cover image "A FEW BLOODY NOSES": The Realities and Mythologies of the American Revolution

"A FEW BLOODY NOSES": The Realities and Mythologies of the American Revolution

Robert Harvey, . . Overlook, $35 (478pp) ISBN 978-1-58567-273-8

Journalist and former Minister of Parliament Harvey (Liberators: Latin America's Struggle for Independence) projects a British bias but strives for balance while arguing that the Revolutionary War was more complicated than is typically understood. Specifically, Harvey aims to dispel what he terms myths, both large and small, that have persisted about the Revolution, from the idea that the war was motivated mainly by America's "love of liberty" to the notion that Washington's crossing of the Delaware had military significance. Looking at the debates that raged on all fronts—between England and the colonies, within the colonies and within England itself—Harvey details the complicated web of interests that determined the war's course. Many in Britain thought the colonies were "of little importance and certainly not worth the waste of young men's lives or large amounts of money," and the British army fought a devastating enemy that could wage "a continual guerilla war of attrition." He examines various important battles, as well as blunders and unconscionable acts on both sides. Ultimately, Harvey proposes that the Americans were more concerned about the British blocking their westward expansion than about taxation without representation. Attributions that accompany lengthy quotes will satisfy the general public as to sources, but scholars will find the omission of footnotes frustrating. Still, his thoughtful arguments explore the complexities of both American and British points of view, and offer American readers a new perspective on the crucial conflict. 37 illustrations and 9 maps. (June 15)