On September 15; 1776; the British army under General William Howe invaded Manhattan Island; landing at an open field on the banks of the East River; roughly where the United Nations sits today. George Washington's Continental Army; still in disarray after its miraculous escape following the disastrous Battle of Brooklyn some two weeks earlier; retreated north to Harlem Heights; leaving New York in British hands. Control of the city was Howe's primary objective; located at the mouth of the strategically vital Hudson River; it had become the centerpiece of England's strategy for putting down the American rebellion. However; as Barnet Schecter reveals in his stirring narrative; far from furnishing a key to the colonies; New York proved to be the fatal albatross that strangled the British war effort.The Battle for New York tells the story of how the city became the pivot on which the American Revolution turned―from the political and religious struggles of the 1760s and early 1770s that polarized its citizens and increasingly made New York a hotbed of radical thought and action; to the campaign of 1776; which turned today's five boroughs and Westchester County into a series of battlefields; to the seven years of British occupation and martial law; during which time Washington and Congress were as focused on getting the city back as the British were on holding it. The extraordinary campaign in the fall of 1776; which forms the dramatic heart of Schecter's chronicle; has been overshadowed by more famous engagements at Bunker Hill; Saratoga; and Yorktown; and by the winter at Valley Forge. Yet the contest for New York was by far the largest military venture of the Revolutionary War; it involved almost every significant participant in the war on both sides; and there can be little doubt that during this campaign; the fate of America hung in the balance on several occasions. Moreover; the outcome had a direct impact on the major turning points of the rest of the war.Schecter delights in linking eighteenth-century events with the city's modern landscape; illuminating the forgotten battlefield that remains in our midst. He skillfully weaves into his narrative the memorable and passionate voices of those who were there―American private Joseph Martin; British second-in-command Henry Clinton; patriot-turned-Tory William Smith; minister Ewald Shewkirk; Nathan Hale; Benedict Arnold; and many others―thereby tracing the impact and meaning of the revolution in personal terms and giving his story a powerful human dimension. A profound and memorable saga in its own right; The Battle for New York offers valuable new insight into the American Revolution.
#102700 in Books S L Price 2016-10-04 2016-10-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.60 x 6.10l; .0 #File Name: 0802125646400 pagesPlaying Through the Whistle Steel Football and an American Town
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. This is not a book about footballBy radchickThis is not a book about football! Don't be disappointed! It is a touching story about a Pennsylvania Steel Mill Town. It describes what it was like in Aliquippa; who lived breathed and died Friday Nigh Football. It was a way to get out of that town. So many famous people came from Aliquippa; it was a spot in time...like no other. This is a book about the history of America; the disintegration of America; the story of the Crips and the Bloods; and the breakdown of the American Family...no this is not a book about football; this is a Great story of America. Thanks to my husband for the recommendation; and thanks to his friend for giving it to him as a gift.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. this book is about much more than football.By leonAn amazing book; about class struggle and racism as much as it is about a dying steel town's football team. Well worth reading and thinking about in a world where the poor are becoming poorer; the rich richer; but through it all; the working people of Aliquippa; PA call their town home; a place to come to; to find open arms; to find comfort and acceptance despite your victories or losses; a place that has not lost it's pride despite being victim to corporate greed.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Days gone byBy bdp6740Though Quip is certainly unique the tale told here could be about any rust belt flyover territory town across the former industrial states. This book deftly covers those left behind by the forces of globalization and offers stark view of things to come. That being said the book also offers a wonderful touch of humanity. This is a sad story but one that needs to be told if there is any hope for the people that have been and continue to be left behind.
