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Barnet Schecter
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The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution Paperback – October 28, 2003

by Barnet Schecter (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 24 ratings
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Provides a dramatic account of the seminal role played by New York City during the American Revolution, from its September 1776 fall to the British under General William Howe, through years of occupation, and beyond, interweaving illuminating profiles of the individuals on both sides of the conflict with a study of the cultural, political, social, and economic events of the eighteenth century. Reprint.
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  1. Print length
    464 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  4. Publication date
    October 28, 2003
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    6.08 x 1.03 x 9.16 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0142003336
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0142003336
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Effectively superimposes the historical geography of the Revolutionary War on today's New York." -- The New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Barnet Schecter is a historian whose writing has appeared in the New York Observer, Metropolis, Village Voice, Washington Post, New Art Examiner, and Terra Nova.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Reissue edition (October 28, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0142003336
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0142003336
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.12 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.08 x 1.03 x 9.16 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 24 ratings

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Barnet Schecter

Barnet Schecter

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
24 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

dave
5.0 out of 5 stars all good
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2024
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haven't read it yet
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Rocco Dormarunno
5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect subtitle
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2004
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When one thinks of the Revolutionary Era in America, one might tend to think of Concord and Lexingtion, Boston, Monmouth, Philadelphia, Valley Forge, or a dozen other places before ever giving Manhattan a thought. This, as Barnet Schecter's brilliant history, "The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution", is an undeserved slight to New York. As his perfect subtitle states, New York City was the pivotal center--the "heart"--of the Revolution.

Too much had happened in New York to dismiss its role immediately before, during, and after the war. One example: the Battle of Golden Hill (at the present John Street) in which British troops attacked American patriots occurred more than a month before the Boston Massacre, which has been long regarded as the first skirmish between colonists and the Crown. Mr. Schecter appropriately emphasizes the Battle of Brooklyn (or the Battle of Long Island) and how Washington's strategic (and lucky) evacuation across the East River and through Manhattan turned the tide of the war: the war could've been over then and there had Washington's army been captured. There are more stories, there is more evidence of the critical role New York played during the nascent years of the United States, and, Mr. Schecter has wonderfully captured this undeniable fact.

For a complete understanding of New York's role in this conflict, I recommend reading: "Divided Loyalties" by Richard Ketchum, which presents the political and social tensions of the city in the years before the Revolution; "The Battle of Brooklyn" by John Gallagher for a detailed examination of the weeks before, during and after this first large-scale confrontation between the British and Americans; and then Schecter's book--IN THAT ORDER. Each book picks up where the previous one had left off. There are other good books about New York's involvement in the Revolution, but these three can give you as close to a complete understanding of it as possible.

"The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution" is one of those books that fulfills a large gap in our complete understanding of that war and that era in history.
For that reason, Mr. Schecter is to be thanked for his contribution.
33 people found this helpful
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kentcooee
5.0 out of 5 stars Execellent Read. Historical Facts You Didn't Learn in School
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2020
Verified Purchase
If your a fan of Revolutionary War history, I recommend this book. It is a good read, full of facts you didn't learn in school. It was divine providence and Washington's Leadership that allowed Washington and the Colonists to persevere and defeat the British. You have no idea how close we came to being a nation of tea drinkers. I mean that in a joking way. No disrespect to our British neighbors. If you are a Revolutionary War fan or want to learn more about the war and George Washington and his generals as military leaders, read this book. Schecter's writing flows and weaves facts into a great story.
2 people found this helpful
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Evan Frankl
4.0 out of 5 stars Everything even New Yorkers Never Learned About the Revolutionary War
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2023
A very comprehensive and (possibly overly) detailed account of the battle for New York (both the city of 1776 and the Greater NYC of today.) A very good read, with many long-forgotten facts - but in reinforcing his overall themes of the NYC military campaign strategies, the book can at time seem repetitive. The Appendix offering a detailed walking tour of sites mentioned in the book is a great addition.
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Jenny L Cote
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book I've Read on the Battle of New York!
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2018
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I read this book in preparation for visiting New York to retrace the battle. It is incredibly detailed, accurate and helped me understand the entire campaign in order to fictionalize the battle in The Declaration, the Marquis and the Spy. HUZZAH!
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Quick and easy
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2019
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Everything was perfect with my purchase and it arrived within the two days deliver time. Thank you, will purchase from them again.
One person found this helpful
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Dennis A. Schmidt
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for a New Yorker or anyone interested in the American Revolution
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2009
Verified Purchase
An excellent and well-written piece of history. The biblio alone is worth the price of the book. The walking tour at the end of the book is a must for any New Yorker who loves the city and its history. Highly recommended.
3 people found this helpful
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Waterloo
4.0 out of 5 stars City at the Center of the Revolution
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2006
Having lived in New York City all my life I am surprised it took so long for someone to write a book on this subject. All through the Bicentennial in 1976 with Rev War re-enactments all around the city there was still nothing done on this subject until many years later. Now there are several books out that cover New York's unique place in the Revolution.

