Rating: 
Summary: "An Angel rides in the Whirlwind and directs this Storm."
Review: "Angel in the Whirlwind," written by Benson Bobrick, a teacher and author living in Vermont, is an excellent history of the war that resulted in the birth of our great nation. It's a book that doesn't attempt to break any new ground with "revisionist" historical theories. Instead, readers will find a good solid narrative of the events that led up to the Revolution, and of the war itself. "Angel in the Whirlwind" begins by tracing the roots of the American Revolution. According to Bobrick, the American concept of liberty was born in the crucible of the Seven Years' War (1753-1760). During this period, colonial legislatures took it upon themselves to govern themselves. They regulated their own commerce and levied their own taxes with almost no interference from the British government. After the Seven Years' War ended, the British government once again began exercising its prerogative to regulate colonial commerce and impose new taxes. The result: political protest that eventually evolved into open rebellion. Most of "Angel in the Whirlwind" concerns itself not with an analysis of the war's causes, but with the fighting of the war itself. Bobrick masterfully traces the major battles of the War for Independence, from the "shot heard 'round the world" at Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775, to the final surrender of Lord Cornwallis' forces to General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781. In between these key events, readers will be swept along by the tremendous courage of colonial troops at Bunker Hill, Long Island, Trenton, Princeton, and Saratoga; the incredible suffering at Valley Forge and Morristown, New Jersey; and the internecine conflict between Loyalist and Patriot throughout the war... Although Bobrick's battle descriptions are fairly brief (the book only runs to 495 pages) they are clear, concise, well organized, and imbued with superb historical accuracy. You won't get that "gunpowder, smoke, and chaos of battle" feel that you'll gain in such books as Richard Ketchum's "Decisive Day" and "Saratoga;" you will, however, gain an appreciation for the hardships and suffering endured by those who fought, and sometimes died, on the battlefields of the Revolution. In "Angel in the Whirlwind," Benson Bobrick eloquently captures the sweep and scope of the founding of our nation. Although this book is imbued with tremendous scholarship, it's never boring. Bobrick keeps an excellent pace throughout his well crafted narrative. Bobrick's analyses of events are carefully constructed and his arguments lucid and effectively explained. At certain points, he even manages to interject a bit of humor into his narrative. I found myself quite amused by his descriptions of British General "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne's personal entourage, during his 1777 campaign through the thickets of Canada and upstate New York. "Angel in the Whirlwind" is one of the best contemporary surveys of the American Revolution available today. It's not the most detailed, and it doesn't provide any new historical revelations; but it's scholarly, entertaining and easy to understand, and will provide readers with an excellent background to our nation's War of Independence. An essential book for any history buff's bookshelf!
Rating:
Summary: "An Angel rides in the Whirlwind and directs this Storm."
