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Modern War Studies
The Philadelphia Campaign, 1777-1778
American fortunes were at a low point in the winter of 1777-78. The British had beaten the Continental Army at Brandywine and Germantown, seized the colonial capital of Philadelphia, and driven Washington's soldiers into barren Valley Forge. But, as Stephen Taaffe reveals, the Philadelphia Campaign marked a turning point in the American Revolution despite these setbacks.
Occurring in the middle of the war in the heart of the colonies, this key but overlooked campaign dwarfed all others in the war in terms of numbers of combatants involved, battles fought, and casualties sustained. For the first time, British and American armies engaged out in the open on relatively equal terms. Although the British won all the major battles, they were unable to crush the rebellion.
Taaffe presents a new narrative history of this campaign that took place not only in the hills and woods surrounding Philadelphia, but also in east central New Jersey and along the Delaware River. He uses the campaign to analyze British and American strategies, evaluate Washington's leadership, and assess the role of subordinate officers such as Nathanael Greene and Anthony Wayne. He also offers new insights into eighteenth-century warfare and shows how Washington transcended traditional military thinking to fashion a strategy that accommodated American social, political, and economic realities.
During this campaign Washington came into his own as a commander of colonial forces and an astute military strategist, and Taaffe demonstrates that Washington used the fighting around Philadelphia as a proving ground for strategies that he applied later in the war. Taaffe also scrutinizes Washington's relationship with the militia, whose failure to carry out its missions contributed to the general's problems.
Still, by enduring their losses and continuing to fight, the Americans exacted a heavy toll on Britain's resources, helped to convince France to enter the war, and put the redcoats on the defensive. As Taaffe shows, far from being inconclusive, the Philadelphia Campaign contributed more to American victory than the colonists recognized at the time.
Occurring in the middle of the war in the heart of the colonies, this key but overlooked campaign dwarfed all others in the war in terms of numbers of combatants involved, battles fought, and casualties sustained. For the first time, British and American armies engaged out in the open on relatively equal terms. Although the British won all the major battles, they were unable to crush the rebellion.
Taaffe presents a new narrative history of this campaign that took place not only in the hills and woods surrounding Philadelphia, but also in east central New Jersey and along the Delaware River. He uses the campaign to analyze British and American strategies, evaluate Washington's leadership, and assess the role of subordinate officers such as Nathanael Greene and Anthony Wayne. He also offers new insights into eighteenth-century warfare and shows how Washington transcended traditional military thinking to fashion a strategy that accommodated American social, political, and economic realities.
During this campaign Washington came into his own as a commander of colonial forces and an astute military strategist, and Taaffe demonstrates that Washington used the fighting around Philadelphia as a proving ground for strategies that he applied later in the war. Taaffe also scrutinizes Washington's relationship with the militia, whose failure to carry out its missions contributed to the general's problems.
Still, by enduring their losses and continuing to fight, the Americans exacted a heavy toll on Britain's resources, helped to convince France to enter the war, and put the redcoats on the defensive. As Taaffe shows, far from being inconclusive, the Philadelphia Campaign contributed more to American victory than the colonists recognized at the time.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 31, 2020
A well-written and interesting history of the campaign.
A lot of histories of this campaign focus on Brandywine and Germantown, but Taaffe provides a fuller picture, and includes lesser-known engagements like the forts on the Delaware River. He provides a good picture of where the American and British leadership succeeded and failed, how the armies moved, and the effect of the fog of war. He also ably covers the role played by the Conway Cabal, the Carlisle commission and French intervention.
The narrative is very readable, but Taaffe’s conclusions about the battle seem overly broad and simplistic. The maps are pretty basic (oddly, there’s no map of the general Philadelphia area) Some may find the details on military aspects sparse (like the order of battle or specific units, or the motivations of soldiers) Also, Taaffe uses a lot of modern-day phrases. One feud between officers is called a “personal jihad,” for whatever reason. “The British army occasionally maneuvered like a blindfolded child flailing away at a piñata,” he writes in another section.
A workmanlike but coherent and well-researched work.
A lot of histories of this campaign focus on Brandywine and Germantown, but Taaffe provides a fuller picture, and includes lesser-known engagements like the forts on the Delaware River. He provides a good picture of where the American and British leadership succeeded and failed, how the armies moved, and the effect of the fog of war. He also ably covers the role played by the Conway Cabal, the Carlisle commission and French intervention.
The narrative is very readable, but Taaffe’s conclusions about the battle seem overly broad and simplistic. The maps are pretty basic (oddly, there’s no map of the general Philadelphia area) Some may find the details on military aspects sparse (like the order of battle or specific units, or the motivations of soldiers) Also, Taaffe uses a lot of modern-day phrases. One feud between officers is called a “personal jihad,” for whatever reason. “The British army occasionally maneuvered like a blindfolded child flailing away at a piñata,” he writes in another section.
A workmanlike but coherent and well-researched work.
August 30, 2023
A whirlwind of an overview of the events starting with the American defeat in New York through the daring American attack against the Crowned Forces at Monmouth Courthouse.
The author does a good job of moving the timeline forward while informing the reader of the broad strokes of three years of the war. Descriptions and brief back stories of the important people are paired with the key battles in which they participated or plans they made. This includes those in Parliament. Although the descriptions of the battles are brief, there are many included, which gives a comprehensive summary of the many events from 1776 to 1778. All of this taken together makes for an excellent guide to the campaign centered on the British occupation of Philadelphia.
The author does a good job of moving the timeline forward while informing the reader of the broad strokes of three years of the war. Descriptions and brief back stories of the important people are paired with the key battles in which they participated or plans they made. This includes those in Parliament. Although the descriptions of the battles are brief, there are many included, which gives a comprehensive summary of the many events from 1776 to 1778. All of this taken together makes for an excellent guide to the campaign centered on the British occupation of Philadelphia.
July 12, 2021
Oustanding overview of the 1777-78 Philadelphia Campaign of the Revolutionary War
October 30, 2012
This is a short academic book, a little over 200 pages long, that gets the story right - I'm pretty sure - but does it with little narrative drive or exciting writing. Worst of all, the maps are few, small, and not detailed, so that is is almost impossible to follow the action in the book because you can not find the place names on the maps. This books has a kind of ""phoned it in"" feeling too, it's loosely written, and rushed. The author does express clear options about the strategies and people involved, and I found that interesting. I would recommend this book only for people that are deeply interested in the topic, or who want access to all the footnotes (and there are many).
November 25, 2024
This was required reading for a course I had on the American Revolution in the Spring of 2010 at Temple University - Ambler.
(edited) Re-read in 2024. A basic history of the campaign that needs more detail. Pluses for an exceptional deep bibliography of both primary and secondary sources.
(edited) Re-read in 2024. A basic history of the campaign that needs more detail. Pluses for an exceptional deep bibliography of both primary and secondary sources.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews