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Liberty! The American Revolution
Liberty! The American Revolution brings to life one of the most important and compelling stories in our country's history: the struggle for independence and the birth of the American nation. Historian and novelist Thomas Fleming's gripping narrative captures the high drama of the revolutionary years and the unyielding courage and political genius of the men and women who imagined a new set of political possibilities for mankind - laying the foundation for the identity and character of the American people in the process. The companion volume to the PBS television series of the same name, Liberty! is illustrated with more than 200 full color paintings and photographs, illuminating the revolutionary period as never before. Most important, Liberty! traces the evolution of the ideals that inspired a generation of Americans to struggle against Britain - then the most powerful nation in the world - to establish the free society and democratic system that is so inherently and uniquely American. A remarkable work that surges with human drama, it is a book that every American family will read and treasure for decades to come.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1997
About the author
Thomas Fleming
127 books157 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Thomas James Fleming was an historian and historical novelist, with a special interest in the American Revolution. He was born in 1927 in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of a World War I hero who was a leader in Jersey City politics for three decades. Before her marriage, his mother, Katherine Dolan Fleming, was a teacher in the Jersey City Public School System.
After graduating from St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City, Fleming spent a year in the United States Navy. He received a Bachelor's degree, with honors, from Fordham University in 1950. After brief stints as a newspaperman and magazine editor, he became a full-time writer in 1960. His first history book, Now We Are Enemies, an account of the Battle of Bunker Hill, was published that same year. It was a best-seller, reviewed in more than 75 newspapers and featured as a main selection of the Literary Guild.
Fleming published books about various events and figures of the Revolutionary era. He also wrote about other periods of American history and wrote over a dozen well-received novels set against various historical backgrounds. He said, "I never wanted to be an Irish American writer, my whole idea was to get across that bridge and be an American writer".
Fleming died at his home in New York City on July 23, 2017, at the age of 90.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Thomas James Fleming was an historian and historical novelist, with a special interest in the American Revolution. He was born in 1927 in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of a World War I hero who was a leader in Jersey City politics for three decades. Before her marriage, his mother, Katherine Dolan Fleming, was a teacher in the Jersey City Public School System.
After graduating from St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City, Fleming spent a year in the United States Navy. He received a Bachelor's degree, with honors, from Fordham University in 1950. After brief stints as a newspaperman and magazine editor, he became a full-time writer in 1960. His first history book, Now We Are Enemies, an account of the Battle of Bunker Hill, was published that same year. It was a best-seller, reviewed in more than 75 newspapers and featured as a main selection of the Literary Guild.
Fleming published books about various events and figures of the Revolutionary era. He also wrote about other periods of American history and wrote over a dozen well-received novels set against various historical backgrounds. He said, "I never wanted to be an Irish American writer, my whole idea was to get across that bridge and be an American writer".
Fleming died at his home in New York City on July 23, 2017, at the age of 90.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 27, 2016
Very readable account and companion piece to the PBS series of the same name. Fleming focuses more on the politics of the events leading to the Revolution and personalities involved (British and American). Good discussion of the time between the ending of the war and ratification of the Constitution of the United States.
July 27, 2015
I wanted to know all about the American Revolution, and how the USA came to be, and especially how good old Blighty would be represented. I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.
I read this book primarily on my iPad, and this edition has useful links to Wikipedia, which is incredibly useful if you want to know more. The English are represented as sympathetically as the Americans, especially with what happen in the ratification of the Constitution. A footnote near the end seems to say it was King George Iii's illness that may have contributed to his own personal views, which cascaded down to Parliament, that the Americans were an evil nation.
I'm glad I invested the time to read this.
I read this book primarily on my iPad, and this edition has useful links to Wikipedia, which is incredibly useful if you want to know more. The English are represented as sympathetically as the Americans, especially with what happen in the ratification of the Constitution. A footnote near the end seems to say it was King George Iii's illness that may have contributed to his own personal views, which cascaded down to Parliament, that the Americans were an evil nation.
I'm glad I invested the time to read this.
