Book Description
The siege of Yorktown in the fall of 1781 was the single most decisive engagement of the American Revolution. The campaign has all the drama any historian or student could want: the war's top generals and admirals pitted against one another; decisive naval engagements; cavalry fighting; siege warfare; night bayonet attacks; and much more. Until now, however, no modern scholarly treatment of the entire campaign has been produced.
By the summer of 1781, America had been at war with England for six years. No one believed in 1775 that the colonists would put up such a long and credible struggle. France sided with the colonies as early as 1778, but it was the dispatch of 5,500 infantry under Comte de Rochambeau in the summer of 1780 that shifted the tide of war against the British.
In early 1781, after his victories in the Southern Colonies, Lord Cornwallis marched his army north into Virginia. Cornwallis believed the Americans could be decisively defeated in Virginia and the war brought to an end. George Washington believed Cornwallis's move was a strategic blunder, and he moved vigorously to exploit it. Feinting against General Clinton and the British stronghold of New York, Washington marched his army quickly south. With the assistance of Rochambeau's infantry and a key French naval victory at the Battle off the Capes in September, Washington trapped Cornwallis on the tip of a narrow Virginia peninsula at a place called Yorktown. And so it began.
Operating on the belief that Clinton was about to arrive with reinforcements, Cornwallis confidently remained within Yorktown's inadequate defenses. Determined that nothing short of outright surrender would suffice, his opponent labored day and night to achieve that end. Washington's brilliance was on display as he skillfully constricted Cornwallis's position by digging entrenchments, erecting redoubts and artillery batteries, and launching well-timed attacks to capture key enemy positions. The nearly flawless Allied campaign sealed Cornwallis's fate. Trapped inside crumbling defenses, he surrendered on October 19, 1781, effectively ending the war in North America.
Penned by historian Jerome A. Greene, The Guns of Independence: The Siege of Yorktown, 1781 offers a complete and balanced examination of the siege and the participants involved. Greene's study is based upon extensive archival research and firsthand archaeological investigation of the battlefield. This fresh and invigorating study will satisfy everyone interested in American Revolutionary history, artillery, siege tactics, and brilliant leadership.
About the Author: Jerome A. Greene is a historian with the National Park Service. He is the author or editor of many books, including Morning Star Dawn: The Powder River Expedition and the Northern Cheyenne, 1876, and his most recent effort, Washita: The U.S. Army and the Southern Cheyennes, 1867-1869. He lives in Colorado.
Customer Reviews:
The Guns of Independence.......2006-04-22
Highly regarded scholar of the Western Frontier Indian Wars, Jerome A. Greene has applied his wealth of knowledge in military operations, his impeccable research skills, and his fluid prose style to this excellent book on the siege of Yorktown, 1781. I recommend reading the extensive and informative appendix which covers the archeology of the Yorktown Battlefield as well as the equipment and stategies necessary to operate an effective siege and military victory.
More than you want to know.......2006-03-08
This year marks the 225th anniversary of the siege of Yorktown, the action that efectively ended the Revolutionary War, and this book takes you through the entire scenario. Unfortunately, I found that the book, though informative, was perhaps too much of a good thing! While I'm a history buff, I didn't feel it necessary for my understanding of this engagement to know who was the Officer of the Watch on a particular day, or exactly how the redoubts measured, or the order of the various regiments, or which group was in which revetment at what time on a paticular day. The book just gave the reader too much info, and that really tended to bog down the exciting story that is Yorktown. I've walked over thesse fields, and find the whole thing fascinating, but could have done with a lot less nonessential info, so that the narrative could have flowed much better than it did!
An informed and informative examination of the siege and the participants involved on both sides of the conflict.......2005-12-05
Most scholars of the American Revolution concur that the single most decisive engagement for General George Washington and his troops was the siege of the British forces at Yorktown , Virginia, in the fall of 1781. America had been at war with England for six years when Washington was able to trap Cornwallis on the tip of the narrow peninsula, resulting in a military action that would result in Cornwallis' surrender on October 19, 1781 and effectively end the war in North America, thereby securing American national independence. The Guns Of Independence: The Siege Of Yorktown 1781 by historian Jerome A. Greene provides the reader with an informed and informative examination of the siege and the participants involved on both sides of the conflict. Drawing upon extensive archival research and a personal archaeological study of the battlefield, Greene has written the definitive study of the Yorktown siege, making a seminal and very strongly recommended contribution to American history. No academic or community library American Revolutionary History reference section can be considered complete without the inclusion of The Guns Of Independence.
