This Fierce People - by Alan Pell Crawford (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A groundbreaking, important recovery of history; the overlooked story-fully explored, of the critical aspect of America's Revolutionary War that was fought in the South showing that the British surrender at Yorktown was the direct result of the southern campaign and, that the battles that emerged south of the Mason-Dixon line between loyalists to the Crown and patriots who fought for independence were, in fact, America's first civil war. The famous battles that form the backbone of the story put forth of American independence-at Lexington and Concord, Brandywine, Germantown, Saratoga, and Monmouth, while crucial, did not lead to the surrender at Yorktown. It was in the three-plus years between Monmouth and Yorktown that the war was won. Alan Pell Crawford's riveting new book, This Fierce People, tells the story of these missing three years, long ignored by historians, and of the fierce battles fought in the south that made up the central theater of military operations in the latter years of the Revolutionary War, upending the essential American myth that the War of Independence was fought primarily in the north. Weaving throughout the stories of the heroic men and women, largely unsung patriots-African Americans and whites, militiamen and 'irregulars,' Patriots and Tories, Americans, Frenchmen, Brits and Hessians, Crawford reveals the misperceptions and contradictions of our accepted understanding of how our nation came to be, as well as the national narrative that America's victory over the British lay solely with General George Washington and his troops"

Book Synopsis

A groundbreaking, important recovery of history; the overlooked story--fully explored--of the critical aspect of America's Revolutionary War that was fought in the South, showing that the British surrender at Yorktown was the direct result of the southern campaign, and that the battles that emerged south of the Mason-Dixon line between loyalists to the Crown and patriots who fought for independence were, in fact, America's first civil war.

The famous battles that form the backbone of the story put forth of American independence--at Lexington and Concord, Brandywine, Germantown, Saratoga, and Monmouth--while crucial, did not lead to the surrender at Yorktown.

It was in the three-plus years between Monmouth and Yorktown that the war was won.

Alan Pell Crawford's riveting new book, This Fierce People, tells the story of these missing three years, long ignored by historians, and of the fierce battles fought in the South that made up the central theater of military operations in the latter years of the Revolutionary War, upending the essential American myth that the War of Independence was fought primarily in the North.

Weaving throughout the stories of the heroic men and women, largely unsung patriots--African Americans and whites, militiamen and "irregulars," patriots and Tories, Americans, Frenchmen, Brits, and Hessians--Crawford reveals the misperceptions and contradictions of our accepted understanding of how our nation came to be, as well as the national narrative that America's victory over the British lay solely with General George Washington and his troops.

Review Quotes

"Mr. Crawford's account is incisively and carefully written, splendidly paced, and supported by a mine of primary and secondary sources. This Fierce People is military history in an older tradition, in which the outcomes of great conflicts depend on the foresight, character and courage of individual men. Yet Mr. Crawford, a journalist and historian based in Richmond, Va., doesn't ignore the role of slavery in the ferocity of southern resistance. . . . Rivetingly related." --Barton Swaim, The Wall Street Journal

"Crawford brings his cast of characters, ranging from 'Swamp Fox' Francis Marion to the alternately cavorting and cruel British officer Banastre Tarleton, to life with a beguiling blend of erudition, wit, insight and sympathy." --Bill Kauffman, The Spectator World

"Crawford provides a vivid, page-turning account . . . rich in memorable characters and dramatic scenes." --Dan McLaughlin, National Review

"Elegant . . . Incisive . . . Crawford's objective discussion of the South's role in the Revolutionary War makes for compelling reading." --Andy Brack, Charleston City Paper

"Crawford's demystifying narrative rests upon a foundation of extensive research and is rendered in sparkling prose, with plenty of vividly drawn profiles of formidable figures caught in the vortex of big, fraught, bloody events...Crawford is right about the Revolutionary War in the South. It was decisive in bringing the American war effort to a successful conclusion, and it probably hasn't received the attention in history that it deserves. This book is a tidy corrective to that, and one likely to enliven as well as enlighten most readers. Beyond that, Crawford's narrative makes it easy to see how this American adventure, full of hardship and glory, was the start of something big." --Robert W. Merry, Modern Age Journal

"A valuable addition to Revolutionary War history that adds useful detail and perspective." --Mark Knoblauch, Booklist

About the Author

ALAN PELL CRAWFORD is the author of two acclaimed works of history. His writing has appeared in American History, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. His book reviews appear regularly in The Wall Street Journal. He lives in Richmond, Virginia.