Ships from: Troy, NY
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Ships from: Prospect, CT
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Want a NOOK? Explore Now
In this gripping chronicle of America's struggle for independence, award-winning historian John Ferling transports readers to the grim realities of that war, capturing an eight-year conflict filled with heroism, suffering, cowardice, betrayal, and fierce dedication. As Ferling demonstrates, it was a war that America came much closer to losing than is now usually remembered. General George Washington put it best when he said that the American victory was "little short of a standing miracle."
Almost a Miracle offers an illuminating portrait of America's triumph, offering vivid descriptions of all the major engagements, from the first shots fired on Lexington Green to the surrender of General Cornwallis at Yorktown, revealing how these battles often hinged on intangibles such as leadership under fire, heroism, good fortune, blunders, tenacity, and surprise. The author paints sharp-eyed portraits of the key figures in the war, including General Washington and other American officers and civilian leaders. Some do not always measure up to their iconic reputations, including Washington himself. Others, such as the quirky, acerbic Charles Lee, are seen in a much better light than usual. The book also examines the many faceless men who soldiered, often for years on end, braving untold dangers and enduring abounding miseries. The author explains why they served and sacrificed, and sees them as the forgotten heroes who won American independence. Ferling's narrative is also filled with compassion for the men who comprised the British army and who, like their American counterparts, struggled and died at an astonishing rate in this harsh war. Nor does Ferling ignore the naval war, describing dangerous patrols and grand and dazzling naval actions.
Finally, Almost a Miracle takes readers inside the legislative chambers and plush offices of diplomats to reveal countless decisions that altered the course of this war. The story that unfolds is at times a tale of folly, at times one of appalling misinformation and confusion, and now and then one of insightful and dauntless statesmanship.
Illustrations and Maps Preface Introduction: "My Country, My Honor, My Life": Bravery and Death in War
Part One: Going to War, 1775-1776
1. "Fear Is Not an American Art": The Coming of the War
3. Choices, 1775
Part Two: The War in the North, 1776-1779
4. "Hastening Fast to a Crisis": June 1775-June 1776
5. Choices, 1776
6. "Knock Him Up for the Campaign": The Battle for New York, 1776
7. "This Hour of Adversity": To the End of 1776
8. Choices, 1777
9. "The Caprice of War": America's Pivotal Victory at Saratoga
10. "We Rallied and Broke": The Campaign for Philadelphia, September-December 1777
11. Choices, 1778
12. "A Respectable Army": The Grim Year, 1778
13. Choices, 1779
14. "A Band of Brotherhood": The Soldiers, the Army, and the Forgotten War of 1779
15. "We Have Occasioned a Good Deal of Terror": The War at Sea
16. Choices
Part Three: The War in the South, 1780-1781
17. "A Year Filled With Our Disgraces": Defeat in the South, 1780
18. "Southern Means and Southern Exertions": Hope and Despair, June-December 1780
19. Choices, 1781
20. "Bloody and Severe": The Pivotal Southern War, Early 1781
21. "We Are Suspended in the Balance": Spring and Summer 1781
Part Four: American Victory, 1781-1783
22. "America is Ours": Victory at Yorktown, 1781
23. Choices, 1782
24. "May We Have Peace in Our Time": Peace and Demobilization, 1782-1783
25. "Little Short of a Miracle": Accounting of America's Victory Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index
Mario_de_la_Vega
Posted December 30, 2010
A very readable book. The author brought to life the struggles that the rebels went through during the American revolutionary war. I highly recommend it the book to people who like David McCullough type histories.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This absorbing book by John Ferling is one of the finest presentations of the story of the American Revolution I have read. Its scope includes the origins of the conflict, explores the strategy and political background from the perspectives of both America and Britain. It provides excellent insights into strategic and tactical thinking and provides sufficient detail to capture the imagination of the reader. Combining the foregoing with vivid portraits of participants. great and small, Almost a Miracle is perhaps one of the best tellings of our Revolution under one cover.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 2, 2008
I highly recommend this book to every American and those wishing to become an American citizen. This is by far the best book I have read on this subject. I have learned more in this book then I ever did in my formal schooling. The author's style provides the ability to put you into the text as much as possibly could. Once I started reading, I could not put this book down. A must read that should be included in all educational institutions so that all Americans understand what our forefathers sacrificed so that we may enjoy the liberties and opportunities that we enjoy in our country today.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 1, 2008
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted February 5, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted August 7, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted March 15, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted January 8, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted August 23, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted July 23, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted November 22, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted June 7, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted July 17, 2010
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
In this gripping chronicle of America's struggle for independence, award-winning historian John Ferling transports readers to the grim realities of that war, capturing an eight-year conflict filled with heroism, suffering, cowardice, betrayal, and fierce dedication. As Ferling demonstrates, it was a war that America came much closer to losing than is now usually remembered. General George Washington put it best when he said that the American victory was "little short of a ...