From Trenton to Yorktown: Turning Points of the Revolutionary War

Published to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War, this sweeping narrative details the five turning points that ensured victory.

For eight grueling years, American and British military forces struggled in a bloody war over colonial independence. This conflict also ensnared Native American warriors and the armies and navies of France, Spain, the Dutch Republic, and several German principalities. From frozen Canada to tropical Florida and as far west as the Mississippi River, the Revolutionary War included hundreds of campaigns, battles, and skirmishes on land and sea in which soldiers and sailors fought and died for causes, crowns, and comrades.

In this masterful, yet accessible narrative of America's fight for liberty, John R. Maass identifies the decisive events that secured independence for the 13 hard-pressed but determined colonies. Maass details six key turning points that were crucial to eventual Patriot victory. These include not only the obvious military victories such as Trenton and Princeton or Yorktown but also the harsh conditions of the winter of 1778 and King Louis XVI's decision to supply Washington's troops with desperately needed soldiers, arms, money, and fleets. These turning points, without which defeat was likely, ensured a victory for the new United States, and established its place among the nations of the world.