“Book Descriptions: In this rich and fascinating history American readers will find a very different war from the revolution with which they are familiar. To be sure, the well-known events occur as remembered--Lexington, Bunker Hill, Long Island, Trenton, Valley Forge, Saratoga, Yorktown, and the others--but they are seen as parts of a far greater struggle, a world war in which England fought not only against her American colonies but also against the combined strength of the two great Bourbon monarchies, France and Spain. Not always in command of the seas or even the Channel, more seriously threatened with invasion than at any time since the Armada, England tried grimly for eight years to subdue her rebellious colonies, to hold Canada, the West Indies, India, and Gibraltar, and to divide her European enemies.
Not in the least hostile to the American cause, Mr. Mackesy nevertheless views the conflict from the standpoint of the British government and the British military and naval leaders as they attempted to prosecute a war of twentieth-century scope and complexity with the uncertain, weatherbound technology of the eighteenth century. Of particular interest are the author's searching assessments of the roles and attitudes of those traditional bête noires to Americans, George III, Germain, and Lord North. There are also revealing estimates of the character and capabilities of the major English commanders, including Admiral Howe, General Howe, Burgoyne, Clinton, Cornwallis, Keppel, and Rodney.” DRIVE