Category — American History

While Washington’s role in this book is certainly at the forefront in parts, Markle has really documented the birth of American spying as his subtitle suggests. There was a lot more intelligence gathering going on during the Revolution than just what was being produced by the Culper spy ring around NY.   Read the rest of this entry »

This is an extensively researched biography of a man who is too little remembered today. It’s become a cliché to say that a book reads like a novel, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Unger is a superb writer whose books have often been reviewed on this blog. Each one seems better than the last. We look forward to the next one.   Read the rest of this entry »

General Francis Marion, who became known as The Swamp Fox, is the character upon whom Mel Gibson's role in the movie The Patriot is loosely based.   Read the rest of this entry »

McGrath has written a very complete and detailed history of the Revolutionary American Navy His book fills in a gap left by many historians focusing on Revolution. There is no shortage of heroic figures, to satisfy the most ardent patriot!   Read the rest of this entry »

Martin recently informed this reviewer that Diana West has written a book-length Rebuttal to negative reviews of American Betrayal. That being unusual, it was necessary to read the reviews to discover what all the fuss was about. Fuss is not the proper word. That’s like saying ingesting hemlock causes a tummy ache. For sheer vitriol, invective and downright nastiness these reviews would be a challenge to match.   Read the rest of this entry »

In the introduction to Why We Won't Talk Honestly About Race, the author explains that his aim for writing the book was “to talk honestly about race,” to convey views, however legitimate or widely held, branded as racist by defenders of the status quo and banned from public discourse.   Read the rest of this entry »

The third and final installment of a three part interview with Tim McGrath, author of John Barry, An American Hero In The Age Of Sail.   Read the rest of this entry »

The second installment of a three part interview with Tim McGrath, author of John Barry, An American Hero In The Age Of Sail.   Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re a naval history buff or a Patrick O’Brian fan, put this book at the top of your list. Tim McGrath’s biography of John Barry is excellent. McGrath gives a wealth of detail without being tedious.   Read the rest of this entry »

Daughan tells the story of American Navy Captain David Porter in a way that takes the reader from admiration to, if not disdain, disappointment in the foibles of a man obsessed with reputation. Porter’s story is sad in some ways. He had many virtues and talents, but these were ultimately cast in the shadow of overwhelming ego, ambition, and a convoluted sense of entitlement. But for all that, Porter was an American hero who left a legacy that included his adopted son David Farragut, Civil War admiral David Dixon Porter and commodore William D. Porter.   Read the rest of this entry »