Redcoats and Rebels:
The American Revolution in Fact and Fiction


FICTION

Washington and Caesar, by Christian Cameron. Delacorte, 2004.
Epic novel of a Mount Vernon slave who joins a Loyalist black regiment charged with the defeat of his former master, George Washington.

The Hornet's Nest, by Jimmy Carter. S&S, 2003.
Georgia neighbors find themselves on opposing sides when war breask out.

The Spy, by James Fenimore Cooper. C. Wiley, 1823
Harvey Birch spies for the Rebels during the Revolution.

Redcoat, by Bernard Cornwall. Viking, 1988.
Sam Gilpin and Jonathan Becket transfer allegiance from the Loyalists to the Patriots, each for different reasons.

Rebels, Turn Out Your Dead, by Michael Drinkard. Harcourt, 2006.
After his teenage son shoots a British soldier, a farmer named Salt flees and is taken captive on a prison ship off the shore of Brooklyn.

April Morning, by Howard Fast. Crown, 1961.
A young man comes of age during the battles of Lexington & Concord.

The Hessian, by Howard Fast. Morrow, 1972.
Near the end of the war, a Quaker family gives refuge to a Hessian soldier, but the townspeople eventually find him.

Dreams of Glory, by Thomas Fleming. Forge, 2000.
During the bitter winter of 1780, a plot is hatched to kidnap George Washington.

Valley Forge, by David Garland. St. M., 2006
British officer Capt. Jamie Skoyles is ordered to infiltrate George Washington's inner circle at Valley Forge, where he finds himself torn between his British loyalties and his sympathies for with men who are fighting for freedom.

I'll Storm Hell, by Noel B. Gerson. Doubleday, 1967.
Rousing biographical novel about the dashing and brave Gen. "Mad Anthony" Wayne, who participated in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown and in 1778 distinguished himself in the Battle of Monmouth.

To Try Men's Souls, by Newt Gingrich & William R. Forstchen. St. M., 2009.
A novel depicting the days leading up to George Washington's fateful crossing of the Delaware River on December 25, 1776.

The Charade, by Laura Lee Guhrke. Sonnett, 2000.
Katie Armstrong, a runaway indentured servant is forced by a vicious Redcoat nobleman to spy on the subversive activities of the Sons of Liberty. At the same time, Ethan Harding, a wealthy man known to be a Tory, persuades her to spy for him as well. Katie's activities become even more dangerous when she discovers that Harding, whom she has grown to love, is the revolutionary leader Viscount Lowden is seeking.

Someone Knows My Name, by Lawrence Hill. Norton, 2007.
11-year-old slave Aminata Diallo wants only to eascape her South Carolina planataitn and return home to Africa. When she is sold and thrown into the chaos of the Revolutionary War, she helps write The Book of Negroes, an actual document concerning African Americans given safe passage to Nova Scotia because they remained loyal to the Crown.

Daughter of Liberty, by J. M. Hochstetter. Zondervan, 2004.
20-year-old Elizabeth Howard, the daughter of Tory parents, becomes a courier and spy for the Sons of Liberty, until her love for a British officer forces her to make a painful choice where her loyalties lie.

The Bastard and The Rebels, by John Jakes.
The first two volumes in the "Kent Family Chronicles" involves young Philip Kent in the war for independence.

Valley Forge, by MacKinlay Kantor. Evans, 1975.
Depicts the bitter winter conditions faced by George Washington and his Continental Army in 1777-78.

Two Crowns for America, by Katherine Kurtz. Bantam, 1996.
Noted fantasy author Kurtz spins a tale of exiled Jacobites, Freemasons, and a possible King George I (aka George Washington).

Dark Eagle, by Gene Ligotti. Xlibris, 2000.
Depicts the descent into treason of patriot and hero, Benedict Arnold.

Citizen Washington, by William Martin. Warner, 1999.
In the aftermath of Washington's death an old nemesis (who is the publisher of a scandal sheet) dispatches his nephew, Christopher Draper, to get the "dirt" on the man before his reputation becomes the stuff of legends. Draper sets out to interview all those who knew Washington best, from Martha Washington to his slave, Jacob.

Roads to Liberty, by F. van Wyck Mason. Little, Brown, 1972.
A compilation containing four of Mason's Revolutionary War stories: Three Harbors, Stars on the Sea, Wild Horizon, & Eagle in the Sky.