October 1, 2016
I read this book years ago. It's of my favorite books about the Revolutionary War and one of the first I'd read that included an appreciable amount from the POV of the opposing side. Fleming explains a lot about factors which led up to the war, including the familial issues within King's George's own family and the difficulties of taking of throne after the death of his overbearing father. The King's inexperience led him to fall back on poor advisors and so the complaints of the colonists were mishandled. The fact that many of their complaints weren't entirely reasonable made it far easier to ignore their concerns.
If you like Revolutionary War history, you'll probably enjoy this book.
If you like Revolutionary War history, you'll probably enjoy this book.
February 17, 2017
Thomas Fleming covers the American Revolution from before 1775 to the signing of the Constitution. He focuses on the war effort and the tactics and trials of George Washington. The book was easy to read but filled with information, some of it known and some new to this reader. I would recommend the book to any history buff.
August 5, 2025
This book is a "coffee table" book (that is, large format with many illustrations) that was originally published to accompany a 1997 PBS history series with the same title. I actually rescued this book from a former employer's library that was being disbanded. I believe that even coffee table books deserve to be read, though, and this year's 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord prompted me to take this one off the shelf and start reading it.
After finishing the book, I went in search of the PBS TV series that accompanied it. I did find some episodes posted online, but after watching the first episode I realized something that I want to share with readers here--the book has virtually nothing to do with the TV series other than the title and general subject. The book was written by Thomas Fleming; the TV mini-series by Ronald Blumer. The book is illustrated by paintings of the events and people described; the TV series is "illustrated" primarily by direct quotations from the writings of those who participated in the events, read directly into the camera by costumed actors. Though the book has six chapters and the TV series has six episodes, they don't even have the same titles.
For example, Episode 1 of the series is called "The Reluctant Revolutionaries." Chapter 1 of the book, on the other hand, is titled "The Patriot King" (in reference to Britain's George III). This, in turn, illustrates one of the things I found distinctive about this book in comparison to other histories of the Revolution that I have read--namely, a greater emphasis on the internal politics of what what happening in Britain, and how the policy toward the American colonies was formulated.
Other distinctive emphases in the book dealt with Americans who did not support the Revolution--both loyalists who actively supported the King, and those who sat on their hands and refused to help the Continental Army. Fleming also discusses how the performance of militias in the war--mostly held in fond historical memory because of the Minutemen of Lexington and Concord--was far inferior to the performance of the full-time Continental soldiers.
In fact, the Americans suffered from so many weaknesses--in resources, personnel, strategy, and at times leadership--that it seems a miracle that they won. The British regulars, however, committed their share of costly blunders that contributed to their defeat. George Washington was forced into a largely defensive strategy, but it succeeded in the long run. One fascinating statistic was that there were a total of 1,331 military engagements on land and sea in the course of the Revolution--and only three of those were American victories in which George Washington was the field commander (Trenton, Princeton, and Yorktown).
At times, I found the narrative of the book (especially the sections about the British politics of the time) to be confusing and hard to follow. That's what cost the book one star in my rating. (I've only watched one episode of the TV series, but it seems easier to follow). However, I'm glad I read the book--it is always worthwhile to be reminded of what our ancestors risked and suffered to win the independence and freedom we now enjoy.
After finishing the book, I went in search of the PBS TV series that accompanied it. I did find some episodes posted online, but after watching the first episode I realized something that I want to share with readers here--the book has virtually nothing to do with the TV series other than the title and general subject. The book was written by Thomas Fleming; the TV mini-series by Ronald Blumer. The book is illustrated by paintings of the events and people described; the TV series is "illustrated" primarily by direct quotations from the writings of those who participated in the events, read directly into the camera by costumed actors. Though the book has six chapters and the TV series has six episodes, they don't even have the same titles.
For example, Episode 1 of the series is called "The Reluctant Revolutionaries." Chapter 1 of the book, on the other hand, is titled "The Patriot King" (in reference to Britain's George III). This, in turn, illustrates one of the things I found distinctive about this book in comparison to other histories of the Revolution that I have read--namely, a greater emphasis on the internal politics of what what happening in Britain, and how the policy toward the American colonies was formulated.