An informed and informative examination of the siege and the participants involved on both sides of the conflict.......2005-12-05
Most scholars of the American Revolution concur that the single most decisive engagement for General George Washington and his troops was the siege of the British forces at Yorktown , Virginia, in the fall of 1781. America had been at war with England for six years when Washington was able to trap Cornwallis on the tip of the narrow peninsula, resulting in a military action that would result in Cornwallis' surrender on October 19, 1781 and effectively end the war in North America, thereby securing American national independence. The Guns Of Independence: The Siege Of Yorktown 1781 by historian Jerome A. Greene provides the reader with an informed and informative examination of the siege and the participants involved on both sides of the conflict. Drawing upon extensive archival research and a personal archaeological study of the battlefield, Greene has written the definitive study of the Yorktown siege, making a seminal and very strongly recommended contribution to American history. No academic or community library American Revolutionary History reference section can be considered complete without the inclusion of The Guns Of Independence.
The book to read about the Siege of Yorktown.......2005-05-29
The Guns of Independence is one of the finest campaign/siege studies this reviewer has read on the Revolutionary War. The volume covers the blunders committed by the British commander Lord Cornwallis and the, for once, amazing cooperation between the Allied forces under George Washington.
Of special interest is the attention given the physical operations conducted during the siege of Yorktown. The author details the types of artillery used and the construction of entrenchments, redoubts and battery positions. Photographs of the reconstructed fortifications help the reader visualize the action. In additon, references to archaeological excavations are not only fascinating, but give the reader a look at the detail involved in siege warfare.
The author has done a superb job of research and his writing, though a bit stiff at times, keeps the reader interested. The nuts and bolts of the volume are solid with crisp, clear, well-produced photographs and informative, nicely constructed maps. This volume provides a solid education in the actions at Yorktown in September/October 1781, and for those interested in the siege, this is the volume to read.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Loyalist Gazette, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2005. The length of the article is 550 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The Guns of Independence: The Siege of Yorktown, 1781.(Book Review)
Author: Grietje R. McBride
Publication:
The Loyalist Gazette (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 43
Issue: 2
Page: 54(1)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Product Description
On general grounds I deprecate prefaces. I have always thought that if an author cannot make friends with the reader, and explain his objects, in two or three hundred pages, he is not likely to do so in fifty lines. And yet the temptation of speaking a few words behind the scenes, as it were, is so strong that few writers are able to resist it. I shall not try.
Download Description
The episode with which this chapter is concerned is one that has often occurred on the out-post line of civilisation, and which is peculiarly frequent in the history of a people whose widespread Empire is fringed with savage tribes. A small band of soldiers or settlers, armed with the resources of science, and strengthened by the cohesion of mutual trust, are assailed in some isolated post, by thousands of warlike and merciless enemies. Usually the courage and equipment of the garrison enable them to hold out until a relieving force arrives, as at Rorke's Drift, Fort Chitral, Chakdara or Gulistan. But sometimes the defenders are overwhelmed, and, as at Saraghari or Khartoum, none are left to tell the tale.
Customer Reviews:
A valid view.......2000-08-20
This is a book which I value tremendously. Rarely are books so well written as this; and whatever Churchill wrote in 1897 in this account still holds very much true, if not more so, for the context of this narrative. Were I to write an account on this subject today, it would hardly differ from Churchill's. His opinions are still very much valid, and those who value truthful methods of analysis are well aware of this. This book must not be spurned by experts. Given the nature of the current overall situation prevailing in this region and its effect on the rest of the world, this book becomes more important than ever as a reference primer.
