The First Salute

Noted historian Barbara Tuchman examines the American Revolution. She provides an insightful look at the war not only from the British and American viewpoints but also from the perspectives of other nations that were affected by this conflict, namely the Netherlands and France. There's a lot of detail here for the listener to absorb, and while narrator Nadia May's pace may be a bit quick at times, it keeps the story flowing. Furthermore, May's diction is superb, and her tone is bell-like in its clarity. Her performance is always expressive, without being overdone, and she renders the odd moment of dry humor well, making this is an accessible history for the general reader. A.E.B. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

September 1, 1988
In this brilliant slice of American Revolutionary history, Tuchman ( A Distant Mirror , The Guns of August ) pits the 13 colonies against a rogues' gallery of British fools. We meet looting English admiral George Rodney who confiscated British-owned property and expelled the Jews after seizing the neutral isle of St. Eustatius, the chief West Indies depot in the transatlantic trade. British Governor Tryon of New York waged a terrorist campaign of murder, arson and plunder against Connecticut citizens in 1779, fanning the flames of rebellion. The British command was fractured by the hatred between neurotic commander-in-chief Sir Henry Clinton and Lord Cornwallis, who disdained to make war on a tattered colonial militia. On the American side, the will to fight was exemplified by men like Reverend Naphtali Daggett, ex-president of Yale, a defiant old soldier on horseback. Expertly weaving political and military history, Tuchman lets you feel how Washington's victory at Yorktown sent shock-waves around the globe. Photos. 160,000 first printing; BOMC main selection.

September 15, 2009
Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Tuchman's (d. 1989) dense but accessible narrative of the American Revolution focuses on the war's military and political aspects and adeptly examines its impact. Six of Tuchman's earlier nonfiction works are also available from Blackstone Audio, three of them read by this title's pseudonymous narrator, Audie Award winner Nadia May, who here delivers an expert performance. Fans of this title may also like James L. Nelson's "George Washington's Secret Navy". [Audio clip available through www.blackstoneaudio.com.Ed.]Cheryl Miller Maddox, Christian Theological Seminary Lib., Indianapolis

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