Rick Atkinson
Rick Atkinson The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777
The first volume of Rick Atkinson's Revolution Trilogy, covering the opening campaigns of the American Revolutionary War from Lexington through the Princeton winter battles of 1776–77.
### Overview
Rick Atkinson — Pulitzer Prize-winning author of *An Army at Dawn* and the acclaimed WWII Liberation Trilogy — turns his formidable research and narrative skills to the American Revolution, recounting the first twenty-one months of America's violent war for independence. Published by Henry Holt & Company in May 2019, this 800-page volume is the first entry in the Revolution Trilogy. It is the winner of the George Washington Prize, the Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize in American History, the Excellence in American History Book Award, and the Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award.
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### Standout Features
- **Dual-perspective narrative:** The story is told from the British perspective as well as the American, making the mortal conflict between the redcoats and the rebels all the more compelling. - **Vivid character portraits:** The saga brings to life astonishing figures including Henry Knox, Nathanael Greene, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington — the commander in chief who learns the difficult art of leadership when the war seems all but lost. - **Exhaustive, transatlantic research:** The meticulous endnotes alone cover 133 pages, and the research draws on sources from both sides of the Atlantic. - **Novel-like narrative pacing:** Atkinson's narrative style is crisp and fast-paced, making this a true page-turner for military history buffs and Revolutionary War aficionados specifically. - **Detailed cartography:** Aided by fine and numerous maps, this is superb military and diplomatic history representing storytelling on a grand scale. - **Fresh characterizations:** With granular detail and refreshingly unfamiliar characterizations — an uncertain George Washington, a thoughtful King George III, a valiant Benedict Arnold — Atkinson makes an oft-told national origin story new again.
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### Who It's For
This book is scrupulously researched and warmly readable — a book suited both to Revolution aficionados and newcomers to the subject, with no pre-ordained heroes or villains but a cast of memorably three-dimensional characters. The book is oriented toward military developments of the Revolution and the experiences of individual soldiers, both high-ranking and low, making it an especially strong fit for readers who enjoy narrative military history. Fans of Atkinson's Liberation Trilogy will find the same signature blend of deep scholarship and propulsive storytelling applied to America's founding conflict.
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### Important Considerations
- **Military focus, limited social history:** The book is oriented toward military developments and the experiences of individual soldiers; there is very little material about the socio-political angles or home-front experience of the Revolution. - **A long, detail-rich read:** The author is never afraid to digress, interrupting meticulous battle narratives with detours on topics like the treatment of smallpox — this is not a book for anyone in a hurry. - **Volume one of an unfinished trilogy:** Each of the first two volumes took six years to research, write, and publish, so readers eager to follow the full arc of the Revolution should be aware the third volume is still in progress. - **Crowded field:** While widely praised, some professional historians note this is popular rather than academic history — though Rick Atkinson is no interloper to be dismissed, as his jargon-free books regularly top bestseller lists while also winning critical acclaim.
Key features
- Pulitzer-winning trilogy on American Revolution 1775-1777
- detailed military narratives
- authoritative historical research
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Atkinson brings the same meticulous, ground-level narrative craft to the Revolution that made his Second World War trilogy essential reading.
What stands out
- Deeply researched, drawing on primary sources to reconstruct battles and personalities with unusual granularity
- Atkinson's prose is propulsive and readable without sacrificing historical rigour
- Covers a pivotal and often under-examined stretch of the war — the near-collapse and recovery of Washington's army
- Authoritative enough for serious history readers, accessible enough for general audiences
What to weigh
- At over 700 pages, the level of detail can be demanding for casual readers
- Focus on military operations means social and political dimensions of the Revolution receive less attention
- As the first of a planned trilogy, the narrative ends mid-conflict, requiring commitment to subsequent volumes
Great fit if
- Readers who enjoyed Atkinson's Liberation Trilogy and want the same treatment applied to the Revolution
- History enthusiasts who want a serious, source-grounded account of the war's opening years
- Those interested in military history and the mechanics of eighteenth-century campaigning
Skip it if
- Readers looking for a broad social or political history of the Revolution rather than a campaign narrative
- Those who prefer shorter, more thematic histories over long sequential accounts