A Guide to New Jersey's Revolutionary War Trail For Families and History Buffs

by Mark Di Ionno

Hit the road with journalist Mark DiIonno as he takes you on a tour of New Jersey’s extraordinary Revolutionary War history. Listing more than 350 historic sites throughout the state, DiIonno has compiled the most complete guide ever to the Revolutionary War in the Garden State. New Jersey’s role in the Revolutionary War is widely overlooked. Every school kid learns about the Boston Tea Party but not the Greenwich tea burning; and about the miserable winter at Valley Forge but not Jockey Hollow. Schools fund class trips to Philadelphia’s Independence Hall but not Princeton’s Nassau Hall. To find history in New Jersey, all you need is DiIonno’s book as your guide. His easy-to-read volume helps readers explore the cities and the countryside from Bergen to Cape May County to find out exactly what happened there during the Revolutionary War.

While previously published books center on the highlights — Fort Lee and Washington’s retreat across the state, victories at Trenton and Princeton, the brutal winter encampment at Jockey Hollow and the Battle of Monmouth —  DiIonno fills in the blanks. Battlefields, churches, homes of the famous and infamous, cemeteries, parks, taverns, liberty poles, bridges, creeks, hills, museums, encampment sites, lighthouses, historical societies, walking trails, monuments, plaques—if it played a part in or commemorates the Revolutionary War in New Jersey, DiIonno tells you what happened there, the personalities involved, and how to see it for yourself.

The sites are conveniently cataloged by county, with a helpful summary of the area’s war history beginning each chapter. Each entry lists the town and directions to each site, and where appropriate, a complete address, telephone numbers, and hours of operation. Both public and private sites are described, and DiIonno advises readers of which private sites tours can be arranged.

Genres: American Revolution

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Mark Di Ionno is a lifetime newspaperman and a four-time winner of the New Jersey Press Association’s first-place award for column writing. In addition to his twice-weekly column in The Star-Ledger, his “Mark in the Morning” online column appears daily on nj.com. His pieces have followed the most controversial Garden State stories including in recent years the Dharun Ravi trial and Governor James McGreevey’s resignation.
Di Ionno is the author of three award-winning nonfiction books. New Jersey’s Coastal Heritage and A Guide to New Jersey’s Revolutionary War Trail won the New Jersey Academic Alliance Award, which is judged by a consortium of librarians and historians. Backroads, New Jersey was named among the most notable New Jersey books (1995–2005) by the New Jersey Center for the Book.
Di Ionno's first novel "The Last Newspaperman" will be released by Plexus Publishing in September 2012.

Reviews

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...this is not a book about history. This is a book about discovery."

The author claims that the primary focus is not about history, but he does a very good job of defining the historical sites.

My only complaint is that (at least in this version from the library) the hours are not updated. Some sites he states are closed now have open hours, and vice-versa. Check that the sites are open when you want to visit.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

New Jersey is often referred to as the crossroads of the America Revolution due to the enormity of importance of location between New York & Philadelphia, this book is a great primer for history enthusiatis interested in tracing the footsteps of George Washington.