Special Operations During the American Revolution

In the eighteenth century, European wars were generally civilized affairs. Two armies would line up facing each other, ready their muskets, then unload volley after volley of inaccurate fire into the massed ranks of their foes. General Washington, having learned according to the European school of thought, initially followed a similar strategy. However, he soon realized that his army’s numerical inferiority, America’s rugged frontier, and the availability of precise and fast-moving rifleman made a different approach much more feasible. He used small groups of hard-hitting, accurate troops to capture strategic points such as Ft. Ticonderoga and New Providence, and to harry the flanks and supply columns of the ponderous British army.

This was an excellent book; it was well-researched, entertaining, and fun to read, and it provided a unique perspective on the methods used to win the War of Independence. The author described in great depth the events preceding the battles, and how these small special operations units were vital to the American cause. This is a great book for the neophyte historian or any casual reader.