Plants Of The Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Outstanding
  • A classic.
  • An essential tool
  • The best for it's purpose
  • Great Guide
Plants Of The Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska

Manufacturer: Lone Pine Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1551055309

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Outstanding.......2007-09-04

This is simply an outstanding text. I used to work outdoor school in the pacific northwest, and this book ranked space in my day pack every day of the week. Very clear photos show you exactly what the plants look like, and text is clear and interesting. Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars A classic........2006-07-10

I'd actually give this 4.5 stars if I could. This is a great all around guide for the west side of the Cascades. It doesn't include every plant, particularly in the sections towards the end on bryophytes, but most plants you'll want to see are in there. I'm torn on the aboriginal use data tht is presented throughout the book. On one hand, it really is quite fascinating, but on the other hand, probably several dozen more species could have been covered if these data were omitted. The maps can be a bit difficult to decipher given the range this book covers, and although most of the photos are good, a few are pretty poor. Still, it is a must-have for any nature buff in the PNW.

5 out of 5 stars An essential tool.......2006-05-04

For anyone interested in Northwest Native Plants, this is an essential reference. Arthur Lee Jacobsen's "Wild Plants of Greater Seattle" is another useful book, although not as detailed. "Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest", by Charles Leo Hitchcock, in 7 volumes for $300.00, is much more detailed but not as handy. I have used my "Pojar" so much that I wore it out and had to get a second copy. I found it useful when I was just beginning to learn about native plants, and now that I can identify over 200 species on sight, I still use it to learn about ethnobotany, which plants are edible, and where to plant them in my garden.

Another reviewer complained that the book does not list common names in the index. This is just plain wrong. You can look up plants in the index by common name or scientific name, or you can browse through the photos until you get a match. You can also use the keys, which is the best way to learn about the relationship of one species to another, but I'm usually too lazy to work through the process. The way the plants are grouped, it's easy to narrow it down and find your plant.

My one complaint about the book is that it is sometimes difficult to pin down whether or not a particular plant is actually a native. This is usually implied, especially when they tell how indigenous peoples used the plants in everday life, but I wish the plants were clearly marked Native and Non-Native.

4 out of 5 stars The best for it's purpose.......2005-12-05

This is by far the best study and field guide to Northwest plants. Nothing else comes close to being so inclusive. Because of that, I think, the book can be a bit difficult to get through. I little knowledge of plants will help tremendously in using the guide. There are a couple dozen or so keys for various plant families but be warned that keying plants can be difficult. The pictures are great and the notes that accompany each picture are top notch. One thing I like is that the author gives copious notes about aboriginal and regional use of the plants as well as notes about their natural history. There's really a life time of learning here. Great book.

5 out of 5 stars Great Guide.......2005-07-27

I used this book extensively in a field class this summer and it was extremely helpful. Everything I would possibly want to know about NW flora was included in detail (even with sketches of individual leaves). Also, the ethnographic information regarding the uses of various herbal medicines was fascinating.
Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Alaska
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great Book!
  • Useful Guide to the Temperate Rainforest
  • Very useful
  • My favorite reference!
  • I thank Mr. Brugman (Toutle, WA) too!
Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Alaska
Jim Pojar , and Andy MacKinnon
Manufacturer: Lone Pine Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

BotanyBotany | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1551050404

Book Description

This best-selling field guide - with over 175,000 copies sold to date - features 794 species of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, aquatics, grasses, ferns, mosses and lichens found along the coast from Oregon to Alaska. Color photographs and line drawings help you identify and learn about the fascinating plants of the Pacific Northwest coast. Engaging notes on each species describe aboriginal and other local uses of plants for food, medicine and implements, along with the unique characteristics of each plant and name origins. 1100 color photographs, 600 line drawings, 794 maps.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great Book!.......2007-03-27

I spent a few weeks in the Pacific Northwest and bought this book as soon as I had arrived. (I love the Lone Pine guides- Plants of the Rocky Mountains, and Wildflowers of Tennessee the Ohio Valley and Southern Appalachians)
I loved using this book; it was worth every penny, even for a short period of time - I carried it with me everywhere. This is a wonderful reference for any level of plant or wildflower enthusiast. And the notes on historical uses and other interesting factoids give the flowers and plants a depth that they never had before! Buy this book!

5 out of 5 stars Useful Guide to the Temperate Rainforest.......2006-09-21

The most comprehensive guide the plants of the rainy coastal forest of the Pacific Northwest. Good photos, range maps, and general info for most plants you'll find. I've stumped it a few times, but generally every plant I find hiking in the forest is in there somewhere. For the most part well organized. The book is high quality and has rounded corners for backpack use. Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars Very useful.......2004-12-15

I have several other plant identification books. This is the best one by far for my area (the central Oregon coast). The information beyond simple plant identification is exceptionally useful.

5 out of 5 stars My favorite reference! .......2004-11-02

This is by far the best native plant guide for the Northwest that I've encountered. My family has amassed quite a few guides for local plants, but none come close to containing the information that Pojar and MacKinnon have put in this book. Plants are listed according to families, using common family names, though there is a glossary for the scientific names in the List of Keys on p 6. The pictures are for the most part excellent. The Notes are fantastic and I love the tribal use section as I have a particular interest in ethnobotany. The introduction also includes a great breakdown of the NW tribes and their whereabouts and distinctions. This book is very easy to use, making it perfect for the hobbyist, yet I think the information is exact enough with good identification keys and illustrations that hardcore botanists would find it a useful addition to their references.

It's a touch heavy to go hiking with, though if I weren't such a slug I might take it anyway. I usually take photos of any unfamiliar plants I find and then cross-reference when I'm home.

There is a revised edition coming out Nov. 30th, 2004 and I can't wait to get my paws on it! My current copy is completely dog-eared. I just wish the editors and authors (you listening?) would consider a guide to the Northeast coast.

5 out of 5 stars I thank Mr. Brugman (Toutle, WA) too!.......2004-07-06

This book is awesome. I learned to love Biology from Mr. Brugman at Toutle Lake High School with Mr. Brugman and his required plant collection. Now I'm all grown up and homeschool my 3 kids with this book! My oldest boy uses it almost every day; searching outside and identifying plants. He is only 11 and has worn the binding of this book out! I've taped it all back together several times and now here I am at amazon to buy him a new one for his birthday! Very informative and easy to use book with lots of neat history facts about our areas shrubs and their uses in the past. Very colorful and beautiful pictures help with easy identification! Others wouldn't probably approve, but my little boy has done 3 of these collections for other high school sutudents who all received A's. (none from Toutle, of course LOL) This book has helped nurture my little boys' love of the outdoors and plants. Thanks again for the inspiring me to love Biology, Mr. Brugman. From ~ Robin (Berry) Hamm
Pacific Northwest Wildflowers: A Guide to Common Wildflowers of Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Western Idaho, Southeast Alaska, and British Columbia (Wildflower Series)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Pacific Northwest Wildflowers: A Guide to Common Wildflowers of Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Western Idaho, Southeast Alaska, and British Columbia (Wildflower Series)
    Damian Fagan
    Manufacturer: Falcon
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 0762735724

    Book Description

    With more than 350 color photographs, detailed line drawings, and helpful, informative text, this book introduces more than 300 of the most common wildflowers of the lush Pacific Northwest region. Glossaries, a primer on plant indentification, and an introduction to the ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest are also included.
    Plants Of The Pacific Northwest Coast, Revised: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia And Alaska
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Plants Of The Pacific Northwest Coast, Revised: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia And Alaska
      Jim; MacKinnon, Andy Pojar
      Manufacturer: Lone Pine Publishing
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback
      ASIN: B000ND58ZG

