On Our Shelves

Reviewed by David Price, Washington Crossing Historic Park Historical Interpreter Alan Taylor’s latest work is an extraordinarily comprehensive history of the political and social turmoil that engulfed America in the late 18th century and how it impacted every segment of the population. His unvarnished account takes the bark off the story of America’s struggle for independence, informed by a focus on the often brutal reality that accompanied the war – particularly for Loyalists, Native Americans, and African Americans. Taylor debunks the traditional notions of our revolutionary enterprise as an idealistic and heroic venture, but his emphasis on its bloody and Read More

Reviewed by Tom Maddock, Historical Interpreter at Washington Crossing Historic Park David Price has put together a wonderful account of the Second Battle of Trenton in his new book, The Road to Assunpink Creek. It presents the details of a battle that doesn’t get as much press as the others. David lays out the details in an engaging and understandable way. He has organized those details in an easy-flowing style and makes the story come alive with his wonderful writing. He makes it easy to understand and appreciate the heroics of the Battle of Assunpink Creek. David has drawn details from Read More

If you haven’t yet participated in the Washington Crossing Historic Park book club, now is the perfect time to join! The club is starting discussion of a new book at its next meeting on June 17 at 5:30 PM in the Visitor Center. Book club meetings are led by park curator Kimberly McCarty. For the next few months, the club will discuss Following the Drum: Women at the Valley Forge Encampment by Nancy K. Loane. Following the Drum tells the oft-forgotten story of women who spent the winter of 1777-78 with the Continental Army at Valley Forge. Some women worked as the army’s Read More

Reviewed by David Price, Washington Crossing Historic Park Historical Interpreter Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson has authored the first in a trilogy that chronicles the military history of the Revolution. After producing three acclaimed volumes on the Allied European campaign in World War II (known as the “Liberation Trilogy”), this distinguished author has turned his attention to the struggle for independence in what promises to be collectively a seminal work in the voluminous literature of the Revolutionary War. Atkinson’s narrative style is crisp and fast-paced; he tells his story with a refreshing energy and enthusiasm. This is a true page-turner Read More

Before Washington Crossing Historic Park historical interpreter David Price retired from his full-time position in the New Jersey state government several years ago, he’d occasionally stroll along the Assunpink Creek outside his Trenton office. From the small bridge that spans the narrow stream, he’d look down and marvel at the fact that it was once all that stood between two armies. The more Price read up on the Battle of Assunpink Creek, the more he came to consider it to be an unappreciated but pivotal turning point of the American Revolution. That idea became the thesis of his new book, Read More

A Proper Sense of Honor: Service and Sacrifice in George Washington’s Army By Caroline Cox (The University of North Carolina Press, 2004), 338 pages, reviewed by David PriceCaroline Cox has produced an illuminating study of life in the Continental Army and how it connected to the broader social dynamics of colonial America in explaining the disparity in the conditions of service between officers and enlisted men.Her tightly wound narrative offers a wide-ranging examination of army life that encompasses such issues as: relations among the ranks, discipline and punishment, medical care, death and burial, and the treatment of prisoners. The author Read More

Reviewed by park historical interpreter David Price Philbrick’s body of work is fabulous, and his latest volume is no exception. It offers a somewhat unconventional and thought-provoking perspective on the extent to which the American public actually supported the struggle for independence. Philbrick’s thesis is that Benedict Arnold’s treachery galvanized support for the “glorious cause” at a time when the conflict was going badly for the new nation and the initial burst of revolutionary fervor had largely dissipated, and in that sense was an important factor in sustaining the war effort. If so, one of the most despised figures in Read More

Washington’s Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution By Patrick K. O’Donnell Atlantic Monthly Press, 2016 463 pages An accomplished military historian has given us an extensively researched, eminently readable, and fast-paced account of the Maryland Continentals who distinguished themselves throughout America’s war for independence. This is a worthy addition to any Rev War buff’s library because it essentially narrates the story behind the struggle through the eyes of this heroic regiment, and it does so in a way that will keep you turning the page. Patrick O’Donnell has written a number of Read More