The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 [Hardcover]

 

 

Create your own review

Middlekauff has read deeply in the history of the American revolution and the early republic. Moreover, he is interested in more than just a simple narrative; he is interested in causes and motives, as he shows in chaps. 20 and 21 of this book, which discusses why soldiers fought instead of ran.

Unfortunately, the narrative in this book has holes, and Middlekauff often fails to put people and personalities into context, making the reading less interesting than it should be. He also makes high demands on readers' attention; this, plus the holes, made the book heavy going at times.

Here are some examples of holes: 1) In his discussion of the Intolerable Acts, Middlekauff fails to say what the Quebec Act was, yet on pp. 239 and 280 he assumes you know. 2) 471: "They all knew what happened to Buford's men at Waxhaws when they tried to run away." This is the only time "Buford" and "Waxhaws" are mentioned in the book. 3) 340: "June also brought William Howe back to New York." I can't find where it says Howe had been in New York before. 4) 462: "Some hint of what was coming was given ...when the victors, shouting 'Tarleton's Quarter,' shot and stabbed the wounded..." There is no explanation of this anywhere in the book. 478: "... Lee's Legion rode in. Greene once more had his army in one piece." This is the first time that "Lee's Legion" is mentioned. I had to look in the index to find out that "Lee" was Henry Lee. It never explains how he got a legion. The last time we saw him, on 417, he was foraging in Delaware.

No context for people and personalities: Isaac Barre gives a speech supporting the colonies in parliament (74-75), but Middlekauf never tells us who he is or why he speaks so strongly.
Directly below, the American who thinks Barre's speech is "noble" is never identified. Apparently it was Jared Ingersoll, who appears in a very different light in other parts of the book.

Demands on reader's attention: 406-7 "Amherst told the king..." This is Jeffrey Amherst. The last time we met him, also identified only as "Amherst", was page 276, where he was fighting Montcalm in Quebec for all of one sentence. Look up Amherst in the index, see where he appears, and see how easy it is to connect these references. This is very tough, demanding writing.

Middlekauff knows the period, is a very intelligent writer, has interesting views and judgments which he backs up effectively. However, if you want to understand what is going on, you will have to go to other books in addition to this one, and you will have to pay very close attention to Middlekauff, with pencil in hand and constant reference to the index.

As an example of a book which brings people and personalities strongly into context, I recommend Barbara Tuchman's "March of Folly" which has an outstanding chapter on "The British Lose America." This will tell you who Barre was, why they were drinking toasts to John Wilkes in South Carolina in 1768, and what the Quebec Act was. It's only a tiny fragment of the history Middlekauff tries to cover, and occasionally falls down as well (Tuchman mangles the text of Barre's speech), but is a great example of fascinating historical writing which historians would do well to study.

As a Canadian, I was not that exposed to the American Revolution in school. I recall us covering Washington on the Potomac, Bunker Hill, and Benedict Arnold but only basic, propaganda-like content (weird that there was so much on Arnold). Most American histories take a good versus evil stance but this effort does a fantastic job of conveying the complexities and fateful aspects of the revolution. Many talk of the battles but glance over the fact that this was an extraordinary effort because while fighting the British, the early leaders of America were also building a central government, struggling with daunting economic issues, experiencing social change, and muddling through foreign relations. All the time harnessing the power of a growing union of fledgling states. This strips away a great deal of the vacuous myths that have surrounded the period.

It is a history of citizen soldiers that the nation would call on time and again during its Civil War and the World Wars. I was struck by how independent the 'nation' already was by 1775 given the bungling governance of the Brits since 1764. In fact, America's greatest strength is still its greatest weakness, that is the tension that exists between liberty and nationalism. In essence, America had demonstrated their independence long before having to formally declare it.