      Fodor's Turkey, 5th Edition: Where to Stay, Eat, and Explore, Smart Travel Tips from A to Z, Plus Maps and Co lor Photos (Fodor's Gold Guides)
      Average customer rating: 2 out of 5 stars
      • Watch out for inaccuracies!
      Fodor's Turkey, 5th Edition: Where to Stay, Eat, and Explore, Smart Travel Tips from A to Z, Plus Maps and Co lor Photos (Fodor's Gold Guides)
      Fodor's
      Manufacturer: Fodor's
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      5. Ancient Turkey: A Traveller's History Ancient Turkey: A Traveller's History

      ASIN: 0679006737
      Release Date: 2001-04-10

      Book Description

      "Fodor's guides cover culture authoritatively and rarely miss a sight or museum." - National Geographic Traveler

      "The king of guidebooks." - Newsweek

      No matter what your budget or whether it's your first trip or fifteenth, Fodor's Gold Guides get you where you want to go.

      Color planning sections help you decide where to go with region-by-region virtual tours and cross-referencing to the main text.

      Insider info that's totally up to date. Every year our local experts give you the inside track, showing you all the things to see and do -- from must-see sights to off-the-beaten-path adventures, from shopping to outdoor fun.

      Hundreds of hotel and restaurant choices in all price ranges -- from budget-friendly B&Bs to luxury hotels, from casual eateries to the hottest new restaurants, complete with thorough reviews showing what makes each place special.

      Smart Travel Tips A to Z section helps you take care of the nitty gritty with essential local contacts and great advice -- from how to take your mountain bike with you to what to do in an emergency.

      Full-size, foldout map keeps you on course.

      Customer Reviews:

      2 out of 5 stars Watch out for inaccuracies!.......1999-10-27

      On a recent trip to Istanbul, we found many inaccuracies in the maps and other information. Many destination names were misspelled. Our impression was that the guide was written by someone who knew even less about Turkey and the Turkish people than we did.

      Molly Pitcher: Young Patriot (Childhood of Famous Americans)
      Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
      • An Early Women's Rights Fighter
      • A Good Book
      Molly Pitcher: Young Patriot (Childhood of Famous Americans)
      Augusta Stevenson
      Manufacturer: Aladdin
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      ASIN: 0020420404

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars An Early Women's Rights Fighter.......2002-11-05

      Molly Pitcher lived around the time of the Revolutionary War and she wanted to do the things the boys and men in her family did. She was smart but she couldn't go to school because she was a girl. She was brave and did things to help her family. She gave water to the soldiers and they called her Molly Pitcher because they wanted her to bring them the pitcher of water. When she was an adult she foughtbesude her husband in the war and took over firing the canon when he couldn't. She won an award from General George Washington and was made an honorary soldier. This book gives good examples of what life was like when people had to pay taxes to England and it shows how the war started.

      5 out of 5 stars A Good Book.......2000-03-27

      When I was younger, I enjoyed read the books in the Childhood of Great Americans Series, and this was one of my favorites. It tells about Molly Pitcher's (no, that is not her real name)childhood and continues to briefly describe her life when she grew up. This book portrays history to young children in an interesting, as well as informative, way. If you like this book, then you will definently like the book Abigail Adams, of this same series.
      They Called Her Molly Pitcher
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        They Called Her Molly Pitcher
        Anne Rockwell
        Manufacturer: Dragonfly Books
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

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        ASIN: 0553112538
        Release Date: 2006-08-22

        Book Description

        The rousing true tale of an American Revolution heroine.

        When her husband joined General Washington’s army, Molly Hays went with him. All through the winter at Valley Forge, Molly watched and listened. Then in July, in the battle at Monmouth, she would show how much she had learned. Molly could tell the day would be a scorcher, so she decided to bring water from a nearby spring to the fighting men. More than 50 British soldiers would die of heatstroke that day, but the American soldiers need only cry, “Molly–pitcher!” On one trip through the fighting field, she saw her husband get shot. She satisfied herself that he wouldn’t die from his wound, then took over his job–firing off the cannon!

        Molly epitomized the feisty, self-reliant spirit of the colonists who would soon win their battle for independence–and her story has rightly become a beloved legend of American history.


