Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence

Contents......Page 6
Illustrations And Maps......Page 8
Preface......Page 12
Introduction: “My Country, My Honor, My Life”: Bravery And Death In War......Page 16
Part One: Going to War, 1775–1776......Page 28
1. “Fear Is Not An American Art”: The Coming Of The War......Page 30
2. “A Loss That Is Greater Than We Can Bear”: Going To War......Page 49
3. Choices, 1775......Page 76
Part Two: The War in the North, 1776–1779......Page 88
4. “Hastening Fast To A Crisis”: June 1775–June 1776......Page 90
5. Choices, 1776......Page 127
6. “Knock Him Up For The Campaign”: The Battle For New York, 1776......Page 135
7. “This Hour Of Adversity”: To The End Of 1776......Page 171
8. Choices, 1777......Page 202
9. “The Caprice Of War”: America’s Pivotal Victory At Saratoga......Page 219
10. “We Rallied And Broke”: The Campaign For Philadelphia, September–December 1777......Page 257
11. Choices, 1778......Page 274
12. “A Respectable Army”: The Grim Year, 1778......Page 289
13. Choices, 1779......Page 330
14. “A Band Of Brotherhood”: The Soldiers, The Army, And The Forgotten War In 1779......Page 341
15. “We Have Occasioned A Good Deal Of Terror”: The War At Sea......Page 374
16. Choices, 1780......Page 407
Part Three: The War in the South, 1780–1781......Page 422
17. “A Year Filled With Our Disgraces”: Defeat In The South, 1780......Page 424
18. “Southern Means And Southern Exertions”: Hope And Despair, June–December 1780......Page 459
19. Choices, 1781......Page 483
20. “Bloody And Severe”: The Pivotal Southern War, Early 1781......Page 492
21. “We Are Suspended In The Balance”: Spring And Summer 1781......Page 516
Part Four: American Victory, 1781–1783......Page 536
22. “America Is Ours”: Victory At Yorktown, 1781......Page 538
23. Choices, 1782......Page 555
24. “May We Have Peace In Our Time”: Peace And Demobilization,......Page 561
25. “Little Short Of A Miracle”: Accounting For America’s Victory......Page 577
Abbreviations......Page 591
Notes......Page 593
Bibliography......Page 668
Index......Page 678