Other distinctive emphases in the book dealt with Americans who did not support the Revolution--both loyalists who actively supported the King, and those who sat on their hands and refused to help the Continental Army. Fleming also discusses how the performance of militias in the war--mostly held in fond historical memory because of the Minutemen of Lexington and Concord--was far inferior to the performance of the full-time Continental soldiers.
In fact, the Americans suffered from so many weaknesses--in resources, personnel, strategy, and at times leadership--that it seems a miracle that they won. The British regulars, however, committed their share of costly blunders that contributed to their defeat. George Washington was forced into a largely defensive strategy, but it succeeded in the long run. One fascinating statistic was that there were a total of 1,331 military engagements on land and sea in the course of the Revolution--and only three of those were American victories in which George Washington was the field commander (Trenton, Princeton, and Yorktown).
At times, I found the narrative of the book (especially the sections about the British politics of the time) to be confusing and hard to follow. That's what cost the book one star in my rating. (I've only watched one episode of the TV series, but it seems easier to follow). However, I'm glad I read the book--it is always worthwhile to be reminded of what our ancestors risked and suffered to win the independence and freedom we now enjoy.
January 7, 2021
This book is the companion to a PBS series. I liked it but I found it had an anti-British bias.
There is an index but no bibliography or suggested readings.
p. 66: George Mason: "a man with the brain of a scholar and the instincts of a recluse."
p. 72: John Adams said, "Counsel ought to be the very last thing that an accused men should want [lack] in a free country."
p. 163: Battle of Moore's Creek
p. 185: King George III's favourite words: "submissions, subordination and obedience."
p. 200: Washington wrote, "We should on all occasions avoid a general action or put anything to the risk, unless compelled by necessity, into which we ought never to be drawn."
p. 217: "Washington ordered all the officers to synchronize their watches with his and urged them to remind their men of the password: Victory or Death."
p. 224: Nicholas Cresswell's diary: https://www.amazon.ca/Man-Apart-Journ...?
p. 245: "Royal Army" -- incorrectly used
p. 246: "St. Leger's Indians were dismayed when they returned from Oriskany to find their tepees stripped of everything from their deerskin beds to their sacred medicine bundles, which supposedly protected them in battle." I don't they had teepees.
p. 264: Frederika von Riedesel: "Her vivid journal of her adventures in the American wilderness is one of the most important documents of the Revolution.": https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifest...
p. 307: Partisans
p. 312: Banastre Tarleton's battles: May 29 at Waxhaws and August 18 at Fishing Creek
p. 327: Washington had "three clear-cut victories--at Trenton, Princeton and Yorktown."
p. 340: Washington: "Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in your service."
p. 340: "With a heart full of love and gratitude, I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your later days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honourable."
There is an index but no bibliography or suggested readings.
p. 66: George Mason: "a man with the brain of a scholar and the instincts of a recluse."
p. 72: John Adams said, "Counsel ought to be the very last thing that an accused men should want [lack] in a free country."
p. 163: Battle of Moore's Creek
p. 185: King George III's favourite words: "submissions, subordination and obedience."
p. 200: Washington wrote, "We should on all occasions avoid a general action or put anything to the risk, unless compelled by necessity, into which we ought never to be drawn."
p. 217: "Washington ordered all the officers to synchronize their watches with his and urged them to remind their men of the password: Victory or Death."
p. 224: Nicholas Cresswell's diary: https://www.amazon.ca/Man-Apart-Journ...?
p. 245: "Royal Army" -- incorrectly used
p. 246: "St. Leger's Indians were dismayed when they returned from Oriskany to find their tepees stripped of everything from their deerskin beds to their sacred medicine bundles, which supposedly protected them in battle." I don't they had teepees.
p. 264: Frederika von Riedesel: "Her vivid journal of her adventures in the American wilderness is one of the most important documents of the Revolution.": https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifest...
p. 307: Partisans
p. 312: Banastre Tarleton's battles: May 29 at Waxhaws and August 18 at Fishing Creek
p. 327: Washington had "three clear-cut victories--at Trenton, Princeton and Yorktown."
p. 340: Washington: "Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in your service."
p. 340: "With a heart full of love and gratitude, I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your later days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honourable."
