Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire French and Indian War and American Revolution Books???

Any recommendations?

Just finished "1776" by David McCullough. Was very interesting.

And, just started "His Excellency: George Washington" by Joseph Ellis. Too soon to tell.

"1776" as mentioned is good, but the best I've ever read is the series by Allen Eckert. The Winning of America series consists of six volumes, including The Frontiersmen, Wilderness Empire, The Conquerors, The Wilderness War, Gateway to Empire, and Twilight of Empire. These are written so as to flow like a story, and as each book goes along he, I can't think of the literary term, puts a little number at the end of many paragraphs referencing a source for the info in the back of the book. I can't recommend them highly enough.

See if you can locate a copy of "Scalps and Tomahawks", edited by Fredrick Drimmer, Coward-McCann, NY. NY. 1961

Its a very good narritive of Indian captivity 1750 to 1870 with 10 pages of footnotes.

I'll recommend Fusiliers by Mark Urban. The 23rd Regiment (the Royal Welsh Fusiliers), were present in America from Lexington Green in 1775 to Yorktown in 1781. The book traces the regiment and its battles from Bunker Hill, through the 1777 campaign in PA, to SC, the Battle of Camden, into NC and the Battle of Guilford Courthouse and finally to Yorktown. I enjoy a book that covers an entire war through the experience of one unit and this book is of that type.

I haven't read it in a long time, but isn't Last of the Mohicans also set during those wars?

As a kid growing up in the 50s I enjoyed my American History textbooks and read everything I could find on the Revolution. Now they have probably removed that part of our heritage from the textbooks.

I read the whole series along time ago and really enjoyed it.
Even though it's fiction, the places and events are accurate.

Also, even though the movie was good, it is NOTHING like the book. IIRC, the series starts with "The Deerslayer".

"The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War" by Fred Anderson and "The Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in North America" by the same author have gotten good reviews.

Have not personally got around to reading them yet. A good portion of the N. American fighting occurred close by me.

Washington should have been killed twice during the French and Indian war. Once with Gen. Braddock when Braddock was killed not far from where I live. The second time was at Fort Necessity not far from the Braddock attack when it rained and both sides powder got wet. The French stopped the Indians from killing him and his men and made him sign an agreement to leave the country. He didn't leave.

By far Allen Eckert!

You will feel like you are part of the experience!

Williams Fowler's Empires at War is very good...came out a few years ago.

It sets what we call the French and Indian War in context....it was the Seven Years War in Europe...maybe the first real world war, since it was fought in India, Europe, West Africa, the Caribbean, North America, and wherever the Royal Navy could find a Frenchman at sea.

It was one of several sequels to what we called Queen Anne's war in the early 1700s, which was the War of the Spanish Succession in Europe.

http://www.amazon.com/Empires-War-Struggle-America-1754-1763/dp/0802714110


I have read Crucible of War that Battue listed and recommend it as well.

2 for now.

French & Indian "A Few Acres Of Snow" by Robert Leckie.
Revolution "An Angel in The Whirlwind" by Benson Bobrick.
I got some other I recomend too, but I've gotta hunt them up!
7mm

When I was at the Saratoga Battlefield earlier this year I picked up the Richard Ketchum upon the recommendation of the Park Rangers. I found it an excellent read on the Saratoga Campaign.

"Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War"
Richard M. Ketchum

http://www.amazon.com/Saratoga-Turn...mp;ie=UTF8&qid=1281498025&sr=1-1

or tinyurl:

http://tinyurl.com/237d8st

I found this book a good read on the Mohawk Valley during the F&I and Revolutionary Wars.

"Bloody Mohawk: The French and Indian War & American Revolution on New York's Frontier"
Richard Berleth

http://www.amazon.com/Bloody-Mohawk...mp;ie=UTF8&qid=1281498429&sr=1-1

or
http://tinyurl.com/2dvsdzh

Finally, I agree with Battue and Steve_NO about Fred Anderson's book. I am currently about halfway through the 800 pages. The author is a bit of cynic and has some interesting thoughts.