Review: "Angel in the Whirlwind," written by Benson Bobrick, a teacher and author living in Vermont, is an excellent history of the war that resulted in the birth of our great nation. It's a book that doesn't attempt to break any new ground with "revisionist" historical theories. Instead, readers will find a good solid narrative of the events that led up to the Revolution, and of the war itself. "Angel in the Whirlwind" begins by tracing the roots of the American Revolution. According to Bobrick, the American concept of liberty was born in the crucible of the Seven Years' War (1753-1760). During this period, colonial legislatures took it upon themselves to govern themselves. They regulated their own commerce and levied their own taxes with almost no interference from the British government. After the Seven Years' War ended, the British government once again began exercising its prerogative to regulate colonial commerce and impose new taxes. The result: political protest that eventually evolved into open rebellion. Most of "Angel in the Whirlwind" concerns itself not with an analysis of the war's causes, but with the fighting of the war itself. Bobrick masterfully traces the major battles of the War for Independence, from the "shot heard `round the world" at Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775, to the final surrender of Lord Cornwallis' forces to General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781. In between these key events, readers will be swept along by the tremendous courage of colonial troops at Bunker Hill, Long Island, Trenton, Princeton, and Saratoga; the incredible suffering at Valley Forge and Morristown, New Jersey; and the internecine conflict between Loyalist and Patriot throughout the war... Although Bobrick's battle descriptions are fairly brief (the book only runs to 495 pages) they are clear, concise, well organized, and imbued with superb historical accuracy. You won't get that "gunpowder, smoke, and chaos of battle" feel that you'll gain in such books as Richard Ketchum's "Decisive Day" and "Saratoga;" you will, however, gain an appreciation for the hardships and suffering endured by those who fought, and sometimes died, on the battlefields of the Revolution. In "Angel in the Whirlwind," Benson Bobrick eloquently captures the sweep and scope of the founding of our nation. Although this book is imbued with tremendous scholarship, it's never boring. Bobrick keeps an excellent pace throughout his well crafted narrative. Bobrick's analyses of events are carefully constructed and his arguments lucid and effectively explained. At certain points, he even manages to interject a bit of humor into his narrative. I found myself quite amused by his descriptions of British General "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne's personal entourage, during his 1777 campaign through the thickets of Canada and upstate New York. "Angel in the Whirlwind" is one of the best contemporary surveys of the American Revolution available today. It's not the most detailed, and it doesn't provide any new historical revelations; but it's scholarly, entertaining and easy to understand, and will provide readers with an excellent background to our nation's War of Independence. An essential book for any history buff's bookshelf!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Overview of the American Revolution!
Review: 'Angel in the Whirlwind' is an engaging and informative account of the American Revolution. Instead of just going through the war, this book gives you an interesting look into colonial society around the time of the revolution, allowing you to understand the mindset of our colonial ancestors as they set off 'into the whirlwind'. The book's coverage of the battles, both military and political, are extensive, and I especially enjoyed the section on the War in the South, which a lot of accounts on the revolution don't elaborate on. This book is a wonderful account of the war, bringing in all the major players and the events they orchestrated, allowing the revolution to be better understood. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the war and the politics behind it.
Rating:
Summary: Our Own Revolution: Up close and personal
Review: After American History class, few citizens venture further. We are fed facts to regurgitate on a final exam, and no futher thoughts required. This book brings the people that birthed this nation right into our living rooms. When you finish, they have family, souls, and personality. They are your frineds. Further, you finally understand why these unrully rascals put all they owned in jeopardy to gain freedom. If more people would read this book than watch CNN, we could get on with intelligent governing and informed elections. This book is to our government as the movie TRAFFIC is to drugs: every American should be forced to read/watch it over and over until they 'GET IT." This is not the easiest read, but the information is so facinating, that you find it remaining in your hand instead of the TV clicker. You finish it feeling like a better person for having done so, with greater respect for those who gave so much for us, and a desire to bring our government bank into the people's hands. I would enjoy seeing the change in our children if this were their high school history book instead of the bland, date fixated books currently in use. Follow this with Ambrose's Lewis and Clark.