        From the Hardcover edition.
        Molly Pitcher: Heroine Of The War For Independence (Leaders of the American Revolution)
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Molly Pitcher: Heroine Of The War For Independence (Leaders of the American Revolution)
          Rachel A. Koestler-Grack
          Manufacturer: Chelsea House Publications
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Library Binding

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          ASIN: 0791086224
          Molly Pitcher: Heroine (Revolutionary War Leaders)
          Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
          • Great Book !
          Molly Pitcher: Heroine (Revolutionary War Leaders)
          Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti
          Manufacturer: Chelsea House Publications
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

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          ASIN: 0791064018

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars Great Book !.......2006-06-13

          This was a well written and researched book relating the life and times of Molly Pitcher. I was totally unaware of her place in American History. This book really opened my eyes to the times and trials of the early pioneers, (especially women), in this country, during the Revolutionary War period. It's a "must read" for anyone interested in the history of this proud nation.
          The Battle of Monmouth (The Atlas of Famous Battles of the American Revolution)
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            The Battle of Monmouth (The Atlas of Famous Battles of the American Revolution)
            Scott P. Waldman
            Manufacturer: PowerKids Press
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Library Binding

            Military & WarsMilitary & Wars | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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            ASIN: 0823963306
            Monmouth Courthouse 1778: The Last Great Battle In The North (Campaign)
            Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
            • Interesting Pro-British Account of Battle
            • teribble
            • Was Charles Lee Unfairly Relieved of Command? Who Cares!
            • One of the few comprehensive looks at this important battle
            Monmouth Courthouse 1778: The Last Great Battle In The North (Campaign)
            Brendan Morrissey
            Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

            GeneralGeneral | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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            ASIN: 1841767727
            Release Date: 2004-05-25

            Book Description

            The battle of Monmouth Courthouse was not only the last major action in the Northern theater, it was also the longest and hardest-fought engagement of the entire Revolutionary War. When the British abandoned Philadelphia to return to New York City, American troops harassed their retreat. On the morning of 28 June 1778, General Lee, George Washington’s lieutenant, attacked the British rearguard but his attack went badly wrong. The British rearguard, now reinforced, threw Lee’s troops into a headlong retreat. Lee was relieved of his command and Washington’s Continentals then stood toe-to-toe with the British, bloodily repulsing a series of powerful attacks by crack troops.

            Customer Reviews:

            5 out of 5 stars Interesting Pro-British Account of Battle.......2006-11-22

            I have always regarded the Ospery titles as a mixed-bag. The uniform books in the past were pricy items with a few color prints and other assorted details often not amounting to more than 30 pages or so. Now we have the Campaigns and Battles series which has expanded on the historical aspects, but still at under 90 pages they often cut short the information. Over all the series has grown and gott'en better, but it is still pricy for what you get. The main asset to the series is that it often covers esoteric subjects.

            Monmouth was one of the largest battles of the American Revolution, and the last major encounter in the Northern theater of the war. There has yet to be a recent comprehensive book done on this very complicated, and confusing battle. Perhaps this is the reason why. There have been numerous magazine articles over the years concerning it, several done by Civil War historians who are kind of out of their league in this earlier period. The controversy of Charles Lee has also always sparked interst.

            In this Ospery Title Mr. Morissy presents a decidedly British perspective on the battle. This is rather refreshing because the American Revolution tends to be riddled with much mythology and legend. Monmouth is no exception in this regard. American readers accustomed to the Spirit of '76 approach by most American historians might be somewhat put off by this work. One of the reviwers above seems to be such an example. Still, this book gives us some much needed perspective of what was passing on the other side of the hill.