The author does a nice job of linking current locations to where they were then. For those not familier with the city today this might be confusing, but it is interesting none the less. Barnet Schacter has given us a social, political and part military history on the subject. The beginning is slow to get off the mark with the details of pre-Revolutionary politics in the city a bit hard to grasp. The various personalities involved, and their political antics makes for slow reading at first, but the reader is rewarded if he/she is persistent.

The book naturally picks up once the British fleet arrives in New York Harbor. Schacter is good at pointing out the local details of where the British landed and how they marched in Brooklyn. He is weaker on some of his battle details at times. The Battle of Long Island, or Brooklyn as it is often called gets cursory treatment. Of course there is not much to tell as the Americans mostly ran from British bayonets. The one thing that sticks out from this narrative is how the British under Howe allowed the Americans to escape from almost every encounter. From Brooklyn to White Plains Howe's leisurely campaign proceeds at a processional pace, allowing Washington to pick up the pieces each time to make another stand. The British could have easily crushed Washy several times at New York, as the city was virtually impossible to defend with the resources at hand. Why they didn't remains somewhat of a mystery, although the reasons are there. Howe was politically against the war, had no stomach for crushing the Americans whom he basically liked; and he wanted to accomplish his objectives with as little bloodshed as possible. When one considers these aspects his campaign in and around New York becomes easier to understand. Howe wanted to show the Americans the futility of their efforts and was hoping for their reconciliation with Britain. Unfortunately for Howe and co. this was wishful thinking. The British would never again have such a series of opportunities to bag Washy and the main rebel army. Henry Clinton knew this could not be done, and the account provided of his fustrations over Howe's management of the campaign is compelling.

Like most historians on the Revolution, Schacter is more a story teller than a pure military historian. He provides just enough detail to satisfy the general reader, and to frustrate the military reader! One of the points made often in the book on the battles around New York is that British casualties were higher in terms of killed and wounded than rebel. This is true, but the author leaves out the circumstances involved. In alomst all the engagements involved the Americans were fighting on the defense, often with some kind of protective cover, while the British were attacking out in the open. Its easy to see why British losses were higher in this regard. Americans fought well until their line was broken, then they ran or surrendered. This accounts for why most rebel losses were captives. I think Schacter exaggerates the losses sustained by the Britsih at Pells Point, and tends to show his pro-American bias rather blantly at times. This is understandable because most books written on the Revolution are done by American authors who always get carried away with the spirit of '76 syndrome. Where the book is strong is showing how the British capture of New York limited their strategy for the war overall. The harbor's use was limited due to a large sandbar that prevented ships from corssing at low tides.

There can be little doubt that British fixation on New York certainly contributed to their demise. Once Schacter finishes with the immediate action around the city in 1776 he provides an over-view of the war showing how New York influenced the course of the conflict. This in my opinion is one of the main strengths of the book. Readers will like some of the period detail, and the narrative is livened with many first-hand accounts from participants on both sides. The plight of the loyalists in the city makes for interesting reading as their story is often too little told. Details about how corrupt and inefficient the British occupation was provides insights into how garrisoning it was such a drag on their strategy. In the main a good book filled with many interesting details, if slightly weak on the battles in and around the city itself. Worthwhile.
7 people found this helpful
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