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Liberty the American Revolution Paperback – January 1, 2004

by Thomas Fleming (Author)

4.6 410 ratings

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Liberty! The American Revolution brings to life one of the most important and compelling stories in our country's history: the struggle for independence and the birth of the American nation. Historian and novelist Thomas Fleming's gripping narrative captures the high drama of the revolutionary years and the unyielding courage and political genius of the men and women who imagined a new set of political possibilities for mankind - laying the foundation for the identity and character of the American people in the process. The companion volume to the PBS television series of the same name, Liberty! is illustrated with more than 200 full color paintings and photographs, illuminating the revolutionary period as never before. Most important, Liberty! traces the evolution of the ideals that inspired a generation of Americans to struggle against Britain - then the most powerful nation in the world - to establish the free society and democratic system that is so inherently and uniquely American. A remarkable work that surges with human drama, it is a book that every American family will read and treasure for decades to come.

Publisher

Viking
Publication date

January 1, 2004
ISBN-10

0965067084
ISBN-13

978-0965067089
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000NW9B8W
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Viking (January 1, 2004)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0965067084
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0965067089
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.1 ounces

Best Sellers Rank: #3,551,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6,593 in U.S. Revolution & Founding History

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4.6 410 ratings

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Thomas Fleming

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"How do you write a book?" 24 year old Thomas Fleming asked bestselling writer Fulton Oursler in 1951. "Write four pages a day," Oursler said. "Every day except Sunday. Whether you feel like it or not. Inspiration consists of putting the seat of your pants on the chair at your desk." Fleming has followed this advice to good effect. His latest effort, "The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers," is his 50th published book. Twenty three of them have been novels. He is the only writer in the history of the Book of the Month Club to have main selections in fiction and in nonfiction. Many have won prizes. Recently he received the Burack Prize from Boston University for lifetime achievement. In nonfiction he has specialized in the American Revolution. He sees Intimate Lives as a perfect combination of his double talent as a novelist and historian. "Novelists focus on the imtimate side of life. This is the first time anyone has looked at the intimate side of the lives of these famous Americans, with an historian's eyes." Fleming was born in Jersey City, the son of a powerful local politician. He has had a lifetime interest in American politics. He also wrote a history of West Point which the New York Times called "the best...ever written." Military history is another strong interest. He lives in New York with his wife, Alice Fleming, who is a gifted writer of books for young readers.

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uluvhistory

The Americans Fought to Retain Their Liberty, not to gain it.

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2014

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This is a great read even though I have some issues on various points in regard to Thomas Fleming’s views and conclusions. None of them interfered with my intense pleasure in this well written book which not only gives us a dramatic narrative that is both personal and yet comprehensive, politically and militarily, but it evokes the suffering, the sacrifices and the individual price this war cost more effectively than other books I have read on the topic.

In addition, no one I have read shows us the contribution that horses made and their suffering as well. I did take exception to Fleming telling us that Benedict Arnold and James Wilkerson shot their horses in the head when they left Canada which I found disconcerting, disturbing and gratuitous. He did not comment on it or make any point about it one way or the other. It did not seem at all justifiable and if not, I do think that Fleming should have made such an observation.

While it is intimidating to question a historian the stature of Fleming nonetheless, I do take issue with his disdainful attitude toward the British Parliament because only 2% of the population elected the House of Commons. To me we need more balance and perspective; better 2% than 0% as was the case in almost every other country except in the American colonies. I have a deep appreciation for those 2% British elections in spite of their limitations. It still embodied the concept of the consent of the governed.

Without the eternal rights of Englishman guaranteed in the colonial Charters rooted in the British constitution, the American colonies would not have made such advances including consent of the governed, & elected lower houses with the power of the purse. It reminds me of Isaac Newton who said that if he had seen further than other men it was because he was standing on the shoulders of giants. Similarly if the American colonies had progressed more in widening the base of participation in government, it was because they also had been standing on the shoulders of giants. The Americans had learned liberty from the British.