The Spider Catcher, by Gilbert Morris. Zondervan, 2003.
Having left his family's shipbuilding trade to study medicine, events bring Ress Kenyon to the Colonies on the eve of the American Revolution. After trying to remain neutral, he is eventually drawn into the fight for freedom and lends his shipbuilding skills to the cause.

The Gentle Rebel, by Gilbert Morris. Bethany, 2004, 1988.
At first opposed to the idea of revolution, Nathan Winslow becomes a Patriot after his brother is killed at Concord. But his faith and courage are tested when he falls in love with beautiful Abigail Howland, a proud and spoiled Tory. Followed by The Saintly Buccanner (2004, 1988).

Brave Enemies, by Robert Morgan. Algonquin, 2003.
On the run after murdering her abusive stepfather, Josie disguises herself as a boy and is subsequently taken in by Rev. John Trethman. He discovers her deception and secretly marries her, but when he is taken prisoner by the British, Josie, in her guise as "Joseph," joins a militia company marching to the fateful battle at Cowpens in January 1781.

The Fallon Blood; The Fallon Pride; The Fallon Legacy, by Robert Jordan (writing as Reagan O'Neal). Forge, 1980/1981/1982.
Michael Fallon, an Irishman on the run from brutal British overlords, makes his way to Charleston, South Carolina, as an indentured servant. With luck and intelligence, he eventually rises into the rice-planting aristocracy, but the winds of war blow his life into one of a privateer.

Arundel, by Kenneth Lewis Roberts. Doubleday, 1933.
Steven Nason travels to Quebec with Benedict Arnold.

Shadow Patriots, by Lucia St. Clair Robson. Forge, 2005.
Quaker Kate Darby finds her family torn by her parents' loyaist views and her brother's decision to fight for freedom with George Washington. She may be a mere woman, but Kate has her own ideas about what the Declaration of Independence means for America and becomes a spy for the revolutionary cause.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Murder, by Karen Swee. Bridge Works, 2004.
Widowed tavern owner Abigail Lawrence finds a guest brutally murdered and must find the killer before the occupying British use the killing as an excuse to take over her inn.

A Time for Treason, by Anne Newton Walther. Tapestries, 2000.
As the country teeters on the brink of revolution, Eugenie de Beaumont, acting as an agent for her influential French constituency, must measure the patriots' political intent while appearing to be a carefree guest at a Virginia plantation.

Rise to Rebellion, by Jeff Shaara. Ballantine, 2001.
John & Sam Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Gage, George Washington and the Founding Fathers come to life in this vivid recreation of the tumultuous events in America from the Boston Massacre through the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Followed by: The Glorious Cause (2002).

Love and Honor, by Randall Wallace. S&S, 2004.
In the winter of 1774, Virginia cavalryman Kieran Selkirk is sent to Russia by Benjamin Franklin disguised as a British mercenary in order to convince Catherine the Great not to join the British in their war with America.

A Time for Treason, by Anne Newton Walther. Tapestries, 2000.
A young French countess goes undercover to determine to whether the rebellious colonists will fight for independence from Great Britain, and whether Bermuda's citizens will also aid the cause.

Cato's War, by Guy Wheeler. Macmillan, 1980
A British officer finds himself torn between love and duty.

Naval adventures set during the American Revolution may be found under a separate listing, Set Sail for Adventure.


"FACT"
A selection of titles about the history of the American Revolution.

 

General

The Marketplace of Revolution: How Consumer Politics Shaped American Independence, by T. H. Breen. OUP, 2004. [973.31 Breen]

Seeds of Discontent: The Deep Roots of the American Revolution, 1650--1750, by Revell J. Carr. Walker, 2008. [973.3 Carr]

As If An Enemy's Country: The British Occupation of Boston & the Origins of the American Revolution, by Richard Archer. Oxford University Press, 2010. [973.3 Archer]

1776, by David McCullough. S&S, 2005. [973.3 McCullough]

The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789, by Robert Middlekauff. Oxford Univ. Press, 1982. [973.3 M]

The Unknown American Revolution: The Unruly Birth of Democracy and the Struggle to Create America, by Gary B. Nash. Viking, 2005. [973.3 Nach]

A People's History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence, by Ray Raphael. New Press, 2001. [973.3 Raphael]

A New Age Now Begins: A People's History of the American Revolution, by Page Smith. 2 vols. McGraw Hill, 1976. [973.3 S]

Turning the World Upside Down: Inside the American Revolution, by John Tebbel. Orion, 1993. [973.3 Tebbel]