August 24, 2019
This is a very well written account of the American War for Independence, from both sides. It covers the various important political moves as well as the more important battles in adequate detail without getting bogged down. It then continues on the the writing and ratification of the US Constitution. If the book had stopped with the peace treaty that ended the Revolution, it would have got 5 stars from me, but I felt that the section dealing with the Constitution (and the lack of much that dealt with the Articles of Confederation) as well as the final note were not to the same quality as the first portions of the book.
February 16, 2021
As a companion book to the PBS series, it had a surprisingly good flow with substantial background material, particularly as it relates to the events and politics in Great Britain and Europe with the American Revolution becoming an international conflict. Brings to light the critical part that George Washington played in making the most of his meager assets (men, weapons, money for pay as well as basics like food and clothing) into a fighting army and ultimately a winning army. An excellent intro for the American History student, young and old.
July 25, 2018
This is a really great overview of the Revolutionary War. It is also filled with reproductions of art and documents. I found the parts on the mid to late battles pretty boring, but that’s probably because there weren’t many big events. That’s also probably why I never learned much past Trenton in school. Anyway, I found this to be a good book to get a broad picture, including what was going on with Parliament and King George III.
June 29, 2023
What a great journey through the American Revolution. They included side updates on what was going on in England and France, which was helpful, and the art that captured the major events was amazing. I added this book as a companion to the George Washington biography I was reading, since good old George wasn't a part of all of it, and there were some glaring gaps in the story. Really well done and I'll probably track down the documentary this captured.
September 10, 2025
great research! his insights are deep - almost feel I am there at valley Forge .. thinking as Washington might have thought about his next step.
Enjoyed paragraph on john honeyman whom Fleming believes is after all a patriot based upon George Washington visiting him after war, Washington request for funds to pay a spy where honeyman lived; and the famous now missing letter written by Washington to protect Honeyman's family.
Enjoyed paragraph on john honeyman whom Fleming believes is after all a patriot based upon George Washington visiting him after war, Washington request for funds to pay a spy where honeyman lived; and the famous now missing letter written by Washington to protect Honeyman's family.
August 19, 2018
Well written
While Fleming tells about the Revolution we knew, he does even better with the behind the scenes back and forth. He does not get bogged down with battle details, yet explains enough for the reader to get the flow. Good description of the conflicts between large and small colonies/states, something many gloss over.
While Fleming tells about the Revolution we knew, he does even better with the behind the scenes back and forth. He does not get bogged down with battle details, yet explains enough for the reader to get the flow. Good description of the conflicts between large and small colonies/states, something many gloss over.
September 6, 2018
Liberty is a Great Read!
After reading this book, I have a much greater appreciation of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and many others who brought this country through the American Revolution and then brought about the US Constitution. I highly recommend this book.
After reading this book, I have a much greater appreciation of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and many others who brought this country through the American Revolution and then brought about the US Constitution. I highly recommend this book.
August 30, 2020
The book was okay. Easy to read except for the annoying sidebars. They interrupted the flow of the text. The sidebars ranged from a couple of paragraphs to the more frequent one page long to a side bar that was 5 pages long. The sidebars did add context to the text but were an annoying interruption.
March 29, 2025
I am struck by the realization of the nearness in time of the American Revolution to today. The stories of George Washington's doubts, Ben Franklin's frustrations and European manipulations reminded me of the old adage that there is nothing new under the sun. The side bar annotations were enlightening. The illustrations were interesting and worth dwelling upon their scene and subject.
October 15, 2019
Absolutely, a wonderful book !!!!!!
The author brings you into the fray for independence. The every day struggle of The highs and lows on the road to the formation of the greatest country ever, a wonderful experience !!!!
The author brings you into the fray for independence. The every day struggle of The highs and lows on the road to the formation of the greatest country ever, a wonderful experience !!!!
December 12, 2020
This book was exactly what I was looking for - a good overview of the American Revolution. It also pointed me to other subjects I'd like to read in more detail. This is a good coffee-table style book, but I read it straight through. The narrative was engaging and well-written.
November 7, 2017
Beautiful illustrations. Well written and informative.
October 11, 2018
History brought to life. Fleming brings the reader into the story. Its not just names and dates but human beings with a all their interactions . A very informative and entertaining read.
