You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
22 reviews for:
The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire
Andrew O'Shaughnessy
3.94 AVERAGE
22 reviews for:
The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire
Andrew O'Shaughnessy
3.94 AVERAGE
‘These are the times that try men’s souls.’
'Your failure is, I am persuaded, as certain as fate. America is above your reach...her independence neither rests upon your consent, nor can it be prevented by your arms. In short, you spend your substance in vain, and impoverish yourself without hope.'
Thomas Paine, "To the People of England," 1774
In this scholarly but very accessible book, O'Shaughnessy takes the view that Britain's loss was not inevitable, and that in most cases the commanders and political leaders were scapegoated for the failure. He does this by taking a biographical look at the main players, political and military, on the British side; and showing the constraints that contributed to their defeat. As a non-historian, I make my usual disclaimer that I can't comment on the historical accuracy of the book.
I always enjoy biographical history and so the format of this book was perfect for me. Each section concentrates on one person (except for the Howe brothers, when O'Shaughnessy combines their stories). O'Shaughnessy tops and tails each biography with brief summaries of the person's life and career before and after the war, but the bulk of each section concentrates on the involvement in the war itself. In each case, he explains the reasons behind any successes or failures and, as the book progresses, common themes emerge.
The British system of government at the time led to divided responsibilities and thus to in-fighting between ambitious men. George III still had more power than a modern monarch would, especially in terms of patronage, and therefore interfered in the management of the war. The opposition was powerful and the government could never be sure of parliamentary support. There were budgetary constraints since Britain already had a high national debt. The distances involved led to continual problems with supplies and the supply chain, and for most of the war the British Navy (to my surprise) did not 'rule the waves' but indeed was inferior to the combined French/Spanish fleets it was facing. But perhaps most importantly of all, there was a belief that the rebels did not have the support of the majority of Americans and this led the British to place too much reliance on loyalist support which never materialised in the numbers anticipated. This belief persisted throughout despite the increasing evidence to the contrary.
I'm not sure that O'Shaughnessy convinced me that the British could have won the war. In fact, as I read, I became convinced that so many things would have had to be different to make winning a possibility that it actually surprised me that the commanders achieved the levels of success they did. So O'Shaughnessy certainly succeeded in his other aim - to show that the commanders as individuals have, on the whole, been unfairly blamed for the failures. (Except Sir George Rodney - Guilty! Guilty! Off with his head!!)
The book is very well written, and is both informative and enjoyable. There are a generous number of colour plates, mainly of portraits of the leaders discussed. My only complaint is that the scope of the book means that, though I'm now much better informed about the British side of the war, I remain almost entirely ignorant of the American side, so I sincerely hope that O'Shaughnessy is working on a companion book on The Men Who Won.
NB This book was provided for review by the publishers.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
'Your failure is, I am persuaded, as certain as fate. America is above your reach...her independence neither rests upon your consent, nor can it be prevented by your arms. In short, you spend your substance in vain, and impoverish yourself without hope.'
Thomas Paine, "To the People of England," 1774
In this scholarly but very accessible book, O'Shaughnessy takes the view that Britain's loss was not inevitable, and that in most cases the commanders and political leaders were scapegoated for the failure. He does this by taking a biographical look at the main players, political and military, on the British side; and showing the constraints that contributed to their defeat. As a non-historian, I make my usual disclaimer that I can't comment on the historical accuracy of the book.
I always enjoy biographical history and so the format of this book was perfect for me. Each section concentrates on one person (except for the Howe brothers, when O'Shaughnessy combines their stories). O'Shaughnessy tops and tails each biography with brief summaries of the person's life and career before and after the war, but the bulk of each section concentrates on the involvement in the war itself. In each case, he explains the reasons behind any successes or failures and, as the book progresses, common themes emerge.
The British system of government at the time led to divided responsibilities and thus to in-fighting between ambitious men. George III still had more power than a modern monarch would, especially in terms of patronage, and therefore interfered in the management of the war. The opposition was powerful and the government could never be sure of parliamentary support. There were budgetary constraints since Britain already had a high national debt. The distances involved led to continual problems with supplies and the supply chain, and for most of the war the British Navy (to my surprise) did not 'rule the waves' but indeed was inferior to the combined French/Spanish fleets it was facing. But perhaps most importantly of all, there was a belief that the rebels did not have the support of the majority of Americans and this led the British to place too much reliance on loyalist support which never materialised in the numbers anticipated. This belief persisted throughout despite the increasing evidence to the contrary.
I'm not sure that O'Shaughnessy convinced me that the British could have won the war. In fact, as I read, I became convinced that so many things would have had to be different to make winning a possibility that it actually surprised me that the commanders achieved the levels of success they did. So O'Shaughnessy certainly succeeded in his other aim - to show that the commanders as individuals have, on the whole, been unfairly blamed for the failures. (Except Sir George Rodney - Guilty! Guilty! Off with his head!!)
