whirlwind is popular history at its best; George Washington would be proud.

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