Product Description
Reprint of the 1898 first edition. Contents: 1. The theatre of war. 2. The Malakand camps. 3. The outbreak. 4. The attack on the Malakand. 5. The relief of Chakdara. 6. The defence of Chakdara. 7. The gate of Swat. 8. The advance against the Mohmands. 9. Reconnaisance. 10. The march to Nawagai. 11. The action of the Mamund Valley, 16th September. 12. At Inayat Kila. 13. Nawagai. 14. Back to the Mamund Valley. 15. The work of the cavalry. 16. Submission. 17. Military observations. 18. The riddle of the Frontier. Appendix: Extracts from official dispatches.
Product Description
7" x 9-1/2" Hardcover
His four early books covering his life as a soldier and war correspondent edited into one volume.
Book Description
An Episode of Frontier War first published in 1897.
Customer Reviews:
A must have to truly understand the class work........2006-03-24
The every answer is shown step by step. If your professor assigns homework then this book not only makes sure you will get full credit on your work but you will understand it too.
Quantitative Chem Analysis.......2005-10-23
I am currently enrolled in Analytical Chem. Owning the solutions manual helps me figure out the work and process for problems that I would have normally left black. This not only helps my grade, but helps me gain a better understanding of the material.
Average customer rating:
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Quantitative Chemical Analysis, E-Book & Solutions Manual
Daniel C. Harris
Manufacturer: W. H. Freeman
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Customer Reviews:
Excellent Text on Analytical Chemistry.......2007-06-03
This review refers to the fourth edition of this book.
I bought this book at the Stanford University Bookstore as a reference text for quantitative analytical chemistry. Overall, I'd say it's an excellent book which covers all the fundamentals of the subject. It also contains a great deal of useful data. The editing is excellent (I didn't notice any typos) and so are the graphics (tables, charts, pictures).
Mind you, this subject is so big that only a small fraction can be covered even in a large tome like this. But the author has used the space available to him well.
I note that the reviewers who do not like this book seem to be students while those who love it are teachers or experienced engineers (like myself). I suppose that means that the author is assuming a certian level of knowledge on the part of his readers and is not spending a large amount of time explaining basic concepts.
most student friendly of all the analytical chem books.......2007-04-16
So, you're considering either buying or adopting this text for intro analytical chemistry? Good choice!
This is the easiest, most straightforward, book on the market for students. It's been that way through many editions. It was a breath of fresh air (in comparison to Skoog) when it was first published.
Your other choices are "Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry" by Skoog et al.(ISBN 0534417965) and "Analytical Chemistry" by Gary D. Christian (ISBN 0471214728).
Skoog is good it's just that he can't match Harris for clarity.
Christian doesn't change much. The end-of-chapter problems are usually just re-numbered. It's OK, though.
Fortunately, whichever you choose, none can be considered deficient.
One thing I don't like about these intro books: Why do they include all this instrumental analysis material? The instrumental analysis texts do a better job with these subjects anyway and all the extra chapters make the books needlessly heavy.
The intro books should just focus on basics like acid/base/complexometric/redox titrations, gravimetric analysis, sample prep., extractions, etc.
Harris (along with Bertolucci) has also written a true classic in the field of molecular spectroscopy: "Symmetry and Spectroscopy: An Introduction to Vibrational and Electronic Spectroscopy". Get that, too.
Check out my other reviews for other chem books
Why can't all chem books be like this?.......2006-12-20
The explanations and reasoning behind doing certain procedures and calculations in this book is outstandingly good (most of the time). Each chapter provides detailed workthroughs of problems with easy to understand explanations and in a wide enough variety of ways for one to be able to do most of the problems in the back of the chapter without TOO much trouble. The life saver though is the separate optional solutions manual which provides ALL of the answers (even stepwise) to the chapter problems (GET THIS BOOK!). The chapters involving instrumental analysis could use some improvement in clarity, but the other chapters are very well written.
Just About Identical as the 6th edition.......2006-12-12
I just took a class that required this textbook, and I used the 6th edition instead of the 7th, and there was only one difference.... in the 6th edition, 2 topics were seperated into 2 different chapters, and in the 7th the two topics were combined into one chapter... If your a student and need this book for class, save yourself some money and buy the 6th edition. The word and homework problems are identical.
Textbook case.......2006-11-12
Item was delivered quickly and in very good condition. No problems were experienced. Good job and thanks.
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