An intellectual interpretation of the American revolution that raises it to a new height of comprehensiveness and significance. A superbly detailed account of the ideological escalation . . . that brought Americans to revolution. ―Gordon S. Wood; New York Times Book Review In this classic account of the American revolution; Pauline Maier traces the step-by-step process through which the extra-legal institutions of the colonial resistance movement assumed authority from the British. She follows the American Whigs as they moved by stages from the organized resistance of the Stamp Act crisis of 1765 through the non-importation associations of the late 1760s to the collapse of royal government after 1773; the implication of the king in a conspiracy against American liberties; and the consequent Declaration of Independence. Professor Maier's great achievement is to explain how Americans came to contemplate and establish their independence; guided by principle; reason; and experience.
#824674 in Books 2014-04-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.60 x 1.30 x 7.20l; 2.67 #File Name: 0393243141416 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Willard Phelpsif you like original documents; you will love this!22 of 23 people found the following review helpful. Brilliant Book by a Gifted WriterBy John M. DanielskiMaritime historians do not get any better than Sam Willis. He is not only a thorough; meticulous researcher; but he is a skilled and evocative writer. He presents the discovery of documents long tucked away and forgotten as an exciting adventure story. You can feel the thrill he had at re - discovering the words of some of England's greatest admirals; written very shortly after their greatest victories; while the decks still ran red with blood. He gives the background and context of each document; and offers many valuable insights into the habits and psyche of its writer. This is primary source history; filled with blood; guts; raw emotion; heroism; and plenty of unexpected oddities. You can almost feel yourself transported to the pitching and rolling decks of England's wooden walls. A must for the serious reader of English maritime history and Hornblower and O' Brien fans. It is also a good book for the novice who wants to dig a little deepr than generalist histories which often sanitize history.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. A Great Book for Readers of Naval Fiction Who Want to Know MoreBy Nan51I chose to read this book to improve my knowledge of that period of history. I am simply an amateur historian in the purest sense of the word. Sam Willis has a gift for taken events of the past and presenting them to the reader in a way that engages the imagination. After reading the first few chapters; I was hooked for the remaining five battles. The personalities of the men who engaged the enemy; who wrote the reports; what may have motivated them; the discrepancies between the reports of the same battle; is there. Willis is the best kind of historian.Right to the end of the book; I was engaged in these events. The key to his success as far as I am concerned was in his postscript. As a lover of history and family history; I was surprised and delighted by his words. I wish I could quote him in full but in short he wrote "The strands of history run through us all." ....."The past is not alien time and place; a disconnected world to be studied with scientific objectivity. It is our past inhabited by our relatives. They are simply waiting to be found and hoping to be understood." YES!
