British Soldiers, American War: Voices of the American Revolution: Voices from the American Revolution - Softcover

Hagist, Don N.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1594162042 ISBN 13: 9781594162046

Publisher: Westholme Publishing, 2014

Synopsis

Advisor for Ken Burns The American Revolution on PBS®
Nine Rare and Fascinating First-Person Profiles of Soldiers Who Fought for the British Crown
Much has been written about the colonists who took up arms during the American Revolution and the army they created. Far less literature, however, has been devoted to their adversaries. The professional soldiers that composed the British army are seldom considered on a personal level, instead being either overlooked or inaccurately characterized as conscripts and criminals. Most of the British Redcoats sent to America in defense of their government’s policies were career soldiers who enlisted voluntarily in their late teens or early twenties. They came from all walks of British life, including those with nowhere else to turn, those aspiring to improve their social standing, and all others in between. Statistics show that most were simply hardworking men with various amounts of education who had chosen
the military in preference to other occupations. Very few of these soldiers left writings from which we can learn their private motives and experiences.
British Soldiers, American War: Voices of the American Revolution is the first collection of personal narratives by British common soldiers ever assembled and published. Author Don N. Hagist has located first-hand accounts of nine soldiers who served in America in the 1770s and 1780s. In their own words we learn of the diverse population—among them a former weaver, a boy who quarelled with his family, and a man with wanderlust—who joined the army and served tirelessly and dutifully, sometimes faithfully and sometimes irresolutely, in the uniform of their nation. To accompany each narrative, the author provides a contextualizing essay based on archival research giving background on the soldier and his military service. Taken as a whole these true stories reveal much about the individuals who composed what was, at the time, the most formidable fighting force in the world.

About this title

About the Author

DON N. HAGIST is author of three books and numerous articles on the British experience in the American Revolution, focusing on the lives of the common soldiers. He is an engineer by profession and lives in Rhode Island.

Edition details

• Publisher: Westholme Publishing
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1594162042
• ISBN 13: 9781594162046
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 372