# I'm looking for a scholarly comprehensive history of the American Revolutionary War **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2014, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623 "2014-05-30T10:07:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/1 "2014-05-30T10:07:35Z")
Hi, I’m looking for a scholarly, comprehensive history of the American Revolutionary War. Can anyone recommend an author or authors of the calibre of say, David McCullough, Jon Meacham, Walter Isaacson or Ron Chernow, preferably something with an emphasis on technology/science and economics, in other words, as rounded as possible. I look forward to your feedback. davidmich ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/2 "2014-05-30T17:47:11Z")
[Almost a Miracle](http://www.amazon.com/Almost-Miracle-American-Victory-Independence/dp/0195382927) is recent, well-reviewed and looks to be fairly comprehensive. However I will add the caveat that while I own a copy, I haven’t read it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/3 "2014-05-30T20:09:08Z")
_The American Revolution_ by Bruce Lancaster is a good general history. Or there’s _The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789_ by Robert Middlekauff if you’re looking for a somewhat deeper work. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/4 "2014-05-30T22:47:33Z")
Thank you. Very helpful indeed. davidmich ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/5 "2014-05-31T01:28:51Z")
Thomas Fleming has several books on the revolution. He has been one of commentators on several documentaries on the revolution. A very good author that just happened to have grown up next to my father. I’m not sure if his books are too narrowly focused for you. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/6 "2014-05-31T02:03:39Z")
Thank you Loach. I’ll look him up too. davidmich ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/7 "2014-05-31T02:40:28Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > [Almost a Miracle](http://www.amazon.com/Almost-Miracle-American-Victory-Independence/dp/0195382927) is recent, well-reviewed and looks to be fairly comprehensive. However I will add the caveat that while I own a copy, I haven’t read it yet. It’s a very approachable work. I liked it. The Glorious Cause, of course. It’s a very good book. ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/8 "2014-05-31T15:24:29Z")
https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLDA2BC5E785D495AB&wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=1&enablejsapi=1 This is a very good and entertaining course. Its less about the battles and more about people, hows and whys. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/9 "2014-05-31T16:27:12Z")
> [@turner](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDA2BC5E785D495AB&feature=plcp](http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDA2BC5E785D495AB&feature=plcp) > > This is a very good and entertaining course. Its less about the battles and more about people, hows and whys. Nice. Thanks for the cite. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/10 "2014-05-31T22:42:40Z")
You could try \* Rebels and Redcoats \* by Hugh Bicheno , which gives a fair appraisal from both sides. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2014, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/11 "2014-06-01T11:35:24Z")
Oxford University Press came out with one. I _think_ the title was _The American Revolution._ Paperback edition was the size of a cinderblock. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2014, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/12 "2014-06-01T11:56:00Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Oxford University Press came out with one. > I _think_ the title was _The American Revolution._ > > Paperback edition was the size of a cinderblock. I think you’re talking about the Middlekauff book I mentioned above. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/13 "2014-06-02T04:01:51Z")
Barbara Tuchman’s **The First Salute** is very good, if perhaps not quite the scholarly work the OP was looking for. It emphasizes the crucial role the French navy played, and how the British navy mishandled their opportunities. And the guy who did the History of Rome podcast is now doing [one called Revolutions](http://www.revolutionspodcast.com/), which has just finished covering the American Revolution. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/14 "2014-06-03T20:47:31Z")
I took a two-semester course in college on the history of warfare, and one of the assigned books was this highly acclaimed book: [A Revolutionary People At War: The Continental Army and American Character, 1775-1783](http://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-People-War-Continental-Character/dp/0807846066) ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-scholarly-comprehensive-history-of-the-american-revolutionary-war/689623/15 "2014-06-04T11:55:24Z")
Thank you all. Very helpful. davidmich