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Reviews of The Battle for New York |
| “Barnet
Schecter proposes a radical revision of the way we think about the American
Revolution. The first battle was at Lexington and the last was at Yorktown,
but Schecter argues forcefully that New York City was the hub—and that
that is how George Washington and the British high command thought of it.
A provocative book.” — Richard Brookhiser, author of Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington “The Battle for New York is a long-overdue reminder of New York City's pivotal role in the winning of American Independence -- first as the backdrop for some of the heaviest fighting of the Revolutionary War, and then, during seven difficult years of enemy occupation, as a key element in the strategies of both sides.” — Edwin G. Burrows, coauthor of Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, winner of the Pulitzer Prize “Barnet Schecter tells the extraordinary story of how Central Park and Fifth Avenue were battlefields in the struggle for American independence.” — John Keegan, author of The Face of Battle and Fields of Battle: The Wars for North America “When most Americans think of George Washington and the American Revolution, important places like Bunker Hill, Saratoga, Yorktown, and Lexington and Concord come to mind. In this masterful work, Barnet Schecter makes a convincing case for the addition of one more: New York. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, The Battle for New York is the first definitive account of a crucial and long-overlooked chapter in the struggle for American independence. Schecter presents not only the fascinating story of the key battles in and around New York, but also the wider story of the war, its key players and critical turning points. It is, simply put, a vital story well told.” — Edward O'Donnell, Professor of History, Holy Cross “Independent historian Schecter’s debut describes New York’s crucial role in the Revolutionary War. The Founding Fathers agreed that New York was the pivot on which the Revolution turned. They were therefore disheartened when General William Howe routed George Washington’s forces on Long Island, landed his army on Manhattan (where the United Nations now stands), and occupied the city in a matter of days. Schecter's straightforward military history isn’t exactly a page-turner, but it makes an important addition to bookshelves filled with treatises on Lexington and Concord, Jefferson and Franklin, and other more famous battles and personalities of the war. Perhaps most enlightening is his depiction of how New York’s geography posed problems for both its defenders and attackers. The city’s harbor was ideal for trade but terrible from a strategic perspective. The many overlooks and coves provided staging areas from which cannons might bombard enemy ships, but the sheer size of the coastline to be defended presented problems for all but the most well-provisioned armies. At the outset of the Revolutionary War, the colonists did not possess such an army. The British did, and they held the city from the moment they landed on September 15, 1776 until November 1783, two years after Yorktown. Schecter retells with panache such well-known incidents from New York’s revolutionary war as the execution of Nathan Hale and the first combat use of a submarine (a tiny vessel nicknamed “The Turtle”). He also gives deserved attention to obscure figures like Charles Lee, a former British officer always accompanied by a train of dogs who fought for the American cause until he was captured, whereupon he offered suggestions on how the redcoats might defeat Washington in a manner of months.An excellent summary of New York’s role in the inception of the US: Boston and Philadelphia eat your hearts out.” — Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2002 Starred Review
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