Yorktown 1781: The World Turned Upside Down

Osprey Campaign #47

by Brendan Morrissey, Adam Hook (Illustrator)

Osprey's Campaign title for the Siege of Yorktown (1781), which was part of the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). By 1781 Britain's struggle to contain the rebels in her American colonies had reached an inglorious stalemate. Six years on from the British defeat by the New England militia at Boston, George Washington's rebuilt Continental Army - with support from the French - now systematically began to seek out and destroy British forces even if protected by seemingly impregnable defences. Yorktown would be a salutary lesson to the British Crown about the odds she now faced in holding on to her colonies.

Genres: History, Military History, American Revolution, American Revolutionary War, Nonfiction, American History

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 1997

About the author

Brendan Morrissey trained as a lawyer before working as a PR consultant and writer in the defense industry, principally with British Aerospace. He has a long-standing interest in military affairs and Anglo–American relations. He is married and lives in Surrey, UK.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As all Ospreys - neat tidy summary with great maps & illustrations.

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh my... this one was dry and to the point even when compared with other Osprey Campaign booklets. The authors really did stuck to the pre-scripted formula of the series and put together a volume where text content can only be regarded as a primer and nothing but a primer.

Luckily, Yorktow 1781 is also a typical Osprey Campaign booklet in every other respect. And therefore, where it lacks in depth in regard of the narrative, it more than makes up in graphical content. Maps, full color illustrations, contemporary art reproduction plates and photographies taken at location - they all provide wonderful reference material for further studies.

It's most rectainly not the most exciting book I've ever picked up. But it does serve the intended purpose as a basic overview of the final campaign of American War of Independence.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent overview of the Yorktown campaign. For someone planning a visit to the Yorktown Battlefield, or simply wanting to learn more about the Yorktown Campaign, this is a must read. It provides a solid foundation for better understanding what you will see at the Yorktown Victory Center, at the Visitors Center and on the Battlefield as well as the larger geographic setting of the Chesapeake Bay and the York River. I rate this book at 5 stars as a very good campaign analysis.

[James Crabtree · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good study of the campign which led to the trapping of Cornwallis's army at Yorktown, the subsequent siege and the surrender. I recently visited the National Park and found this book to be extremely useful in understanding the lay of the land and the personalities involved. A great read, well-illustrated!

[Laurie Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed with illustrations, maps, and charts. Includes wargaming ideas. Great reference for research projects.

[James Livermore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Learned a ton about the battle and both pre and post information are covered. Great illustrations and battle overviews.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good (but brief) overview of the campaign. Two minor complaints: first, several pages cover the political/military situation in Virginia during the period 1775-1779, without really explaining what direct connection this had with the Yorktown campaign. Second, seven pages are used explaining how to wargame the campaign, mostly using miniatures; while this section might be interesting to those do do miniatures wargaming, I'm more interested in the military operations of the campaign.

[Sean Chick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dry like most Ospery books, but this one has great maps and a balanced analysis of the campaign. If you are interested in the subject get this book.

[Vincent T. Ciaramella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry but worth keeping around.