Stephen Conway Livres

An in-depth scholarly history of the British army as an institution during the eighteenth century.

An account of the impact of this 18th-century conflict upon the politics, economy, society, and culture of the British Isles. It investigates the military participation and the role of war in the creation of a sense of Britishness. číst celé

The American war against British imperial rule (1775-1783) was the world's first great popular revolution. Ideologically defined by the colonists' formal Declaration of Independence in 1776, the struggle has taken on something of a mythic character. From the Boston Tea Party to Paul Revere's ride to raise the countryside of New England against the march of the Redcoats; and from the American travails of Bunker Hill (1775) to the final humiliation of the British at Yorktown (1781), the entire contest is now emblematic of American national identity. Stephen Conway shows that, beyond mythology, this was more than just a local conflict: rather a titanic struggle between France and Britain. The Thirteen Colonies were merely one frontline of an extended theatre of operations, with each superpower aiming to deliver the knockout blow. This bold new history recognizes the war as the Revolution but situates it on the wider, global canvas of European warfare.

Exploring the pivotal errors and misjudgments, this account delves into the historical events that marked the decline of Britain's status as a transatlantic power. It provides a clear and engaging analysis of the factors that contributed to this significant shift, offering insights into the political and social dynamics at play during this transformative period.