The War Before Independence

June 27, 2016
Beck follows 2015's Igniting the American Revolution: 1773â1775 with another rich and accessible popular history of the early Revolutionary period. He opens about a month after the violent confrontation between the British and Americans at Concord. Covering the battle of Bunker Hill, the siege of Quebec, and the end of the siege of Boston, Beck's narrative offers plenty of vivid details that bring the conflict to life. Lay readers with only a general familiarity with this period of the war will find some surprises, including Dr. Benjamin Church, the chairman of the rebels' Committee of Safety, turning traitor, and the lord mayor and aldermen of London sending a petition to King George III accusing him of tolerating despotic rule over their fellow subjects in America. After being designated commander-in-chief, George Washington struggled to instill discipline in his troops, an irony that stemmed from the "rhetoric of the Revolution itself," which was a "concerted effort of social insubordination" that did not mesh well with the army's dependence on its members' adherence to the obligations of rigid military ranks. Beck occasionally lapses into purple prose and has a fondness for unnecessarily emphasizing dramatic moments, but he tells the story well. Illus. Agent: Doug Grad, Doug Grad Literary.

Starred review from March 1, 2016
Beck (Igniting the American Revolution: 1773-1775, 2015) continues his deeply detailed story of the American Revolution's beginnings. In this volume, the author focuses on the British occupation of Boston and the attempts by American forces to retake it. The first and most formidable problem was that the Colonies did not yet have an army of their own. The provincial armies and local militias were united only in their common cause, and localism doomed attempts to field a cohesive force. Men from different states would never recognize any superior but one of their own. The forces not only lacked unity; they also tended to go their own ways in battle. Disciplining troops was difficult, as all believed themselves equal; in the spirit of casting off George III's sovereignty, soldiers rejected all authority. Even so, the author notes that the colonists did not initially intend to separate. They wished for liberty, not independence, but patriotism and a sense of duty were new ideas. It was the king's attitude that drove them to it. Beginning with a few skirmishes and the Battle of Chelsea Creek, Beck leads up to the Battle of Bunker Hill. In the middle of the night, Americans built entrenchments out of range of bombardments from English ships. English Gen. Thomas Gage attempted to encircle them but failed. In the end, it was a bloody fight and a pyrrhic victory for him. The fall of Montreal and the siege of Quebec seem to be asides in this story until we see Col. Henry Knox bringing desperately needed artillery and cannon across frozen Lake Champlain and the Hudson. Though Beck only covers a short period, his excellent research brings to life the men who fought, providing readers with real, tangible heroes, not just hazy historic figures. Revolutionary War fans will rejoice in this well-written work and hope that the author has more on the way.

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Starred review from May 1, 2016

Beck establishes himself as a premier historian of the American Revolution with this latest work that continues where Igniting the American Revolution: 1773-1775 left off. The author now recounts the story of colonial America through events such as the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Invasion of Canada by the Continental Army, and the Redcoat withdrawal from Boston. Beck provides firsthand accounts for each event while profiling long-forgotten heroes such as Dr. Joseph Warren and Gen. Richard Montgomery. The glories of battle are paired with disease-ridden camp life and leadership quarrels, creating a rich narrative balance, free of historiographic and military minutia yet solid in content. This excellent read takes its place next to Nathaniel Philbrick's Bunker Hill, Paul Lockhart's The Whites of Their Eyes, and Mark Anderson's The Battle for the Fourteenth Colony. VERDICT Highly recommended for those seeking a comprehensive telling of the immediate events prior to the Declaration of Independence and those who want a satisfying read.--Jacob Sherman, John Peace Lib., Univ. of Texas at San Antonio

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2016
Beck provides a follow-up volume to his Igniting the American Revolution: 17731775 (2015), which together chronicle the American colonies' taking steps, active and reactive, to severing ties with the mother country. Followed by the colonists' stepping into the violent military consequences of, first, questioning the future of their ties with Britain, and then acting on the nearly inevitable (given that the slow aggression by the British would drive the Americans to suppose their only way out was independence ) breaking out of open warfare between the colonies' initially undisciplined soldiers and those of the mighty British armed forces. Beck shows his personal interest in the American Revolution by bringing military mattersfield maneuvers, strategies both successful and failedto the fore of his narrative and using relevant and important diplomatic and political concerns, primarily the governing of the 13 loosely organized colonies, while a life-or-death struggle was roiling all around, as strong backdrop. Beck writes exceptionally vividly, and as such, even readers slow to respond to battleground to-and-fro will be fully engaged.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)