October 25, 2021
An awesome account of the american Revolution. It was a real page turner for me. I loved it!
July 21, 2023
Comprehensive and readable. A complete history of the American Revolution.
July 19, 2024
I really enjoyed this well-written history. Much better than the related series. Somewhat dated as far as minority perspectives.
October 25, 2025
Missing a bibliography, yet seems to be well-researched.
June 28, 2008
Sit down with some time, with a commitment to learn, with pen in hand, and begin your journey to understanding the greatness of this country and the people it was founded on. This is essential knowledge that must be obtained by all Americans. Alan Bloom, the great literary intellectual, spoke of the necessity of standars or knowledge Americans need in order to communicate basic understadings of merit. Here are your standards. Learn of America at the outset, the turn to confrontation, battle, and then liberation. These are times, people, and events that must be know by all current Americans. It's the least we can do for our great brothers and sisters who gave of their lives so we could have the great liberties we have now. Read on!!!!
March 24, 2012
This book gives so much insight into the lives of those who built and founded our country. It adds such a powerful personal touch with it's inclusion of letters, pictures etc. of the men and women who forged our great nation. Even if you don't read the whole book, you have to buy it so you can have the pictures included that are so compelling. Look especially at the ones from Valley Forge, of men wearing little more than thin cloth on their feet. Then the next time you encounter snow, try to walk barefoot through it for a few minutes to really understand what these brave men suffered through for an earthshaking belief that man should decide his destiny. Oops, sorry, let me get down off my soapbox. Anyway, this is a great book, don't just borrow it, buy it.
July 19, 2014
The power of a single word...
Upheavals to the standard order in history are the product of many variables, chief among them certainly are circumstances, miscalculations, and misunderstandings. Ironically, both historical players and interpreters of history can fail to recognize an important source of misunderstanding that strongly biases decisions and views, respectively. Namely, we take for granted the meaning of words that serve as principles, and assume our own definitions are universal. Fleming demonstrates how semantic ignorance not only divided a people, but served as a powerful (and stubborn) motivation on both sides to the point that a cause became worth fighting for. The word was "liberty".
Upheavals to the standard order in history are the product of many variables, chief among them certainly are circumstances, miscalculations, and misunderstandings. Ironically, both historical players and interpreters of history can fail to recognize an important source of misunderstanding that strongly biases decisions and views, respectively. Namely, we take for granted the meaning of words that serve as principles, and assume our own definitions are universal. Fleming demonstrates how semantic ignorance not only divided a people, but served as a powerful (and stubborn) motivation on both sides to the point that a cause became worth fighting for. The word was "liberty".
July 10, 2016
Compelling retelling of the American Revolution beginning in 1760 with England's domestic political turmoil and the resurgence of royal supremacy over parliament that led to intolerable rule over the American provinces and the ultimate decision by them to seek independence, detailed recounting of the amazing eight-year military effort that finally ended with the 1782 victory at Yorktown, and ending with the 1787 struggle to reorganize the American government into an effective federal republic that was destined to conquer a continent and lead the world in the ongoing quest for liberty.
Second book I've read by Fleming who makes it no secret that he is a huge George Washington fan and leaves the reader feeling the same.
Second book I've read by Fleming who makes it no secret that he is a huge George Washington fan and leaves the reader feeling the same.
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November 1, 2010This first-rate volume on the American Revolution combines beautiful artwork with the lucid prose of Thomas Fleming. Although Liberty! The American Revolution accompanies a PBS documentary series, the book stands completely on its own; in fact, it...
February 28, 2016
Interesting perspective on our nation's birth
Well researched documentation of the American Revolution, both the activities of our nation 's earliest leaders and the Revolutionary War.
Well researched documentation of the American Revolution, both the activities of our nation 's earliest leaders and the Revolutionary War.
September 20, 2016
Fleming saved the best for last
This excellent book on the Revolutionary War is worth reading in its entirety, just to appreciate the weight and the civility of the political discourse that took place after the war -- and to wish that we could see such civil discourse again.
This excellent book on the Revolutionary War is worth reading in its entirety, just to appreciate the weight and the civility of the political discourse that took place after the war -- and to wish that we could see such civil discourse again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews