Synopses & Reviews
From one of the South′s foremost historians, this is the dramatic story of the conflict in South Carolina that was one of the most pivotal contributions to the American Revolution.
In 1779, Britain strategised a war to finally subdue the rebellious American colonies with a minimum of additional time, effort, and blood. Setting sail from New York harbour with 8,500 ground troops, a powerful British fleet swung south towards South Carolina. One year later, Charleston fell. And as King George′s forces pushed inland and upward, it appeared the six-year-old colonial rebellion was doomed to defeat. In a stunning work on forgotten history, acclaimed historian Walter Edgar takes the American Revolution far beyond Lexington and Concord to re-create the pivotal months in a nation′s savage struggle for freedom. It is a story of military brilliance and devastating human blunders - and the courage of an impossibly outnumbered force of demoralised patriots who suffered terribly at the hands of a merciless enemy, yet slowly gained confidence through a series of small triumphs that convinced them their war could be won. Alive with incident and colour.
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“A lively and accurate account of the vicious partisan fighting in the Carolinas during the Revolutionary War.” John Buchanan, author of The Road to Guilford Courthouse: The American Revolution in the Carolinas
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“A valuable addition to a too-small library on this chapter of the American Revolution.” William Hallahan, author of The Day the American Revolution Began
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“A significant contribution to Revolutionary history...Walter Edgar gives us a sobering sense of libertys price.” Mobile Register
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“Meticulously researched, a volume reminding us once again that the cost of freedom has always been very high.” The State (Columbia, SC)
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“Edgar paints in stark and realistic tones a portrait of the life and society of the backcountry.” Rock Hill Herald, South Carolina
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“Musketry practically cracks on page after page.” J. Tracy Power, author of Lee & #8217;s Miserables
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“A splendid chronicle...This one goes on my shelf of important works about the birth of our country.” John Jakes, author of North and South
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“Edgars lucid, unflinching account shows the American Revolution in the south was truly the nations first civil war.” Publishers Weekly
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“This is a superb book...a great read.” Emory M. Thomas, author of Robert E. Lee: A Biography
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“A solid addition to the Revolutionary War literature.” Kirkus
Synopsis
In South Carolina, the Revolutionary War was all but a first Civil War, with Tories and Rebels -- sometimes from the same family -- viciously fighting each other from the beginning of the conflict in 1775 to the colonists' victory in 1782. In this gripping, thoroughly researched volume, Walter Edgar brings to life the battles, the people, and the land that were a crucial front line in the struggle for independence.
With lively, evocative prose, Edgar tells the bloody tale of the British occupation: having taken Charleston, they swept across the Carolina backcountry like a firestorm, brutalizing and massacring innocent civilians. Yet deep in this land of rolling hills and lush valleys, the poorly organized and demoralized patriots struggled valiantly, finally assuring themselves after many battles that they could defeat the Redcoats. A story of heroes and villains, betrayal and honor, this rousing chronicle is American history at its finest.
Synopsis
In a stunning work of forgotten history, Walter Edgar takes the American Revolution far beyond Lexington and Concord, recreating pivotal months in a nation's struggle for freedom. Gripping, fascinating, and meticulously researched, Edgar's masterful history captures the heat, the fury, and the intense human drama of Britain's ruthless South Carolina campaign. It is a story of military brilliance and of devastating blunders -- and the courage of an impossibly outnumbered force of demoralized patriots who suffered terribly at the hands of a merciless enemy, yet slowly gained confidence through a series of small triumphs that convinced them their war could be won.
Alive with incident and color, Partisans and Redcoats presents unforgettable portraits of real-life heroes and villains, Britons and Americans alike, as it chronicles two remarkable years in the fiery birth of a nation.
About the Author
Walter Edgar has authored or edited nine books on the American South, including South Carolina: A History. He is the George Washington Distinguished Professor of History at the University of South Carolina.