Revolution on the Hudson

May 1, 2016

The Hudson River-Lake Champlain corridor was a historic invasion route between the American colonies and Canada. Daughan (The Shining Sea) maintains that British ambitions to control this strategic passage were a fantasy, and that their efforts to do so contributed directly to losing the Revolutionary War. Yet, the title is a bit misleading. This is actually a brief survey of the war, with some focus on (and a thesis centered on) New York City and the Hudson River Valley region. While entire chapters are devoted to events in the Southern theater, the account contains solid analyses of the conflict, with appropriate emphasis on naval operations. British war crimes are a recurring theme. Gen. William Howe and Adm. Richard Howe, along with their associates Joshua Loring Jr. and William Cunningham, are repeatedly cited as being directly responsible for the starvation and deaths of American captives on British prison ships. VERDICT Readers wishing for a brief, casual history of the American Revolution should find this worthwhile. The field, however, is packed with competition. More in-depth studies can be found in works by Benson Bobrick, John Ferling, David Hackett Fischer, and David McCullough.--Matthew Wayman, Pennsylvania State Univ. Lib., Schuylkill Haven

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