Brothers At Arms: American Independence and the Men of France and Spain Who Saved It by Larrie D. Ferreiro. 2016

Brothers At Arms: American Independence  
 and the Men  of France and Spain Who Saved It by Larrie D. Ferreiro.  2016

Journal of The American Revolution Book of The Year for 2016

A Revolutionary Reading and Autoditactic Corner Selection

If you are interested in learning more about The American Revolution than just the standard Hagiography taught in American schools study  the webpage of The Journal of The American Revolution.  They have a list of the hundred best books on The Revolution, broken into sections so you can follow your interests.  About half of the books are available in Kindle Editions, my preferred mode, and long term I hope to read a number of them. 

Since 2014 they have given an annual Award for best book,  with honourable mentions.  It is here i learned of  today’s book.


Ferriero’s book showed me that very likely without the help of France The Revolution would have failed. The assistance went way beyond officers like  Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette serving in The American Army.  Thousands of French soldiers  and sailors fought for the Americans.  The French government supplied rifles,canons, uniforms ships worth in today’s dollar over Thirty   Billion dollars.  The objective of the French government was to undermine the power of England by dragging it into a long war.  With the aid of The Spanish Navy, eventually the British were no longer able to move their troops around.  The French and Spanish had their eyes on the Sugar  Islands and on harrsssing British ships with priveteers. They also stirred up up trouble in India.  All this helped thin out Englsnd’s ability to fighf a revolt  thousands of miles from London. 

Ferriero brings lots of interesting characters on stage.  On returning home many French officers, mostly from the aristocracy, ended up being executed during the French Revolution.  Lafayette spent five years in prison and if not for pleas of George Washington might have died there.  

I give this book my total endorsement.  All into American history, especially teachers should read it.

It was a finalist for The Pulitzer Prize in History in 2016.



From The Publisher

“The remarkable untold story of how the American Revolution’s success depended on substantial military assistance provided by France and Spain, and places the Revolution in the context of the global strategic interests of those nations in their fight against England. 
In this groundbreaking, revisionist history, Larrie Ferreiro shows that at the time the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord the colonists had little chance, if any, of militarily defeating the British. The nascent American nation had no navy, little in the way of artillery, and a militia bereft even of gunpowder. In his detailed accounts Ferreiro shows that without the extensive military and financial support of the French and Spanish, the American cause would never have succeeded. France and Spain provided close to the equivalent of $30 billion and 90 percent of all guns used by the Americans, and they sent soldiers and sailors by the thousands to fight and die alongside the Americans, as well as around the world” 

Larrie D. Ferreiro is a naval architect and historian who served for more than thirty-five years in the US Navy, the US Coast Guard, and the Department of Defense. An Adjunct Professor of Engineering and History at George Mason University, he is the author of the award-winning Ships and Science (MIT Press) and Brothers in Arms, a Pulitzer Prize finalist in History.

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WASHINTON’S IMMORTALS The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution by Patrick K. O’Donnell - 2016

The American Revolution could have easily ended  soon after it began were it not for the courage and determination of a brigade of four hundred men, called “Washington’s Immortals”.   A Month after The Revolution began, in July 1776, Washington’s army was is desperate straights. His troops were outnumberd and surrounded in the battle of Brooklyn.  Thanks to this regiment Washington was able to evacuate his army from what seemed like either certain capture or slaughter.

The men who formed this brigade were all volunteers, forming The First  Maryland Brigade. Officers and soldiers often had to provide their own guns and equipment.  The men were largely considered “gentlemen”, professionals,rich merchants and  affluent farm owners.  The men mostly knew each other. Several married sisters of their comrades in arms.  They fought in key battles of The Revolution, including Trenton, Princeton, Camden, Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, and Yorktown, where their heroism changed the course of the war.

O’Donnell goes into fascinsting significant detail about their friendships, their trials, and the impact of the war on their families.  As the work dragged on, they increasingly struggled just to find food and adequate clothing. We learn of their conflicts with loyalists and about the British Army.  The British officer corps were largely from wealthy families who bought them commissions.  They laughed at the Americans as an army of farmers and blacksmiths.  There were freed slaves in the regiment and we learn about them.

Through focusing on one group of men, O’Donnell tells the story of how the most powerful military in the world were defeated by an army of amateurs.

“Combat historian, bestselling author, and public speaker Patrick K. O'Donnell has written eleven critically acclaimed books that recount the epic stories of America's wars from the Revolution to Iraq. He is a premier expert on elite and special operations units and irregular warfare. O’Donnell’s books are described as “nonfiction that reads like fiction.”
From https://www.patrickkodonnell.com/index.html

I think all into The American Revolution will enjoy this book.