There is no time to go on and do an in-depth review I might do but let me add this one thing. There is one person more than any other single individual who is responsible for the American Revolution and that is King George III and I did not think Fleming put that squarely on his head to my satisfaction. The king had no concept or appreciation for what those written charters meant and what the American colonists had done to govern themselves before he came to the throne in 1760 during the French and Indian War.

Regardless of my caveats, I love this book and cannot recommend it highly enough. I was sorry when it was done. If you have any interest in the American Revolution, you will find it as compelling as I did. I wanted more attention to Benedict Arnold and it took
too many pages before Fleming finally properly depicted the American General Horatio Gates for the coward that he was. Fleming never quite gave enough credit for the bravery, and bold leadership provided by Arnold on the battle field.

There are so many good quotations all through the book that you will want to record some of them. However I must disagree with Fleming when he said the choice was between American liberty vs British liberty. The choice was between American liberty and British soft tyranny under King George III, make no mistake.

4 people found this helpful

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Eric

A solid overview of the American Revolution and its causes

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2019

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I thought this was a pretty informative and lively retelling of the events of 1763-1789. What I liked:

- Fleming's recounting of the years leading up to the revolution. Provided a lot of insight into the British actions and colonial sentiments that motivated the colonials to revolt.
- The sections going over the British political scene before and during the Revolution, particularly the battles between George III and his opponents. This is a part of the story that many Americans aren't that familiar with, but contributed heavily to the outbreak of war and also impacted how it was prosecuted.
- The handling of the first two years of the war, from Lexington and Concord to Saratoga. This part of the book is packed with details about major battles and strategic decisions, but is rarely dull.
- The final chapter of the book, which covers the messy years immediately following the war and the creation of the Constitution. It drives home just how close the war's achievements came to being undone, and also how fraught with tension the negotiations of the Constitutional Convention were.
- Fleming's ability to convey just how much the actions of individuals and small groups of people changed the course of history. By modern standards, this was a war fought by a fairly small number of troops, and the fighting took place over a large land mass over the course of 6 years. As a result, on both the American and British sides, the bravery, cowardice, foresight, and incompetence of individuals and small groups had monumental consequences time and time again.

What I thought could've been handled better:

- The section dealing with the fighting that took place from 1778 to 1781, at least prior to the Battle of Yorktown. Much of this felt rushed, especially the parts dealing with the fighting in the South.
- There often wasn't enough attention given to discussing the attitudes and motivations of those who sided with the British, whether Native Americans worried about the Americans' westward push, loyalists uneasy with revolutionary upheaval or Benedict Arnold, whose betrayal came after a series of slights and injustices that sent him over the edge. Likewise, the conflicted attitudes that many British soldiers and officers had about the Americans, and how that influenced the prosecution of the war, was only occasionally referenced.
- Some of the commentary about George Washington felt a little haiographic. Washington was a great leader, one who deserves a lot of credit for keeping an army that was often freezing, starving, and/or unpaid from disintegrating. But his track record as a tactician was quite mixed, and this felt glossed over.

Overall, though, this was a pretty good read. Recommended for those who want to become more familiar with the United States' formative years and some of the key figures that defined them.

One person found this helpful

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Janis Cortese

makes the Revolution real, and human

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 1999

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One of the most irritating things about studying the Revolution from an American perspective is that it's so totally iconized that you can't connect with it anymore. Everyone involved is seen as perfect gods or devils, and that elevation removes them from the sphere of normal humanity; you can't relate to them anymore. This book brings the Revolution back down to Earth, and doesn't just talk about battles. It focuses on people, on the politics behind the various events, on how people's personalities influenced pivotal decisions, and yes -- on the battle strategy and tactics as well. (Although I still think they iconized Washington a bit much -- nderstandable, I guess). It's the most comprehensive book on the Revolution, the most engaging, and a fabulous jumping-off point for anyone starting an in-depth study of that period in our history. I always hated history in school -- just a bunch of cartoonish propaganda, memorized names and dates. Books like this help to illustrate how living, and vital, and exciting history is. They help to illustrate that when you get right down to it, history is not only one of the most important subjects in the world, but really the only subject in the world. If you're even VAGUELY curious about the Revolution, buy this book. It'll be the first of many.

