Revolution on the Hudson: New York City and the Hudson River Valley in the American War of Independence

by George C. Daughan

Overview

The riveting untold story of the fight for the Hudson River Valley, the decisive campaign of the Revolutionary War.

No part of the country was more contested during the American Revolution than New York City and its surroundings. Military leaders of the time—and generations of scholars since—believed that the Hudson River Valley was America’s geographic jugular, which, if cut, would quickly bleed the rebellion to death. In Revolution on the Hudson, prize-winning historian George C. Daughan makes the daring new argument that this strategy would never have worked, and that dogged pursuit of dominance over the Hudson ultimately cost Britain the war. This groundbreaking naval history offers a thrilling response to one of our most vexing historical questions: How could a fledgling nation have defeated the most powerful war machine of the era?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393354140
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	06/06/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	620,233
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

George C. Daughan holds a PhD from Harvard University, where he studied under Henry Kissinger. One of his previous books, If By Sea, won the Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature, and he has been honored with the Samuel Eliot Morison Award from the USS Constitution Museum for his work as a naval scholar. He lives in New Hampshire.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 George III Declares War on America 7

2 The Importance of New York 22

3 The Great Hudson River Illusion 34

4 HMS Phoenix and HMS-Rose Provide a Lesson 44

5 Attack Delayed 54

6 The Battle of Brooklyn 63

7 A Masterful Retreat 74

8 The Howes Take New York City 83

9 Washington Evacuates Manhattan 95

10 Race for the Delaware 106

11 Redemption at Trenton 117

12 Depraved Indifference 130

13 New War Plans 139

14 Duel for a Continent 148

15 New York and Philadelphia 162

16 Clinton and Burgoyne 173

17 France Declares War on Britain 182

18 Admiral Howe Saves New York 192

19 The Franco-American Alliance Misfires 206

20 Withdrawal from Rhode Island 216

21 Charleston 232

22 Benedict Arnold's Betrayal 243

23 Rodney 256

24 Facing South 271

25 Prelude to Victory 286

26 Rodney's Dilemma 300

27 New York and Yorktown 309

28 Britain Stunned 324

29 Peace 336

30 Conclusion 345

Acknowledgments 351

Notes 355

Select Bibliography 383

Illustration Credits 397

Index 399

Editorial Reviews

"In this fresh, vivid, and often surprising telling of the Revolutionary War, George Daughan explores the timeless theme of hubris and the critical role of geography in the making of American independence. A commanding, compelling performance by an inspired historian."

Evan Thomas

"[Daughan] deftly highlights how naval power shaped even war on land."

Wall Street Journal

"An enlightening combination of military and regional history."

Booklist

"Daughan’s narrative is by turns suspenseful, elegant, and moving."

Ian W. Toll

…Daughan convincingly argues that George III's insistence on the Hudson's strategic importance actually changed the course of the war—in favor of the colonists…Daughan provides an exacting account of the personal and national cost of the rebellion on both sides…and he succeeds in lending an authentic voice to those pasteboard figures we learned about in history class, like John Adams and Benedict Arnold.

The New York Times Book Review - Paula Uruburu

"[An] enlightening combination of military and regional history."

Booklist - Mark Levine

"[Daughan] deftly highlights how naval power shaped even war on land."

Wall Street Journal - William Anthony Hay

"[A]n exacting account of the personal and national cost of the rebellion on both sides."

Paula Uruburu

"In this sharply drawn narrative, Daughan offers something truly valuable: a focus on the grand scale."

National Book Review - Noah Benjamin-Pollack

05/01/2016
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

Library Journal

Using his expressive baritone to great advantage, narrator Jonathan Yen energetically recounts the struggle for control of the Hudson River Valley during the American Revolution. Daughan’s work describes how both the British authorities and the American leadership believed that control of the Hudson would ensure victory. But, despite tremendous efforts by the adversaries, the reality on the ground was not quite as they had envisioned. Eventually, the war would switch to the South, and final victory was achieved in Virginia. Yen’s consistent, clear voice never misses a beat, and he affects credible and unique voices and accents for quotes that add to the narrative. His performance is nearly flawless, allowing the listener to easily comprehend the text. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2016 - AudioFile

★ 2016-03-14
A fresh view of Britain's attempt to quash an independence movement that didn't have to occur. The British defeat in America was as unnecessary as the war. The colonists never wanted to separate from England; they were willing to pay taxes and support the king. Leading from abroad demanded unrealistic goals and provided insufficient resources. Different strategy, improved leadership at home, and better field commanders would have made a world of difference. The king's fixation on gaining control of the corridor along the Hudson to Canada was an impossible task, illustrated by Gen. John Burgoyne's loss at Saratoga. Throughout the war, the English reliance on loyalist support was delusional; any who might have joined them were put off by English and Hessian atrocities. Daughan's (The Shining Sea: David Porter and the Epic Voyage of the U.S.S. Essex During the War of 1812, 2013, etc.) broad background in the naval history of the period and his inclusion of the English view comprises a portrait of a different revolution than the one taught in textbooks. The English leaders spent more time squabbling with each other than fighting battles. Too often, advantages were not pressed and defeats were snatched from the jaws of victory. Particularly absurd was the failure, without explanation, of Henry Clinton to press the attack on West Point after Benedict Arnold was exposed. It was scheduled within days, but he held back. George Washington had a similar amount of trouble, with subordinates undermining his authority and even, in the case of Gen. Charles Lee, ignoring orders. Throughout the war, Washington's troops were undersupplied, hungry, and unpaid, and he didn't even have a standing army until after the evacuation of New York. What Washington had was the ability to reinforce his army, something the British could not do. These stories are fascinating—egos run rampant, and myriad opportunities go by the wayside—and Daughan brings all his subjects to vivid life. A stimulating look at the American Revolution by a diligent historian and talented writer.

Kirkus Reviews