Kindle Price: $13.79

Save $9.89 (42%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

John W. Gordon
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

South Carolina and the American Revolution: A Battlefield History Kindle Edition

by John W. Gordon (Author), John Keegan (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 42 ratings
See all formats and editions

An assessment of critical battles on the southern front that led to American independence

An estimated one-third of all combat actions in the American Revolution took place in South Carolina. From the partisan clashes of the backcountry's war for the hearts and minds of settlers to bloody encounters with Native Americans on the frontier, more battles were fought in South Carolina than any other of the original thirteen states. The state also had more than its share of pitched battles between Continental troops and British regulars. In South Carolina and the American Revolution: A Battlefield History, John W. Gordon illustrates how these encounters, fought between 1775 and 1783, were critical to winning the struggle that secured Americas independence from Great Britain.

According to Gordon, when the war reached stalemate in other zones and the South became its final theater, South Carolina was the decisive battleground. Recounting the clashes in the state, Gordon identifies three sources of attack: the powerful British fleet and seaborne forces of the British regulars; the Cherokees in the west; and, internally, a loyalist population numerous enough to support British efforts towards reconquest. From the successful defense of Fort Sullivan (the palmetto-log fort at the mouth of Charleston harbor), capture and occupation of Charleston in 1780, to later battles at King's Mountain and Cowpens, this chronicle reveals how troops in South Carolina frustrated a campaign for restoration of royal authority and set British troops on the road to ultimate defeat at Yorktown. Despite their successes in 1780 and 1781, the British found themselves with a difficult military problem—having to wage a conventional war against American regular forces while also mounting a counterinsurgency against the partisan bands of Francis Marion, Andrew Pickens, and Thomas Sumter. In this comprehensive assessment of one southern state's battlegrounds, Gordon examines how military policy in its strategic, operational, and tactical dimensions set the stage for American success in the Revolution.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    252 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    University of South Carolina Press
  5. Publication date
    February 8, 2021
  6. File size
    6350 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Gordon has provided historians and American Revolution enthusiasts with a wonderful guide to the battles fought in South Carolina. His prose is clear and concise, and his arguments are well-defined and supported."―Journal of Military History

"Gordon's treatment of the American Revolution in South Carolina succeeds on several levels. . . For those who want the detail, it is here. For those who want to understand the context, that is also here."―South Carolina Historical Magazine

"Gordon's book on the war in South Carolina is a welcome addition to the literature on the American Revolution. It offers both an excellent survey of this conflict and is also a useful work of reference, its full bibliography and footnotes making it a good starting point for further research into an important and interesting episode in American history."―Army Historical Research

"Gordon skillfully recreates the conflict while explaining why it unfolded in the way it did. . . His chapters on the war in the Carolina backcountry in 1780 and 1781 present a superb, concise account of that brutal and confusing aspect of the conflict."―War in History

From the Inside Flap

"The author has done an outstanding job of integrating military action with the social, political, economic, geographic, and demographic factors that explain the course and outcome of the war in South Carolina. A pleasure to read, this is a book well worth keeping for future reference."--Larry H. Addington, The Citadel

"John W. Gordon has provided a much-needed detailed history of the many battles that tore at the vitals of South Carolina, a state that suffered as much or more than any in America during the struggle for independence. Standard accounts often neglect the skirmishes and minor contests that nonetheless took an enormous toll on both sides between 1775 and 1783. The numerous maps and rich bibliography also make this volume a starting point for research on the war in South Carolina.--Don Higginbotham, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08TZM7X2N
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of South Carolina Press (February 8, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 8, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6350 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 252 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1570036616
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 42 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
John W. Gordon

John W. Gordon

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
42 global ratings
Should be required in school
5 Stars
Should be required in school
Current US Dept of Educatiom curriculum doesn’t not properly represent the sacrifice and impact that SouthCarolina had on the Rev War. The war was won in SC. Unfortunately the north changed how history was written after the civil war. This is a great book that will showcase many historic moments that all should know.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Paul Warren
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Star History Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2005
Verified Purchase
Five Star Plus Rating: This is a classic book about one of the most pivotal components of America's Revolutionary War victory. The author's style and knowledge of his subject and Carolina geography makes this one of those books you will find hard to put down before reading it from cover to cover

A "hard cover" book, beautifully stitched and bound with gold embossed spine.

