Kevin Phillips – 1775: a Good Year for Revolution
Phillips says he wrote this book to counter the widespread belief that the revolution was inevitable; a view set forth by triumphalist historians in the post WWII period. He reviews a number of strands of colonial discontent with the British. He is more of a journalist than a historian, so the book does not presuppose that the reader is already familiar with the subject matter.
Tim Marshall – Prisoners of Geography
To Marshall, geography is destiny. He ranges across the world describing how the course of various countries’ history was affected by the peculiarities of their geographic constraints. It is similar in approach to Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel in that it places a large part of nations’ destinies as being the result of externalities that are largely outside their control. This book has no direct bearing on the American revolution, but it is useful in understanding the reasons why certain countries behave as they do.
Fred Anderson – Crucible of War
This is a large and comprehensive history of the Seven Years’ War. At 912 pages, it is not for the casual reader, but I found it essential in understanding the mindset of American colonists leading up to the revolution. It is a good source on the extent of George Washington’s military experiences before the revolution.
