Washington's Partisan War, 1775-1783

Rating:
Summary: a wonderful focused work on Washington's use of the militia.
Review: I think this book was very enlightening about the role of the militia and how Washington creatively used them along with regular military during the Revolutionary War. Being a New Jersey native, I was appreciative of the author's feel for the area. I gained a new appreciation for Washington as a military strategist. Definitely worth reading!

Rating:
Summary: Lots of trees but little forest
Review: The book not only points up Washington's genius at extending the tenets of the formal warfare of the 18th century, something for which he is rarely credited, but records the civil war between Tory and Patriot (Whig) within that war. It clearly demonstates the strengths and limitations of depending upon the citizen soldier, a lesson relevant today. Since the book deals primarily with the war around the New York metropolitan area, it will be especially interesting to anyone living in the area. I think enough of the book to buy a new copy and give it to our local library. John Higgins

Rating:
Summary: Lots of trees but little forest
Review: This book suffers from dry prose, lack of focus and the inability of the author to leave anything out! It is just a poor read, sad to say.....

Rating:
Summary: An unreadable, poorly focused study
Review: Washington's Partisan War is an unreadable, poorly focused study of the militia in the northern states during the Revolution. The author violates a cardinal rule of writing-he does not know quite what to leave OUT. Instead Washington's Partisan War tells of almost every militia muster, movement, skirmish, disbanding, etc. until one is totally lost in a (poorly written) forest of minute details. Context is significantly lacking here, and Kwansy fails to adequately tie in all of his facts to make useful conclusions. While Washington's Partisan War may be useful to some studying specific aspects of the middle states duringthe conflict, this book should be avoided by the general reader for the reasons above, as well as its terrible prose.