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow -2010 - 930 pages. - Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography

George Washington:A Life by Ron Chernow

February 22, 1732

1775 to 1783 - Commanded Continental Army during the American Revolution

1789 to 1797 - First President of The United States

December 14, 1799. 

If you love American history and have not yet read Ron Chernow's biographies of Alexander Hamilton and George Washington you have a marvelous experience awaiting you.

Last month I posted on his Alexander Hamilton - http://rereadinglives.blogspot.com/2019/09/alexander-hamilton-by-ron-chernow-2004_21.html, made into a Broadway musical.  Hamilton was Washington's Aide de Camp as well as a military commander during the American Revolution and was the first secretary of the treasury.

I will in this post not recap Washington's life, just talk a bit about some of the many things that struck me.

Chernow brought Washington very much to life for me.  Long long ago my family and I visited his home in Mount Vernon, from Chernow I felt the great sadness Washington experienced during the eight years the Revolution kept him away from his home and his business.  

Chernow faces square on a fundamental issue, one must say, a flaw in the character of a basically highly principled man, Washington's attitude toward slavery.  He did see the contradiction in leading a war for liberty while owning hundreds of slaves.  Washington is portrayed by Chernow as treating his slaves better than most Virginia plantation owners, he respected slave marriages, he did not sell of spouses or children, he did not rape captive women, he made sure older slaves who could not work had food and medical care.  However, he did have slaves whipped and if a slave would not work and obey the rules he did on occasion sell them to West Indian sugar plantations, which was about a three years to death sentence.  Washington thought a slave should want to do their best for his or her master.  He sent slaves out to work in subfreezing weather.  Forty seven slaves attempted to escape from his ownership and he never seemed to understand why.  He did come to see that perhaps it would be better business to free the slaves thus relieving him of the burden of feeding them and just hire  workers.  He freeded about half the Mount Vernon slaves in his will but half were actually owned by the children of Martha from a prior marriage so he could not under Virginia law free them.  He also knew if he opposed slavery, the southern states might not join the union and might in fact side with the British.

We learn how Washington obtained wealth through inheritance and from his marriage.  Washington did enjoy the company of attractive women but seems in all probability never to have cheated on his wife.

We go along during his leadership in the French and Indian War.  His successful experience during this lead to his selection as leader of the Continental Army.  We meet his generals as well as the British leaders.  Chernow explained how the reluctance of British generals to press early advantages was a great break for the rebels.

Chernow goes into detail about the terrible hardships at Valley Forge.  The farmers in the surrounding areas had lots of food for sale but most would not accept American paper money.  Washington would not allow his soldiers to just take supplies, knowing this might turn the population against the 

revolutionary efforts.  We also see that as the war moved to the southern states, Washington's Quarter Master general did confiscate livestock at the point of a gun on occasions.

A big problem in the eight year war was keeping the army in tact.  Soldiers enlisted normally for one year and got very tired of being hungry and not getting paid.  Both the British and the Americans induced slaves to fight with promises of freedom after victory.  The prospect of slaves with guns caused many plantation owners to fear a slave uprising.

Washington went as long as three years without seeing action. He was focused on taking New York State and the Philadelphia area but the British moved the war to Georgia and the Carolinas, taking advantage of their unmatched in the world fleet to move their troops.  The Brotish generals were used to fighting pitched battles on open fields.  American militia volunteers adopted a style of fighting, partially learned fighting Indians, better suited to American terrain. Chernow showed that Washington's best military field commander was Nathaniel Greene. He goes into a lot of fascinating detail about his relationship to Alexander Hamilton.

The entrance of the French in the war was very valuable.  We learn a lot about Lafayette's life, role in the war and his close friendship with Washington.  I loved learning about the probably gay German officer who turned the Continental Army into a professional fighting force. Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Steuben 

After the war ended it seemed like Washington just wanted to get back to Mount Vernon.

This post is long already.  Chernow brilliantly narrates Washington's time as president, many wanted to make him president for life.

Many know Washington as the father of America, he had no children most likely as a consequence of either his small pox or injuries to Martha during childbirth.  He was very close to his step children and lots of nephews and nieces.

Every American schoolchild used to be taught Washington was called the father of his country.

If you want to know why can also be called the father of the American mule, read this book!

I read last year his book on the Warburg banking family.  I have kindly been given a review copy of his latest book, a biography of Grant which I will read next year, I hope.

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Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow - 2004 - 802 Pages

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow - 2004, 802 pages 

An Autodidactic Corner Selection.