The 16 illustrations, and 17 maps aid in making this a book you will want to have with you if and when you have an opportunity to visit and travel to Charleston or to the many other South Carolina Revolutionary battle sites. The 13 page Introduction delivers an insight into the mighty British Navy as well as the background and organization of our early militia. The author also provides excellent coverage and content of the naval and maritime operations which played such a key role in the British capture of Charleston by the British in 1780

This history moves in a fast-paced, flowing, linear time-line, pulling the reader forward in anticipation of the next page, or next battle-and there are many.

Mr. Gordon provides a wealth of interesting facts related to the many individual battles he so meticulously describes. One little known fact to look for is-- which field commander lost every battle he fought -- but won the war in South Carolina setting the stage for the British defeat and surrender at Yorktown. This is a Five Star Book. !
8 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required in school
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2018
Verified Purchase
Current US Dept of Educatiom curriculum doesn’t not properly represent the sacrifice and impact that SouthCarolina had on the Rev War. The war was won in SC. Unfortunately the north changed how history was written after the civil war. This is a great book that will showcase many historic moments that all should know.
Customer image
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required in school
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2018
Current US Dept of Educatiom curriculum doesn’t not properly represent the sacrifice and impact that SouthCarolina had on the Rev War. The war was won in SC. Unfortunately the north changed how history was written after the civil war. This is a great book that will showcase many historic moments that all should know.
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
nom de plume
4.0 out of 5 stars good book
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2012
Verified Purchase
a large part of the battles of the American revolution took place in south carolina. It is a good read
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
jeff emore
5.0 out of 5 stars good book, I found out I had a 4th ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2015
Verified Purchase
good book,I found out I had a 4th great grandfather in the South Carolina militia.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
kathy
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2016
Verified Purchase
GREAT
Helpful
 Report
K. C. Kehoe
5.0 out of 5 stars Ironically, little is written about the American Revolutionary War ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2017
Ironically, little is written about the American Revolutionary War in South Carolina even though it had more battles than any other state. John Gordon gives us an in-depth detail of the battles in SC as well as the historical context. This is an important book to fully understand the American Revolutionary War to its finish.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Monty Rainey
5.0 out of 5 stars A Closer Study of the Southern Campaign
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2006
Despite having its' origin in Massachusetts, its first major victory in New York (along with numerous defeats), the many traipses across New Jersey, and its conclusion in Virginia, more Revolutionary combat actions occurred in South Carolina than in any other state. Often, when Americans think of the Revolution, visions of minute men at Lexington and Concord, Washington crossing the Delaware, or even the first victory at Saratoga come to mind. With his book, SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, John W. Gordon seeks to change all that and bring to the forefront, the importance of the campaigns and skirmishes that kept South Carolina in turmoil for nearly eight years.

Even in the southern campaign, knowledge is often limited to the major events such as Cowpens and the siege of Charleston. Gordon lends meticulous insight and detail to countless lesser known events of the south. Closely examined here are details concerning the three fronts of attack in South Carolina; British Naval forces in the east, Cherokee Indians in the west, and Tory loyalists throughout the state.

If you are a southern campaign enthusiast, I believe this book gives the best overall insight to the South Carolina battles of all the endless array of books previously written on the subject. Gordon writes with a fluidity often missing from battlefield narratives. The book flows extremely well and even learned students of the southern campaign will gain an abundance of information from this fine work.

This is far more than simply a reference guide to South Carolina battles, though it serves that purpose well also. Gordon goes on to present his arguments in rich detail and substantiate those arguments with well defined critical factual elements. As you would expect from a book of this magnitude, there is also a wonderful bibliography and footnotes for enhanced further study.

Monty Rainey
[...]
19 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
S. Lee
4.0 out of 5 stars Revolution-ary books!
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2009
Great book, well written. The only thing that kept it from getting 5 stars were the maps which lacked sufficient definition and in some cases even lacked the areas under discussion in the chapters.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report