The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 (The Revolution Trilogy, 1) Paperback – April 7, 2020

An extraordinary book, beautifully written, well researched, and fascinating from beginning to end. Richly detailed, this is history at it’s best - it reads like the best adventure story, but it lands a difficult truth: but for a few brave leaders, and an equally committed and courageous army, we wouldn’t have the United States as we know it. This book should be required reading for every American.

The British Are Coming is the first book in Rick Atkinson’s trilogy on the American Revolutionary War covering 1775 to 1777 - the battles of Lexington and Concord to Trenton and Princeton.This is a very detailed account of all the and battles fought during this period and include the political debates and decisions on both sides. I especially liked the inclusion of the British debates and decisions, both strategically and tactically, as the revolution began and became an actual war.While I already knew a lot about the major engagements, I learned a lot about some of the lessor campaigns, especially the failed American campaign to seize Canada and the successful American defense to repulse the British attempt to seize Charleston in South Carolina. I also learned a lot more about some of the more well known campaigns, especially Lexington and Concord, the siege of Boston, and the flight from New York through New Jersey.My only criticism is that like most newer historians Atkinson crams more minutiae than is necessary; for example he takes 2 pages to describe what General Charles Lee was wearing when he arrived in Charleston to take command of the defense against the British fleet.Overall, this was an excellent account of the first 2 years of the war; I just think it could be a little shorter on the minutiae.

Rick Atkinson is able to distill massive amounts of research into a gripping narrative. He has learned so much about the physical details of dress, technology, and buildings that he conjures up the scenes as thoroughly as a conscientious moviemaker would with a staff of researchers and designers. The character portraiture is first rate, too. It opens with George III, telling most of us more than we ever knew in a few pages. Atkinson depicts Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill with an accumulation of vivid detail that makes these famous names stand for bloody, costly struggles.I'm a great admirer of Liberation Trilogy, which I look forward to reading again. I have been waiting for the new trilogy since I first heard about it a few years ago. More than that, I have been waiting my whole life for a coherent and penetrating history of the Revolutionary War, which this trilogy promises to be. Congratulations to Mr. Atkinson on volume 1!2/8/20 I have now finished this and I admire it even more than I expected to. Rick Atkinson is a writer's writer. He engineers vast research into a brisk narrative such that every sentence sparkles with historical veracity. He loves words and the unusual words he uses and shares enliven the reading. Gundalow and insectile, for example. The content is unsurpassable. War history sometimes looks like one catastrophe after another. That is certainly the case with the Battles of Long Island and Fort Washington. But thank God for Trenton and Princeton! I look forward to volume two.

I just finished reading this. Really my first book on this part of American history. I found it easy to read and very interesting. My only negative on the book is the author's approach to slavery. He seems to view it through today's lense instead of in the context of the time the events were occurring. That being said, I just began volume 2 in the series......

Rick Atkinson's "The British Are Coming," the first book of his planned Revolution Trilogy, follows in the wake of his superb Liberation Trilogy about World War Two. His second book of this American Revolution series will be released in April. This first book, an historical “tour de force,” covers the period from the start of the American Revolution in 1775, beginning with the battles of Lexington/Concord, Bunker Hill, Quebec/Montreal, Lake Champlain, Long Island, Fort Washington/Lee, ending with Trenton and Princeton at the end of 1776. He’s objective in his approach to the War, neither favoring the colonists nor the British; these encounters are told in stunning descriptive detail with comprehensive maps identifying troop movements and the locations of the battles. His writing shines especially in vividly describing Charleston, Cork in Ireland, the embarkation harbor used to supply the British war effort, and Paris where Franklin went to seek French support. The Hessian role is informative and enlightening as are the notable names and roles of Benedict Arnold, Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, Nathaniel Greene, Charles Lee, and Banestre Tarleton. Atkinson makes quite clear the waning loss of confidence in Washington’s leadership before his victories at Trenton and Princeton. The book is filled with many color reproductions of historic content. Atkinson’s next book of the trilogy is eagerly awaited.

Extremely detailed and carefully researched history of the beginning of the American Revolution - first part of the Triolgy and gave this avid reader of the events which heretofore were never writtten before. Very enlightening tothis reader. Very Well Done- Outstanding Work- A Must For All Interested In The Start Of The Break From TheUnited Kingdom and Great Britian.

Atkinson is a gifted author bringing historical characters and events to life with excellent storytelling and interesting detail. Highly recommend this book which captures the spirit of the times.