January 15, 1755 (or 1757, the records are unclear) - Charleston, Nevis, British Leeward Islands

July 12, 1804 - Greenwich Village, New York, killed in a duel with Aaron Burr, then Vice President to Thomas Jefferson. 

October,1772 - moves to New York City

July 1775 - Joins The New York State Melitia in support of The American Revolution 

Because of his brilliance and dedication he serves as George Washington’s Chief of Staff for four years.

December 14, 1780 - he marries Elizabeth Schuyler, from one of the wealthiest families in New York State.  They have eight children.  The marriage was of great help to Hamilton in personal, financial and political matters.  They had eight children. Their oldest son was killed, age 19, in a duel.  Chernow thoughout book brings to our minds that Hamilton will die in a duel.  Dueling was an unforunate part of the code of honor.

He and his wife never got over the tragedy.

July, 1781 - at his request he is appointed field commander of three battalions.  His troops play a significant part in the American victory  at York Town which ended the war.

In 1797 he was first American politician to be involved in a sex scandal. Chernow spends a lot of time on this as the affair, with a marrired woman, seems very out of keeping for Hamilton.  The woman’s husband begins to blackmail Hamilton, saying he will  tell his wife and go to the press.  It appears to have been a set up from the start. His wife does eventually discover the affair, it lasted about two years.  Chernow lets us see the deep guilt of Hamilton and the impact of this on his marriage.  Hamilton had many political enermies, chief among them Thomas Jefferson, who also learned of his affair and used it against him for the rest of his life.

From September 11, 1789 to January 31, 1795 he was Secretary of the Treasury.  He essentially designed the financial system of the United States.  Hamilton was an advocate of a strong central government.  Much of the country’s tax revenue came from duties on imported goods.  He founded The U. S. Coastal Service to aid in this.  He also founded The U. S. Mint and was the primary author of The Federalist Papers, in defense of The U.S. Constitution

After leaving office Hamilton practices law in New York and is very involved still in state and National politics.  He wanted a strong central government, a standing army,and a good relationship with England.  Chernow helped me see the genesis of the American political parties in the conflicts between Hamilton and those lead by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison who wanted the states to be almost independent countries.  Chernow has near contempt for the character of Jefferson.  His enemies tried to suggest Hamilton took bribes from England and others but Chernow completely repudiates this idea.

Sugar was the main cash source in Charleston, on the Leeward  Islands.  Slavery was essential for the success of the plantations. Chernow explains how the  terrible cruelty Hamilton witnessed before immigrating made him a life long opponent of slavery.  He goes into a lot of very interesting detail about role  fight over slavery 

had during the formative years of America.  From Chernow i learned why the infamous clause in the U. S. Constitution counting slaves as equal to 3/5ths of a person gave a big advantage to Southern states.  Hamilton did not have confidence in the “common man” and wanted a government by the elite.  This sentiment was part of the reason for the Electoral College system, now an absurdity.  If Hamilton had his way, slavery would have been abolished in the Constitution.

His parents were not married and Chernow shows how this stigma impacted the psyche of Hamilton.  Chernow says the notion that Hamilton was of racially mixed parentage is a myth based on old slurs of his enemies.

Chernow develops the characters as well as a master novelist.  I knew from the start Hamilton would be killed in a dual but i did not know why.  His death was senseless.  Chernow made the duel painfully real.

Chernow greatly admires towering intellect,work ethic, and far sightedness of Hamilton.  As potrayed, Hamilton was quick to take offense and held a grudge.  He was an Autodidactic of the first order, a constant reader in a wide range of fields.  He spoke French, could read Latin and Greek.  His prose style was elegant.  His published writings and letters come to sixty large volumes.

Hamilton’s wife lived on for fifty years after his death, doing all she could to honor her husband’s legacy.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow is a delight.  Anyone into American history should read it.  

Chernow remarks that America since the passing of the founding fsthers  has never come close to such leaders.  The comparison of 2019 to 1800 is near sickening.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow is a wonderful book. I loved it.

I have previously read his The Waburgs and shall 

soon read his biography of George Washington, then his latest book, on President Grant.  

From The author’s website

“Ron Chernow’s bestselling books include The House of Morgan, winner of the National Book Award; The Warburgs, which won the George S. Eccles Prize; The Death of the Banker; Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award; Washington: A Life, which received the Pulitzer Prize for Biography; and Alexander Hamilton, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and adapted into the award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton.

Chernow has served as president of PEN, has received eight honorary doctoral degrees, and was awarded the 2015 National Humanities Medal. He lives in Brooklyn, New York

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