This Destructive War: The British Campaign in the Carolinas, 1780-1782

By John S. Pancake Jr.

Book Overview

An exciting and accurate portrayal of the military action in the southern colonies that led to a new American nation.

Following up the success of his 1777: The Year of the Hangman about the northern theaters of the American Revolutionary War, historian John Pancake now cover the war in the South, from General Clinton's attack on Charleston in the spring of 1780 to Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown in October 1781.

Pancake expertly takes the reader back and forth between British and American headquarters to provide a brisk and sharp view from both sides of the conflict. His artful analysis also adds insights to the familiar narrative of the British losing because of their mistakes, American victory thanks to tenacity (particularly in the person of southern Continental forces commander Nathanael Greene), and British failure to overcome logistical problems of geography. Readers enjoy Pancake's wide-ranging knowledge of military history as applied to the Revolution as where, for example, he cites that tests conducted by the US Navy in World War II demonstrated that gun crews that were 100 percent efficient in training lost 35 percent of their efficiency in their first performance in combat.

Pancake has a writer's eye for telling details, and he creates characters sketches of the main players in the conflict that readers will always remember. This Destructive War includes a number of figures as well as detailed maps of the region where battle took place. General readers as well as scholars and students of the American Revolution will welcome anew this classic, definitive study of the campaign in the Carolinas.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0817306889
• ISBN13: 9780817306885
• Release Date: February 1985
• Publisher: Fire Ant Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Good overview

Good place to start on the Revolutionary War in the South, although since this book was first published. much additional work has come out. Best to check the numerous books on individual battles, campaigns, and leaders.

Great read!

Although this book is not new it remains a great book to learn about the often neglected portion of the American Revolution. I found the author to be very objective and pointed out the good, the bad, and the ugly on both sides.While there are other books that go into greater detail on certain battles or personalities the reader will have an excellent working knowledge of the war in the south.I cannot recommend this book enough as a great starting point to learn about this very fascinating part of american history.

Excellent

Far and away the best book on the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War. Pancake goes into tremendous detail on all aspects of the campaign, including often-overlooked battles and skirmishes. He also covers the psychology and effects of decisions made by commanders and politicians from both sides of the campaign. Pancake does this while still making the book an incredibly enjoyable and fast read. You won't want to put it down!