            Details about the British plans and route of march from Philadelphia to New York in the Summer of 1778 were fascinating. I have yet to find this information in any other works on the subject. Most are more concerned with Washington's impending confrontation with Charles Lee, and the supposed greatness of Steuben's training of the Continental army. Here the author gives us some needed perspective on these events. Contrary to most popular views, the Continental infantry did not wisk the British off the field with their new found training under Stueben. As is pointed out here, it was the American artillery that showed the most improvement during the battle. The use and employment of Knox's batteries restricted Clinton's options of launching further assaults on Washy's lines on at least one occasion. Still, this fire was not as deadly as most popular views would have it. The famous example of a file of British Grenadiers having their muskets shattered by a single solid shot seems mostly apocryphal. Molly Pitcher and much of Washy's tirade toward Charles Lee probably falls into this category as well. Legends and myths propagated by American historians who tend to be great story tellers, but are less strong at discerning facts from fiction!

            That said Mr. Morrissy has some short-comings as well. The maps in this title are not that clear. They have too much information and not enough clearity. I was on the battlefield recently and I did not find the maps contained within to be all that helpful. The account of the battle is a bit messy as well. Perhaps this can't be helped because Lee had such a hodge-podge of units under his command. The color plates are nice, but selective of detail. The brief bios of the major leaders contained interesting notes, but mostly generasl information easily available elsewhere. Descriptions of the British army organization and tactics was decidedly more detailed than on the American army. The militia were hardly discussed at all.

            I didn't find that the author went into Lee's conduct excessively, as at least one reviewer above seems to think. Let's face it, Washy was not a very good battlefield commander. His command control was poor at almost all the major battles he fought. Monmouth was no exception. Washy was good as an inspirational leader, poor as a tactician. Of course this will no doubt be considered heresy by many historians out there, but I think we have to take Washy off his great white horse sometimes. Charles Lee had a self-made reputation, which proved not to be very much when he was finally faced with a real crunch. His poor social skills didn't help matters either! That said I would agree with Mr. Morissy that the mishap that befell the American advance-guard was not totally of his making. Mixed units, and strong-headed subordinates like Wayne and Lafayette were prone to make matters worse. That the American advance-guard didn't get crushed was due more to luck, and the innate ability of Americans to run away well in marshes! Clinton should have recalled the Battle of Brooklyn in that regard. Americans got away through the marshes there as well! Same at Monmouth.

            Washy deserves credit for stopping the retreat and forming a decent line against the British. After that it was relatively easy to deflect several of Clinton's rather half-hearted attacks. Washy responded in kind later in the day. None of this really provided much of an opportunity for the famed Stueben drill to astonish the British. But the artillery did make a good showing of itself. Casualties remain another legend of this battle. Both sides upped the other sides' and lowered their own. The tendency of late has been to say that both lost more than has generally been acknowledged. This means the British did not take staggering losses at Monmouth, the Steuben drill did not astonish them, Molly Pitcher did not save the day, and Washy probably didn't curse until the leaves on the trees shock at Lee's retreat! Both sides can look at the battle as victory in their own terms. Which makes it a draw if nothing else. For the British Clinton managed to exicute a very difficult march in the face of considerable adverse circumstances. He even gave Washy a bit of his own bit with using the camp fires to deceive him about his withdrawal after the battle. Clinton was probably the best over all stratigist and tactican of the war. That does not say very much considering the others out there!

            Like most Ospery titles this account is brief, but provides some interesting perspectives. It gives a much needed British view, as well as new details about the Americans. Until a full length history is done on the battle, this Ospery title is likely to be the best on the subject. The book fills an important niche and provides some new information on a topic often lauded with much myth and legend. Much of our perspective of the American Revolution suffers from this problem. We need to have a more detached view in order to seperate fiction from fact. Brian Morissy shows us that our history when seen through others eyes can have a much different look. American historions need to realize this when they write their stories about our history.

            1 out of 5 stars teribble.......2005-11-18

            this book got in my way when i was writing a reaserch paper. its little facts and no real good action story. an son of a beesting F!