The author's writing style is both authoritative and approachable. He takes us from strategy to tactics with ease and speed. The book covers an incredible amount of information which provides a tremendously holistic view of the conflict, its origins, and its impact. Starting with the key events that precipitated the war, from the Stamp Act to the Tea Act, the Boston Tea Party and "the shot heard 'round the world." The main part the book features a terrific description of the eight-year-long war, with awesome accounts of the conflicts, ranging from Bunker Hill to the win at Hannah's Cowpens and then Yorktown. The challenges faced by the troops on both sides is mind boggling. America's natural grasp of irregular warfare was a huge asset. I also enjoyed the summary towards the end which convincingly demonstrates that the British lost the war perhaps more than America won it.

The book concludes with the Constitution in the 1787 Philadelphia Convention and the struggle over ratification. This was very enlightening for me having been under the impression that everything was smooth following the conflict. Two aspects here are especially interesting; the machinations of Virginia and the lost opportunity to initiate a gradual emancipation of slaves. One thing the book maintains is the critical role Washington played in the conflict and as first leader of the new republic. He led with increasing confidence, consulted experts but made the final decisions, and he surrounded himself with good people (the truest sign of a great leader).

America like my country of Canada are living experiments and there is much to be learned from their histories. One small complaint unrelated to the book itself comes as a result of reading this on my Kindle, as the maps and other illustrations were very difficult to make out.

After reading the other three works from the Oxford Series, I was expecting something similar (well-wriiten and readable history). Unfortunately, this book falls short for the following reasons:
1) Boring (and I really like reading history, this says something)
2) The writing style makes it difficult to follow events (one becomes even more confused about the Revolution from reading this book)
3) overanalysis on events (4 chapters just on the Stamp Act is a bit much)
The American Revolution is a great story, filled with interesting events and characters. Why doesn't Middlekauff include more of these? His book is more focused on trivial details and overanalysis which lessen the "big picture". Anyone looking for a good and readable book on the revolution should aviod this one!

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 15 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

4.0 out of 5 stars Out of Touch with Modern Historiography
Middlekauff's book aims to be an in-depth overview of the Revolutionary War period but falls short in many areas. Read more

Published on Dec 7 2003 by Kai Coates

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best overall book about the Revolutionary War
This is an excellent book if you want a good picture of the events involved in America's war for independence. It does not dwell on flowery subjects nor go astray. Read more

Published on Sep 25 2002

2.0 out of 5 stars Dissappointing
This was a weak effort, esp. considering that the book is part of the Oxford History of the US. It offers no new insights, has very little arguement in it, and as such, there are... Read more

Published on Jun 4 2002 by Scholar

5.0 out of 5 stars The war of "The Children of the Twice-Born"
The inaugural volume of the highly honored but still unfinished "Oxford History Of The United States" series is "The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789," a... Read more

Published on Mar 13 2002 by Mike Powers

4.0 out of 5 stars A Bookend Account--best at start and finish
Middlekauf's book starts off with a far more detailed account of the roots of the American Revolution than are offered by most books; I especially enjoyed the explanation of the... Read more

Published on Sep 21 2000

4.0 out of 5 stars A Glorious History
Enthralling, but probably not the book for someone who's read extensively on the subject already. And since the title describes, without irony, Middlekauff's overall attitude... Read more

Published on Aug 21 2000 by Paul Berk

3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite up to standard for the Oxford History of the U.S.
I was candidly overwhelmed by the military nature of this historical work. I was hoping for a great deal more in the political, social and economic areas than Profesor... Read more

Published on Aug 1 2000 by Shawn S. Sullivan

5.0 out of 5 stars A book worth reading
This is the best account of the American Revolution that I have read. I was particularly impressed with the detail of events leading up to the war. Read more

Published on Dec 28 1999 by William L. Smith

4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough, A Very Complete Book
Middlekauf writes a very thorough book on the causes, fighting and management of our Revolutionary War. Read more

Published on Dec 17 1999 by Wayne A. Smith

3.0 out of 5 stars If you are looking for the politics of the Revolution....
If you are looking for a book that covers the politics of the American Revolution and the events leading to the Revolution, then this is the book for you. Read more

Published on Dec 10 1998

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 15 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Search Listmania!