Engagingly recounts how this often underestimated Revolutionary War campaign became a critical turning point in the war that led to the ultimate victory of the Continental Army over the British forces.

The first in a monumental two-volume set on the pivotal 1777 campaign of the American Revolution, focusing on Washington's defeat at Brandywine and the capture of the Continental capital in Philadelphia.

The award–winning author of Brandywine examines a pivotal but overlooked battle of the American Revolution’s Philadelphia Campaign. Today, Germantown is a busy Philadelphia neighborhood. On October 4, 1777, it was a small village on the outskirts of the colonial capital—and the site of one of the American Revolution’s largest battles. Now Michael C. Harris sheds new light on this important action with a captivating historical study. After defeating Washington’s rebel army in the Battle of Brandywine, General Sir William Howe took Philadelphia. But Washington soon returned, launching a surprise attack on the British garrison at Germantown. The recapture of the colonial capital seemed within Washington’s grasp until poor decisions by the American high command led to a clear British victory. With original archival research and a deep knowledge of the terrain, Harris merges the strategic, political, and tactical history of this complex operation into a single compelling account. Complete with original maps, illustrations, and modern photos, and told largely through the words of those who fought there, Germantown is a major contribution to American Revolutionary studies.

Harris's Brandywine is the first complete study to merge the strategic, political, and tactical history of this complex operation and important set-piece battle into a single compelling account.

Brandywine, Germantown, Valley Forge, Monmouth. These are some of the most famous locales of the Revolution, yet not one was the scene of an American victory, except perhaps of the spirit. The Philadelphia campaign, which technically ran for well over a year from early 1777 to mid-summer of 1778, is recognized as the high point of the Revolution. It was a campaign during which the British won most every battle and gloriously seized their objective, the Colonial capital at Philadelphia, yet they were not able to win the war. Thanks to the fortitude and determination of leaders like Greene, Wayne, Morgan, Lafayette, Von Steuben, and especially George Washington, the brave American citizen soldiers refused to admit defeat and weathered the dark days of Valley Forge to emerge a more efficient fighting machine, determined to win the war no matter how long it took. Such was the patriotism of the Colonial troops who won their nation's independence from the professional soldiers and Hessian hirelings of King George. Military historian Dr. David G. Martin's The Philadelphia Campaign is a lively account of an epic period in American history. His narrative includes detailed strategic and tactical analyses of the movements of the generals and their battles for the city of Philadelphia along with the story of the hardships and trials of soldiers on both sides. What emerges is a story of courage, incompetence, tenacity, jealousy, and intrigue. The book is well illustrated with contemporary drawings and maps. A reader's guide provides a basis for further study and there is information about sites from the war which can still be seen today. Sidebars provide information on the period such as theleadership of both armies, the weapons they used, the role of African-Americans in the Revolutionary War, and the stories of heroines Lydia Darragh and Molly Pitcher. The Philadelphia Campaign is not so much military history as American history. It is an important work for anyone interested in how the United States of America came to be.

Ending with the fall of the capital city to the British Army, the campaign for Philadelphia set in motion a series of events, that led to the defeat of the British and eventual independence for the emerging American nation. From the landing of Howe's army at the head of the Elk River in Maryland, to his eventual capture of Philadelphia, the campaign included some fascinating battles. The first engagement at Brandywine, the inconclusive battle of the Clouds, the controversial Paoli Massacre, the missed opportunity at Germantown, and the maturing of an army at Valley Forge, are all examined in detail by Justin Clement, with supporting maps, original artwork, and photographs. Recently discovered information about the battle of Brandywine and analysis of the major personalities involved, completes this comprehensive account of an important episode in the American War of Independence (1775-1783).

Historians have long considered the Battle of Monmouth one of the most complicated engagements of the American Revolution. Fought on Sunday, June 28, 1778, Monmouth was critical to the success of the Revolution. It also marked a decisive turning point in the military career of George Washington. Without the victory at Monmouth Courthouse, Washington's critics might well have marshaled the political strength to replace him as the American commander-in-chief. Authors Mark Edward Lender and Garry Wheeler Stone argue that in political terms, the Battle of Monmouth constituted a pivotal moment in the War for Independence. Viewing the political and military aspects of the campaign as inextricably entwined, this book offers a fresh perspective on Washington’s role in it. Drawing on a wide range of historical sources—many never before used, including archaeological evidence—Lender and Stone disentangle the true story of Monmouth and provide the most complete and accurate account of the battle, including both American and British perspectives. In the course of their account it becomes evident that criticism of Washington’s performance in command was considerably broader and deeper than previously acknowledged. In light of long-standing practical and ideological questions about his vision for the Continental Army and his ability to win the war, the outcome at Monmouth—a hard-fought tactical draw—was politically insufficient for Washington. Lender and Stone show how the general’s partisans, determined that the battle for public opinion would be won in his favor, engineered a propaganda victory for their chief that involved the spectacular court-martial of Major General Charles Lee, the second-ranking officer of the Continental Army. Replete with poignant anecdotes, folkloric incidents, and stories of heroism and combat brutality; filled with behind-the-scenes action and intrigue; and teeming with characters from all walks of life, Fatal Sunday gives us the definitive view of the fateful Battle of Monmouth.