            3 out of 5 stars Was Charles Lee Unfairly Relieved of Command? Who Cares!.......2004-09-20

            Brendan Morrissey's Monmouth Courthouse 1781 is his fourth addition to the Osprey Campaign series on the American War of Independence. Morrissey has a decent grasp of his subject and he has honed his narrative style in each succeeding volume. However, Morrissey's coverage of the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse suffers from two inter-related problems: an over-focus on the question of American Major General Charles Lee's role in the battle and an ambiguous battle narrative. Essentially, much of this volume revolves around the question - was Charles Lee unfairly relieved of command - rather than a true analysis of the battle itself.

            Morrisey's introduction and campaign chronology starts out decently, but starts to thin out in the section on opposing commanders, which only covers well-known figures such as Clinton, Cornwallis, Lee and Washington. What about some of the brigade commanders? The section on opposing armies is also decent, highlighting the introduction of brigades and light infantry in the increasingly professional American army. Oddly, there is no section on opposing plans. Morrissey provides five 2-D Maps: North America in January 1778; New England and the Mid-Atlantic colonies; action at Barren Hill 20 May 1778; Two roads to Monmouth; Monmouth Battlefield. Unfortunately, the map of the Barren Hill skirmish adds nothing to the campaign narrative, and this volume is sorely lacking a decent 2-D map zoomed in to the actual battlefield area at Monmouth. After recently visiting the Monmouth battlefield, I found the maps in this volume were not very useful for someone standing on the actual terrain. The three 3-D "Bird's Eye View" maps are: Lee's advance; Lee's Retreat; and Clinton's withdrawal. The three color battle scenes by Adam Hook are: the capture of Lieutenant Colonel Ramsay; the 42nd Foot in the Sutfin Orchard; the guns on Comb's Hill.

            Morrissey' campaign narrative meanders through a variety of disparate events in early 1778 until he finally moves into the British withdrawal from Philadelphia that initiated the sequence of events that culminated at Monmouth Courthouse. It is apparent that Washington's pursuit of the withdrawing British army was hardly rapid, even a bit sluggish (Washington had lost most of one field army in 1776 and was probably reticent to risk his main army unless sure of the outcome). However, the Americans were able to catch up with the British army near Freehold, New Jersey on 27 June 1778. After much debate, Washington gave the mission of attacking the British rearguard to Charles Lee. According to most accounts, Lee botched the attack in a half-hearted effort and was relieved by Washington, who was able to turn the battle into a draw. In Morrissey's version of the battle, Lee was unfairly relieved.

            I think Morrissey has stuck his neck out pretty far in attempting to defend Charles Lee and to base his assessment of the battle in terms of whether or not the America advance guard commander was unfairly relieved. First, what did Charles Lee ever really do for the Patriot cause? At Charleston, he provided advice that the locals didn't need. In the 1776 New York campaign, he managed to disobey orders and then get himself captured, probably collaborating with his British hosts. Morrissey suggests that Lee was court-martialed after the battle due to Washington's "popularity," which ridiculously equates the man who almost single-handedly welding together America's war effort in the Revolution to some modern-day celebrity. Morrissey claims that Lee was neither disrespectful nor treacherous, but merely undone by adverse circumstances and unruly subordinates. This is hogwash. Washington was not a capricious sort of commander who acted on whimsy; historians should give him the benefit of the doubt that the reasons were justified. What would Morrissey have us believe - that Washington acted out of rage or petty jealousy?