Rating: 
Summary: Slightly Better Than Adequate
Review: Bobrick's book fulfills its own limited ambitions well: "Angel in the Whirlwind" is an effective one-volume history of the War of Independence. But any reader with a good memory of high-school history lessons will find little new here, and readers who are more familiar with Revolutionary history will be disappointed. The book starts with a solid exposition of late Colonial history and the train of events that led inexorably from the Plains of Abraham to the siege of Yorktown. In the first three chapters, Bobrick lays the foundation of a wide-ranging discussion of Revolutionary-era society, which is necessary to answer the hows and whys of the story. But he quickly focuses first on the Continental Congress and then, in the last half of the book, on the war's military campaigns, and the book never adequately returns to the substantive social questions. From chapter 8 ("New York") until the final chapter ("The End of the Beginning"), the book becomes a mediocre military history, with only occasional and disappointing forays into other topics. Congress, the great mass of ordinary people, the American economy, Washington's extensive espionage activities, myriad local and state rebellions, state constitutional reforms -- these and many other important topics are given the shaft when Bobrick turns his focus on the clash of arms. It is as if America went to sleep between 1776 and 1781. The book is at its best when a strong narrative and some analysis is called for, such as in chapter 17 ("West Point") which details Benedict Arnold's descent into treason. Bobrick does an exceptional job, for an American historian, of telling the British and American Loyalist stories, at least in the context of fighting the war. Bobrick also relies heavily on the letters of John Adams and Washington, two keen observers of and central actors in the Revolutionary drama who were also both excellent letter-writers. Bobrick serves the reader well by calling on these two voices often and at length. The great strength of the book is its narrative flow. This is a popular history of the first order; it reads at times like a thriller. However, this can lead Bobrick to sloppiness with events and facts, such as when he says of the Constitution of 1787, "The executive power would reside in the person of a president, who would be elected indirectly (according to a kind of paradox) by direct popular vote ..." This is true now, but it was not true in the 18th century, when most presidential electors were elected, as the Constitution provides, by the state legislatures. So "Angel in the Whirlwind" is a good candidate to serve as the basic text of a high-school-level history of the War of Independence. For those not familiar with the period, Bobrick offers a valuable introduction that is clear and gripping. But to those who have already covered the material, in school or on their own, "Angel in the Whirlwind" offers only empty calories. Three stars for its superior adequacy. If you're 14 years old, and your history teachers have served you as poorly as mine had to that point, "Angel in the Whirlwind" is closer to five-stars. If you already have a working knowledge of the Revolution, the book might not even warrent two.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad
Review: I was searching for a "first" to read related to the American Revolution. I read the reviews and decided this one looked good. Diligent and determined shopping usually pays off for me and this was no exception. This book is great. Even for an occasional reader as myself, I found it hard to put down. It made me proud to be an American. And I am impressed with the candor and honesty of the writer. I'm a Christian and I found this book to be full of references to our founding fathers strong faith. If that is important to you, then don't miss this one. I've tried reading John Adams since, but can't get interested. It just doesn't pull me in like "Angel" did.
Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: If you're interested in learning more about the American Revolution, you need look no further. This is the book to get. The author has a gift for giving the sorts of personal details that make you feel like you were really there, witnessing the events yourself. I only wish more history books were like this!
Rating:
Summary: Dry as a bone...with nary a map to wet my whistle...
Review: Mr. Bobrick has assembled a thorough overview of the American Revolution, and more specifically those challenges faced by George Washington in fighting a war against the most powerful nation in the world at the time. However, the volume's lack of detailed maps left me with a confusing sense of space and time as it related to the movements of the armies. It is easy to jump from Saratoga, NY to Yorktown, VA in just a few dozen pages, but without giving the reader some sense of the distance involved, or even the spatial relationship between these large bodies of men, Mr. Bobrick's concise text loses meaning.
Rating:
Summary: A good read, I wish there were more maps!
Review: This book was a good overview of the American Revolutionary period. The chapter on colonial society was one of the finest I ever read. The author gives a great narrative of the battles and sometimes, I could not put it down. I think that several more maps would have helped to give the readers more of an immediate sense of things, but I know the author wanted to tell the story. I felt it was a little difficult to determine the action of things without them though. I was especially impressed with the author's ability to undo a lot of the elementary school jargon concerning the men and women of the time. It is nice to know that Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and the other fathers and mothers had issues to work through too. It accents a point I tell my students - that people in the grand span of time have not changed a whole lot - that they dealt with good, evil, and all the personality whoopla. Bobrick's ability to see the revolution through the leaders and the common person really is the genious of this book. It was a time that tried men's souls and they were at a loss sometimes to do something. The other genious of the work is how the author showed how they worked through their problems and finished the job. A lot of people cannot do that today. A great read.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: This is simply the finest, single volume history of the American Revolution ever written. Remarkably well detailed, this is an excellent addition to the literature surrounding the American independence movement. It should be required reading for every American.
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