The book is very well written, and is both informative and enjoyable. There are a generous number of colour plates, mainly of portraits of the leaders discussed. My only complaint is that the scope of the book means that, though I'm now much better informed about the British side of the war, I remain almost entirely ignorant of the American side, so I sincerely hope that O'Shaughnessy is working on a companion book on The Men Who Won.
NB This book was provided for review by the publishers.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Shockingly funny. It’s almost like real housewives of the revolutionary war.
O'Shaughnessy undermines American Revolution myths of British incompetence with a group biography of the very talented, professional and effective commanders who waged a war in America that was fatally undercut by unreachable goals (as I say in class--if you thought collecting taxes was difficult *before*...), vast geography and political divisions in Britain. The author is one of my favorites going back to Empire Divided, so this is a delightful confirmation of my own conclusions.
informative
medium-paced
Good job explaining how the British leaders failed at their task. Fairly long and not a happy read for anyone who wishes the war had turned out otherwise.
A well researched, engaging history of the American revolution from the British perspective. Sometimes O'Shaughnessy seems to be arguing against the thesis that "all British generals were complete buffoons 100% of the time," which is, frankly, pretty easy to disprove.
But the book is full of so many fascinating details and illuminating quotes that the weakness of its argument is easily forgiven. Did you know Sir Henry Clinton referred to himself as a "shy bitch" in his journal? Or that Lord North literally threatened suicide rather than remain as prime minister? O'Shaughnessy also illuminates many of the technical issues facing the British in a clear and fascinating way.
But the book is full of so many fascinating details and illuminating quotes that the weakness of its argument is easily forgiven. Did you know Sir Henry Clinton referred to himself as a "shy bitch" in his journal? Or that Lord North literally threatened suicide rather than remain as prime minister? O'Shaughnessy also illuminates many of the technical issues facing the British in a clear and fascinating way.
informative
medium-paced
I feel as if the rating of non-fiction books often depends more on one’s interest in the subject than on the writing quality. First, I was very interested in the topic, and second, it was a clearly written and comprehensive book.
I own biographies of most American Revolutionary generals, politicians, and heroes however the only British biography I own is of George III. This book discusses George III but also Lord North, Lord Germain, General Howe, Admiral Howe, General Burgoyne, General Clinton, Sir Rodney, and Lord Sandwich. All are important characters and I’m glad they got their chance to shine in this book.
This book focuses on the war with America but gives some background history and discusses what happens to them after 1783. Even as an history buff, I do feel as though I learned a lot.
I enjoyed that take that the ending wasn’t inevitable but there were challenges that proved to be insurmountable that without overcoming, the war would always end how it did.
Overall, great book that I would especially recommend to anyone who sat through American public schools and only got one side of the conflict.
I own biographies of most American Revolutionary generals, politicians, and heroes however the only British biography I own is of George III. This book discusses George III but also Lord North, Lord Germain, General Howe, Admiral Howe, General Burgoyne, General Clinton, Sir Rodney, and Lord Sandwich. All are important characters and I’m glad they got their chance to shine in this book.
This book focuses on the war with America but gives some background history and discusses what happens to them after 1783. Even as an history buff, I do feel as though I learned a lot.
I enjoyed that take that the ending wasn’t inevitable but there were challenges that proved to be insurmountable that without overcoming, the war would always end how it did.
Overall, great book that I would especially recommend to anyone who sat through American public schools and only got one side of the conflict.
Very, very informative. There's a lot to absorb, so it can be a bit of a drag to get through it at times. If you're interested in this part of history, though, it's very definitely worth it.
informative
inspiring
reflective
Well this was a good one. Gives insight into the British perspective of the American Revolution and details how the odds were against them; At least they made better business partners with the Native Americans! Did I mention how the loyalist strength was overestimated and how the aftermath of the Seven Years War left Britain as the threat to balance of power in Europe(in a 'you have become the thing you swore to destroy') and that they didn't help Portugal when Spain invaded it in 1776...yeah.
PS MUCH better than the America Rock segments of Schoolhouse Rock! Take that! Sons of Liberty my butt! More like Sons of Insurrection!
PS MUCH better than the America Rock segments of Schoolhouse Rock! Take that! Sons of Liberty my butt! More like Sons of Insurrection!
One of the best books on the American Rev I've read. It talks about how the Brits thought they'd win and why they didn't. More than most other books I've read on the topic really give a sense of the insurgency that took place against the British. I would consider this essential reading for anyone who wants to study counter-insurgency since most readers in the states will identify the cause of the Patriots and the headaches of the Brits.