The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780 (Revolution Trilogy, 2)

This is the story of the middle years of the American Revolutionary War, told by an outstanding historian. First and foremost, author Rick Atkinson writes beautifully, from his descriptions of the terrain in which battles were fought, through the first-hand contemporary accounts of those on both sides of the conflict, to the larger strategic concerns of both British and American political and military leaders. As with many, I had greater knowledge of the beginning and end of the war than about what happened in the middle years. But Atkinson helps us understand that the years of conflict between 1777 and 1780 could have led to British victory but instead were sliding to the possibility of ultimate defeat. In telling the story, Atkinson addresses the factors at all levels, from the experiences and morale of individual soldiers on both sides, to the logistical issues for both adversaries in the war, to the strategic concerns that became major factors in decisions about where and when to engage in battle. At the highest level, Atkinson makes the case that while on the surface Britain was strong and powerful, King George III and his advisors found the country’s resources were stretched dangerously thin. Britain had to defend its home territory against invasion from France and Spain and its home defenses were woefully neglected. The British Empire stretched from India, to North America, to Dominica, St. Lucia, and the other British sugar islands in the Caribbean. As British ministers juggled priorities, at times the Caribbean came out on top as the wealth of the sugar trade helped finance the enormous expense of the American war and of defending the British home islands and India and other territories of the Empire. It didn’t help that in the face of adversaries such as France and Spain, the British had no allies. A third of the British army was stationed in the American colonies and there were constant debates about where to deploy troops and naval resources. As early as 1777 some in London questioned whether the American war was worth the cost. One of Atkinson’s achievements is to provide a chronological analysis of the major battles during this four year period, with each side chalking up wins and losses. Often the British won a battle or territory, only to lack the means to hold what they had won. Thus British General Burgoyne captured Fort Ticonderoga but his overextended forces lacked the resources to hold territory as winter approached. Atkinson describes the terrible conditions under which British forces had to withdraw to Canada as winter closed in. Washington was defeated at Brandywine and Germantown and the British occupied Philadelphia. But the British consistently overestimated Loyalist commitment. “The Loyalists lacked national leaders, effective propaganda, and self-sufficiency without massive British support,” the author observes. When the British fleet and troops were required to defend the sugar island of St. Lucia, the British abandoned Philadelphia and retreated to New York. Initiative again shifted with the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga and the decision of Louis XVI to support the Americans. Soon with French support Washington mounted an attack on Newport, RI, the only other territory the British held. But French indecisiveness (later to be repeated at Savannah) meant that the effort failed. The battles, and victory or defeat, swayed back and forth, with vindictive British raids on coastal Connecticut. The British failed to seize control of the Hudson River, and Rebel privateers preyed on trading ships from England with John Paul Jones menacing the British coast. These were years in which initiatives, victories, and defeats traded back and forth between the two adversaries. The book ends with the British occupation of Charleston, SC, some four years after a similar British attempt had failed. But one sign of British lack of understanding of the local white power structure was the horrified Loyalist reaction to the British proposal to arm black slaves at a time when slave insurrection was the greatest fear. Meanwhile British leaders were squabbling among themselves, wishing to be relieved of their responsibilities in America and to return to Britain. With the end of the war, as we now know, still years off, the British had won a number of battles but in 1780 were confined to New York City, an enclave in Rhode Island, and the port of Charleston. Many British officers and politicians had begun to doubt the cost of the war and some even to question whether victory was possible. The complicated story of these years is told brilliantly by Atkinson and his writing contributes to our understanding of the sacrifices on both sides. Washington, while he made mistakes, held the revolution together even as an end was not in sight and financial support from the states was virtually non-existent. The middle years of the war were no less important than the events that began and ended it. This book is a valuable addition to history, analyzing a period when the outcome of British withdrawal was more predictable than seen at the time.

Reading this trilogy has been a wonderful experience! I've always loved this historical period. Rick Atkinson writes these stories as he also did with the WWII set. It's like reading a novel. His amazing command of statistical info is woven into the telling of these stories with vivid descriptions of scenes. Characters come to life within scenes describing weather, sun angles, personalities, and architecture. I feel like I've been an eye witness to the lives of these amazing patriots and their foes. Being MA born and currently living in RI, I sat in my car parked at Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown, RI , and read of the great naval battle between the French and the British for Newport on Narragansett Bay. And the destruction of the lighthouse I was parked at by the British. It was also an eye opener to me about how many battles took place in NJ, SC and GA amongst other locations. I have two questions in closing. Why is West Point not in the index, yet it's mentioned in the book several times? And when is the next book coming out! Can't wait!

Atkinson is a brilliant historian and writer. The amount of archival research and thought that goes into a single paragraph is simply astounding. This book is and will remain the gold standard for histories of the war.

One of Britain’s great advantages in the Revolutionary War was its naval capability to transport thousands of redcoats to any American city or settlement along the Atlantic coast. Such a large British force could easily overwhelm any local rebel forces located nearby. Any American attempt to then dislodge those British forces would require Continental forces to march overland 100 miles or more and then to have to attack the defending British force (which had fortified itself in the meantime). Or the British could instead just burn the town, burn the crops, destroy any rebel supplies, take the livestock -- and then just sail away and do the same thing to another American city. That is probably why this second book (of a trilogy) begins in France. In Paris, Benjamin Franklin is subtly encouraging and cajoling France to aid the American effort. And France itself is upgrading its fleet in preparation for a possible war against England. France declaring war against England would have a huge impact on the Revolutionary War. England would have less troops and ships available to quash the American rebellion, as England would have to keep more troops and ships back in England to defend the homeland (given France is just across the channel). And certainly, any French troops joining the fight in America would be most welcome. But having a French fleet to contest England’s unfettered command of the American coastal waters could change the very nature of the conflict. And that is just one of the many topics of the Revolutionary War covered in this second volume. Some (certainly not all) of the other topics include: Many different battles, of course. The British/Canadian invasion of the New York. The British capture of Philadelphia. Valley Forge. American privateers intercepting British supply ships trying to supply the British forces. John Paul Jones attacking towns and shipping in England’s home waters British/French sea clashes. The scourge of disease and scurvy on land and sea forces of every warring nation. The hyperinflation of the Continental currency. British sea-borne invasions of South Carolina British and Continental views on what to do with the southern slaves This review could write a couple paragraphs discussing any one of those above topics. But I suggest you read the book instead. Bottom line: So much more than we ever learned in school. And, unlike school books, always interesting. And never dry (although the chapters covering events in France and England were slower reading for me). Note: The last half of the Kindle’s pages were all just notes and references (none of which I read). I did try to navigate through that material, but it was impossible to do using a Kindle.

This book covers the middle part of the Revolutionary War. This book casts a new light on the war for you. The author, Rick Atkinson, packs a ton of information into every page. It reminded me of the Shelby Foote books on the Civil War. He tells stories about the war, which I can guarantee you have not heard anywhere else. I think this book was a huge source for the PBS documentary, which aired recently. His stories of pain and sacrifice will give you newfound admiration for our founding fathers.

A captivating portrayal of the bloody battles between the ill-clad rebel American Army versus the efficient professional British military forces. Throughout, a dynamic contrast disclosing the peaceful bucolic countryside amidst war's brutal violence. The accompanying maps enhanced the experience. Further, intriguing disclosures regarding oft-ignored minor hostilities, such as the Battle For Newport and the Assault On Stony Point. Overall, an exciting treatise. ____________ *** For more about the Revolutionary War, please see, Washington Irving's magnificent biography concerning George Washington which also describes the conflict in dramatic detail; and, Allan W. Eckert's gripping "Twilight Of Empire."

Rick Atkinson - The Fate of the Day Rick Atkinson writings concentrate on military history. A decade of so ago, he authored the award winning narrative history of the US Military experience in Europe during the Second World War. The first volume of those books was called The Army at Dawn, by which the trilogy became known. It is an excellent history. About five years ago, he turned to the American Revolution, with a volume regarding the causes and run up to that war and the fighting, of 1775-76. It is called: The British are Coming. The book was well received. I thought it was well worth the read. His second volume, continuing what is now more clearly a military history of the Revolution as an international conflict, is called The Fate of the Day. Atkinson writes in a flowing, easy to read style. All moves quickly in this rather large volume. He takes us to the counsels in Philadelphia, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid and elsewhere, making it clear that by 1777, the French, in particular, considered the American conflict as an opportunity to reverse the outcome of the Seven Years War and by other European power to take Lonon down a peg or two. His word portraits of the principal participants on each side are well drawn. Indeed his detailed accounts of the deliberations, the fighting and preparations for the fighting are as yesterday's news for the reader. But here is the qualification: at its core this volume and what Akinson is providing is a military history. His descriptions of the battles are granular at times. He always provides the strategic / tactical goals of the commanders, the achievement or non-achievement in the case of the British of those goals, and why he has made his choice to write about the battle. I found all this interesting. I did not think it important enough to place in my memory except as a general matter and that I already knew. So there you are: if you want the detail it is here; if you are interested in portraits of the generals and politicians under pressure it is here as well. (Washington deserves the stature and confidence of the nation, regardless of his defects as a tactician.)

In and of itself, “The Fate of the Day” is a masterpiece within a trilogy masterpiece. If you enjoy historical storytelling, you’ll find it here at its finest, as usual with a work by Rick Atkinson. There’s never a dull moment as the author changes perspectives: close-ups to 30K feet, shifts from main actor to supporter, and insightful general assessments to fascinating particulars. The intriguing mix yields over 600 pages of sustained interest, not counting the 200+ pages of images and extensive documented research. Amazing for a work this long! Of the things I liked about the book, I especially liked the chapter about the Battle of Fort Mercer and its thrilling, unexpected, and personally gratifying combat scenes. Additionally, I appreciated the author’s inclusion of the most recent research and thoughts on Benedict Arnold, particularly his actions at Saratoga. As well, I somewhat grudgingly respect Atkinson’s challenge to increase my vocabulary by liberally sprinkling abstruse words throughout the book. I do have a couple of very minor issues with the book. First, Atkinson seems to favor the common distance description of 3,000 miles separating England from her American colonies. However, that distance is more accurate in terms of nautical miles, not statute miles in which most people think. For every nautical mile, there are 1.151 statute miles. Therefore, while the round-down distance between England and America is 3,000 nautical miles, the round-up distance between England and America is 4,000 statute miles. Try this on Google Earth from various places in England and America. As well, these miles are usually as the crow flies, not as the ship sails, where every so often the ship has to tack to better catch the wind, especially when sailing into the wind. A general rule of thumb is that tacking adds between 1.3 and 1.5 times the straight-line distance travelled. So even by fair-weather reckoning, it’s best to think of the distance separating England from America as 4,000 miles. In terms of time, the journey from America to England (with the clockwise Gulfstream current) typically took 1 month or 4 weeks; from England to America (direct-path against the Gulfstream), the time was usually 6 weeks; double this or more if bad weather. A modern-day parallel is that even on roads, one doesn’t drive as the crow flies, but as the road is laid and the traffic negotiated. Second, Atkinson does not to any extent cover New Jersey’s Middlebrook Encampment, where I would argue that Washington won his war. The cat and mouse game Washington played there with Howe forced Howe to take his army not by land but by sea to capture Philadelphia, delaying him enough so that he couldn’t support Burgoyne and avoid the major turning point of the war, the British surrender at Saratoga. Third, the location and timeframe (month/year) of each chapter are included as a smaller-font subtitle. Unfortunately, at least for me, one can easily forget which year events occurred, even when the day and month are specified in that chapter’s narrative. Bottom-line, though, this book about America’s fight for freedom is a true gem from a master of his craft. Outstanding and highly recommended! Of possible interest: a book that compares Washington and Lafayette’s dramatically differing results in their fight for freedom for their own countries, America and France: George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key – the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul

importante, esaustivo, documentatissimo

Well written histoy

Despite the many horrors depicted in this, as in any faithful narrative of war, the author succeeds in bringing the modern reader into the real-time concerns and constraints of the people depicted so that one feels they are seeing these great events unfold as contemporary witnesses. All the people whose names and actions are depicted in this history are treated with great respect and come to life in these pages in an extraordinary manner which will help them be remembered and contemplated for hundreds of years to come.

Bought this book for my boyfriend as a Christmas present as he loves war and history books. He is currently reading it and doesn’t want to put it down. He says it is well written.

Great read, excellent research and a balanced narrative. Just the occasional propaganda myth being repeated or reinforced but I guess the winners write the history…