            It is also difficult to evaluate how well (or badly) Lee performed his mission of attacking the British rearguard given Morrissey's hard-to-follow tactical narrative. Morrissey writes: "[Lee] ordered Grayson to proceed with caution, he sent Jackson to join him at the front of the column and asked Wayne to take charge of those two detachments and a third unit (taken from Scott's command) under fellow Pennsylvanian Colonel Richard Butler." Huh? I can't tell who is doing what here. The American command structure of the advance guard was jumbled, with a variety of units provided detachments of their best troops, but Morrissey lumps them into a potpourri of poorly-identified names, with little attempt to distinguish the size or relationship of these detachments. Morrissey claims that the terrain and the sudden re-appearance of the British rearguard frustrated Lee's efforts to mount a coherent attack. I think the more likely reasons for Lee's discomfiture were simply military incompetence and poor leadership skills. When the Revolution started, Lee was one of several foreign officers who impressed Congress with his resume and secured a commission, but close examination of his record indicates that his command experience at high level was negligible. It is interesting that both Charles Lee and Horatio Gates, who had been majors in the British army, performed poorly on the battlefield and were poor leaders of men. When Lee botched a straightforward attack and let his picked troops rout, it was too much for Washington. Most of all, Morrissey's over-focus on Lee misses much of the significance of the first battle involving von-Steuben-trained American continentals and British regulars. One of Washington's goals was to test the efficiency of these new troops and it must have been galling to see them running away with hardly a fight. As every officer knows, a commander is responsible for everything his troops do or fail to do, and Lee was thus responsible for not only failing his mission, but allowing a disgraceful rout to occur after only minor skirmishes.

            5 out of 5 stars One of the few comprehensive looks at this important battle.......2004-08-10

            Throughout my education (even into college), any study of the American Revolution usually started at Boston, talked about the Declaration of Independence, and then skipped over to Yorktown. Trenton, Saratoga, and Valley Forge were some times thrown in for good measure, however none were ever covered in great detail.

            Most of the major battles of the war have largely been ignored, such as New York, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Charleston or Camden. This is likely because they all tended to be complex actions and resulted in either an American loss or at very least a draw. Monmouth was one of the largest battles of the American Revolution and was the last major battle fought by Washington's Main Army until Yorktown, yet to date the best book on the subject was William Stryker's "Battle of Monmouth", which was written at end of the 19th century and time has exposed several flaws.

            This book does an excellent job of translating this complicated battle, with all of its various stages and political drama, into a narrative of how the stage was set, how the battle unfolded, and what aftermath resulted. Starting in Philadelphia and Valley Forge, the author traces the progress of the two armies across New Jersey and their engagement outside of Monmouth Courthouse. This battle had several stages, which is skillfully articulated and supplemented by full color maps showing the action and how it developed.

            The author is extremely sympathetic to Charles Lee, which is a point I may disagree with. While Lee may have executed the letter of Washington's orders, he certainly did not execute their spirit. Coupled with his past behavior and track record (being captured in a New Jersey tavern away from his troops, politically challenging Washington with Congress, etc.), I think Lee exhausted any benefit of the doubt by the time of Monmouth.

            All in all, this book is long over due, and hopefully the author will repeat this success by covering covering the Philadelphia Campaign, Camden, etc.
            The Battle Of Monmouth
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              The Battle Of Monmouth
              William S. Stryker
              Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback

              GeneralGeneral | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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              Bring Us Water, Molly Pitcher! A Fun Song About the Battle of Monmouth (Fun Songs)
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                Bring Us Water, Molly Pitcher! A Fun Song About the Battle of Monmouth (Fun Songs)
                Michael Dahl
                Manufacturer: Picture Window Books
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Library Binding

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                The boys of Old Monmouth: A story of Washington's campaign in New Jersey in 1778
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                  The boys of Old Monmouth: A story of Washington's campaign in New Jersey in 1778
                  Everett T Tomlinson
                  Manufacturer: Houghton, Mifflin
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                  The conduct of General Charles Lee at the Battle of Monmouth
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                    The conduct of General Charles Lee at the Battle of Monmouth
                    William S Stryker
                    Manufacturer: "Press" Print. and Pub
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Unknown Binding
                    ASIN: B00087LN2Y

                    How to Start and Run a Successful Graphic Design Studio (092-6)
                    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                    • Avoiding minefields of business naivete
                    How to Start and Run a Successful Graphic Design Studio (092-6)
                    Nat Bukar
                    Manufacturer: Art Direction Book Company
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback

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                    4 out of 5 stars Avoiding minefields of business naivete.......2001-03-02

                    This auther has refreshingly blunt, candid and pragamatic advice and counsel for the person starting her or his graphics studio.

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