For example, he notes that George Washington recounted that doctors treating the wounded from Braddock's defeat found large numbers of the wounds were from musket balls more in line with the Brown Bess than indian rifles. That, with contemporary accounts of how many soldiers were shot down by leaderless British troops randomly firing volleys, seems to imply a "Death Blossom".

Another example, is during the Bloody Morning Scout. He matter of factly points out that the abject rout of American troops from that ambush was the fastest way to get out of the kill zone. And coupled with the very effective fighting withdrawal by the accompaning Mohawk scouts, probably saved hundreds of lives. For those not familiar with the battle, not to worry. The Americans eventually rallied, defeated the pursuers, captured the French Commanding General, retook the ambush zone and surprised the ambushers who were still looting the bodies. They then killed large numbers of the ambushers.

"Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766"
Fred Anderson

http://www.amazon.com/Crucible-War-...mp;ie=UTF8&qid=1281498936&sr=1-1

or

http://tinyurl.com/2emhcl2

I've enjoyed reading "A Few Acres of Snow" and "George Washington's War" both by Robert Leckie. This was the same Robert Leckie that was portrayed in HBO's "Pacific."

founding Brothers by Ellis

+2 my favorite is the Frontiersman.


maddog

Also recommend "Patriots, The Men Who Started the American Revolution" by AJ Langguth.

Agree with above comments on "1776" and "Wilderness Empire". I have the "Frontiersman" on order.

Exkert is goods and entertaining, but he has frequently been proven wrong in many specific particulars, so much so that he is regarded as a general guide at best to serious reenacting types.

To give one example for a firearms board; serious scholarship is showing that it was probably the Indians who were the serious riflemen of the Frontier, certainly in terms of numbers in the beginning.

F&I

A Crucible of War Fred Anderson. Cynical, as noted earlier, but probably that is a healthy way to look at all wars.

Redcoats Steven Brumwell. Fascinating study of the men who filled the British ranks, both English and Colonials.

White Devil Steven Brumwell. A Robert Rogers biography. Rogers was the original Ranger, and came up with his famous set of rules, still very relevant today. Much of the book dwells on the St Francis raid, which took the Abenakis (a name hardly recalled today, but those guys were bad in their day) out of the war.

War on the Run John Ross. Four stars for this one, a Robert Rogers biography that out-does Brumwell. Gives a much better account of Rogers' role versus the British aristocracy and high command. A much better account too of his abortive efforts against the Cherokee, and his political assassination by his enemies when he was in command at Detroit. Also leads into the Rev War, where Rogers chose the wrong side.

Through So Many Dangers Robert Kirk. Probably the best captivity account. Kirk was a member of a Highland Regiment captured outside of Fort Pitt. IIRC he lived with the Indians in the Ohio Country for two years before returning to his regiment. He wrote his memoirs while he was stationed in Ireland. A good account of Indian society and the Ohio Country.

Rev. War

Darn it, as so often happens I cannot lay a hand on the FIRST book I would recommend about the American Revolution. Written by a British Historian who has spent much time in America (Italian surname) specifically in response to the movie "The Patriot". The guy's purpose was to cut through all the popular fictitious beliefs that have become part of our national lore. A great book, I'll post when I find it. A thoroughly cynical book.

Washington's Crossing David Hackett Fischer. Speaking of popular fictitious beliefs. We commonly trivialize Washington's crossing of the Delaware. This well written book puts this remarkable achievement in context; a brilliant counterstroke executed under conditions of great hardship by an enemy (us) that should have been down and out. Also gives a well-written overview of the fall of New York and Washington's retreat across Jersey.

The Battle for New York Barnet Schecter. Almost nobody knows about this one, the author is a New York City school teacher. A highly detailed and well-written account of the British landing on Long Island and the subsequent defeat of the Rebels around New York.

"Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War" Already mentioned above.

I'm reading a really good biography about Conrad Weiser right now. Paul Wallace wrote it but I imagine it's hard to find.

Read "Hornet's Nest" (Into the Hornet's Nest?) by Jimmy Carter
It is a fiction based on Revolutionary War life in the south.
He made a lousy president, but it is a very good read.