concerning the Battle of Bunker Hill. I am only a casual reader of history but I found the description of the battle and the participants to be extremely clear and easy to follow. I also enjoyed clearing away the inaccurate myths of the surrounding the battle. Many of these have been repeated since I was in history class. They are debunked here with logic and historical resources cited when available. I do not mean to jump into the fray of who was right, or who was wrong or who was stationed here or there, but this book seemed to have a reality check on many of the myths.
Good to see the unsung heroes like Artemas Ward receive his due. There are many vivid historical portraits of real people with virtues and faults. Joseph Warren's invaluable contributions and his subsequent loss is highlighted. The 'why did the rebels build on Breed's Hill rather than Bunker Hill' is realistically. addressed. The answer; it is nearly impossible to say why or who was at fault, Israel Putnam or William Prescott. Putnam usually gets the blame but it seems like there is no way to tell for sure. John Stark's matchless courage and his crack New Hampshire troops were a great asset but unfortunately, Stark was nearly unable to brook working with anybody else. Prescott's unshakable courage is documented as well as the brave men who stayed to fight while others found ways to leave.
On the British side, Thomas Gage and William Howe receive some justice at last. It had struck me for some time now, that a number of armchair generals, both in their contemporaries time and now, have endlessly criticized these two for their actions or lack of. Reading this book shows you why Gage was so cautious and so limited in his options; an army far too small, not enough supplies and a command structure far away in London. For literal centuries we learned about Howe's seemingly suicidal charge up the hill, with his soldiers weighted down with packs and supplies, which didn't really make sense when you learn how close the city of Boston was. I also found extremely compelling the analysis of Howe's much scrutinized 'a moment I have never felt before' statement. Certainly the carnage of the battle combined with the fact that he was actually with his troops on the firing line led to a lot of soul searching afterward. But I was unaware of the lack of discipline of the British redcoats displayed, disobeying their orders and, in general, making a bad situation worse. I'm sure this failing was nearly as disturbing to Howe as the horrendous causalities. All the more reasons for a general who didn't want to be there anyway to be shaken.Then there is Sir Henry Clinton, another guy who couldn't get along with his brother officers. For years, Clinton and his cronies have been quoted as the true font of wisdom in regards to prosecuting the war. It turns out reality was far different and if Sir Henry's plans had all been utilized, disaster might have befallen the British far quicker than Yorktown.
All in all, I enjoyed this book greatly. Although another reviewer complained about Lockhart's describing emotions to the participants but I didn't think it was a distraction at all. It enriches the book and it wasn't too much of a reach to say the participants were exhausted afterwards or these officers quarreled, etc. etc.
A good read.
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Damian
Best book I've read about American Revolution
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 22, 2013