My lovely wife got me this book for Christmas, which I just finished. I thoroughly enjoyed it-a huge portion of the text is made of excerpts from primary sources, and I always like hearing the words of people who lived through events. The author sets the stage well before the beginning of the Revolutionary War showing how Britain meandered its way into such a disastrous position in America. The emphasis on the relationship between common Patriots and Loyalists across the Americas was an interesting take.

My only real critique is that in some sections it became a general history of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. I thought the majority of the Franklin sections were relevant, especially as many dealt with his relationship to his son William, who was a die-hard loyalist till the day he died (pardon the pun). For someone not well versed in Revolutionary War history the extensive passages about George Washington are probably helpful in keeping the narrative and timeline straight. But a lot of the general bits are features of most Revolutionary War histories already.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone with a passion for the Revolutionary War.