Battle of Trenton

Many people in the New York and New Jersey areas today probably don’t realize how much history there is about the American Revolution right at their doorstep. The key early parts of the war were enacted right here. The battles of Trenton and Princeton have to be the most popular and covered aspects of the Rev War. So any recent book on these well worn topics should offer something new. For the most part, Washington's Crossing, by David Hackett Fischer (Oxford Univ. Press, 2004), does, but the author still allows himself to get carried away by the ever present Spirit of 76 Syndrome. There is a lot of background information provided on the American army, the British as well as the Hessians. The author brings out pertinent details on the leaders and gives a lot of social and political background study. The 1776 campaigns and battles around New York are given a decent summary so that we can see the context of Washy's retreat through New Jersey and the dire situation that the rebellion was in on that frozen evening of December 1776.  read more »