50 people found this helpful

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Pamela J

Liberty, Freedom, Duty, Honour, Progress

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 28, 2018

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I am English from a family whose men volunteered to fight for freedom for other countries as well as their own and carried on that spirit in their civilian lives.
I studied the American War of Independence for my GCE O level but this account left me astounded. I always knew that the American revolutionaries from the rioters to the Politicians and Fighting military were from the same basic stock as those British who had upheld the same principles for centuries. Unfortunately, over the centuries, particularly since our Civil War in Britain, a controlling elitist society had been established but still with some amazingly great men such as William Pitt and William Wilberforce. However the spirit of freedom was never extinguished even though George Third was not restrained as he should have been.
The Revolution only just succeeded mainly because of the Atlantic barrier and because of the similar natures and upbringing of the combatants.
On both sides some ludicrous command decisions were being continually made and as Benedict Arnold found, those who were in command were often in place because of who they knew rather than for what they knew. It smacked of the same elitism that was in charge in England.
America’s salvation came from the gung ho risk takers and from George Washington who was steadfast from beginning to end. He did what the British have always usually been good at in war. He played his enemy at their own game and added a dash of inspiration and pure courage.
I was disappointed that the British used German troops to help them. I am even more disappointed that the Americans used French.
The great tragedy was in that friends and family fought each other. Britain is so proud of its offshoot dominions that grew and prospered and came immediately to the aid of the home country particularly in two world wars . At any other time America would never have needed or wanted total independence but that is history. It happened and a Great Nation was born and stood as a symbol of Liberty for us all.
However Britain went first to stand for Liberty in two world wars and I am very proud of that.

One person found this helpful

Carl Wilkinson

So this book has been educational and I would recommend it to anyone who wants an easy to read ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2014

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As an Englishman, schooled in the '60's and 70's, I know very little about American history before WW1. So this book has been educational and I would recommend it to anyone who wants an easy to read ntroduction to this period of American history, i.e. 1650-1820. It explains the reasoning behind the revolution and puts the blame squarely on the greed, avarice and hypochrasy of the British aristocracy and its cuckold establishment. It also shows how a rag-bag bunch of untrained militants/mercenaries are able to defeat a great military power, through guerilla warfare tactics developed during this conflict. Unfortunatley, events in history and current affairs indicate that lessons have not been learned and greed and corruption still prevail, justifying wars of independence and self-determination. Why can't people live harmoniously in peace to create a one world where everyone can prosper and enjoy the planet we live on?
The pictures in this book are lavish and make you want to visit the museums and galleries which hold them. So too does the description of the battlefields where the action took place, if only they weren't 2000 miles away. I only have two criticisms with this book, firstly, sometimes the text veers off into unecessary anacdotal account in order to create a human story. Secondly, why hasn't the TV series been converted into PAL for British viewing?

The Beagle

A Great Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2016

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This is an excellent book. From start to finish, it takes a fascinating piece of history and brings it to life along with all of the people that made it so fascinating on both sides of the Atlantic. Subjective, it ditches the romance of the American Revolution and gives the reader a realistic insight into the personalities, propaganda, and frustration that drove the events which forged a nation.

Anyone with an interest in this period of history should make this required reading. Nothing is dumbed down, and that which needs further explanation is presented in an engaging manner. Even those people that don't necessarily get into history might enjoy it.

One person found this helpful

S. Beattie

United States - the beginning

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2015

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Interesting interpretation of the struggle for freedom from the British. Useful outline of both sides perspective on the build up to hostilities and the ensuing war and lots of original source material from key players adds colour to the narrative. Interesting to read about the problems Washington had in creating and maintaining his army and the often ineffectiveness of Congress. Also interesting to note the different agendas of the 13 states both during and after the war.

jim stillie

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2015

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a big book and a big story

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