Setting the World Ablaze: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and the American Revolution, by John Ferling. Oxford, 2000. [973.3 Ferling]

Liberty!: The American Revolution, by Thomas Fleming. Viking, 1997. [973.3 Fleming]

Almost a Miracle: The Amazing Victory in the War of Independence, by John E. Fering. OUP, 2007. [973.33 Fering]

George Washington's War: The Saga of the American Revolution, by Robert Leckie. HarperCollins, 1992. [973.3 Chadwick]

Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America, by Jack N. Rakove. HMH, 2010. [973.3 Rakove]

Death or Liberty: African Americans & Revolutionary America, by Douglas R. Egerton. OUP, [973.3089 Egerton]

Hurricane of Independence: The Untold Story of the Deadly Storm at the Deciding Moment of the American Revolution, by Tony Williams. Sourcebooks, 2008. [973.3 Williams]

Iron Tears: America's Battle for Freedom, Britain's Quagmire, 1775-1783, by Stanley Weintraub. Free Press, 2005. [973.3 Weintraub]

 

Biographies

Gouverneur Morris: An Independent Life, by William Howard Adams. Yale, 2003. [B 973.4092 Morris A]

The Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben & the Making of the American Army, by Paul Douglas Lockhart. Smith., 2008. [B 973.3341 Steuben L]

Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence, by Carol Berkin. Knopf, 2005. [973.3082 Berkin]

Glory, Passion, and Principle: The Story of Eight Remarkable Women at the Core of the American Revolution, by Melissa Lukeman Bohrer. Atria, 2003. [B 973.3082 Bohrer]

Cornwallis: The American Adventure, by Franklyn and Mary Wickwire. HM, 1970. [B Cornwallis W] George Washington's Indispensable Men: The 32 Aides-de-Camp who Helped with American Independence, by Arthur S. Lefkowitz. Stackpole, 2003. [973.4109 Lefkowtiz]

Benedict Arnold: A Traitor in Our Midst, by Barry Wilson. McGill, 2001. [B 973.382 Arnold W]

John Adams, by David M. McCullough. S&S, 2001. [B Adams M]

Samuel Adams: A Life, by Ira Stoll. Free P., 2008 [B 973.3092 Adams S]

Henry Knox: Visionary General of the American Revolution, by Mark Puls. Palgrave, 2008. [B 973.3 Knox P]

Masquerade: The Life & Times of Deborah Sampson, Continental Soldier, by Alfred F. Young. Knopf, 2004. [B 973.3092 Sampson Y]

Unlikely Allies: How a Merchant, a Playwright and a Spy Saved the American Revolution, by Joel Richard Paul. Riverhead, 2009. [973.385 Paul].

Nathaniel Greene: A Biography, by Gerald M. Carbone. Palgrace, 2008. [B 973.3309 Greene C]

General John Burgoyne, by Richard J. Hargrove. Univ. of Delaware, 1983. [B Burgoyne H]

Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution, by A. J. Langguth. Simon & Schuster, 1988. [973.3 L]

Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation, by Cokie Roberts. HarCol, 2004. [973.30922 Roberts]

John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy, by Evan Thomas. S&S, 2003. [B Jones T]

Betsy Ross and the Making of America, by Marla R. Miller. Holt, 2010. [B Ross M]

Lafayette: Hero of the American Revolution, by Gonzague Saint Bris. Pegasus, 2010. [B Lafayette S]

The Muse of the Revolution: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren & the Foundation of a Nation, by Nancy Rubin Stuart. Beacon, 2008 [B 973.3 Warren S]

George Washington

George Washington, by James MacGregor Burns & Susan Dunn. Times, 2004. [B Washington B]

George Washington's War: The Forging of a Revolutionary Leader and the American Presidency, by Bruce Chadwick. Sourcebooks, 2004. [973.3 Chadwick]

The First American Army: The Untold Story of George Washington and the Men behind America's First Fight for Freedom, by Bruce Chadwick. Sourcebooks, 2005. [973.34 Chadwick]

General George Washington: A Military Life, by Edward G. Lengel. RH, 2005. [B Washington L]

George Washington: The Founding Father, by Paul Johnson. Atlas, 2005. [B 973.41092 Washington J]

Battles

A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens, by Lawrence E. Babits. University of North Carolina Press, 1998. [973.337 Babits]

The Day the American Revolution Began: 19 April, 1775, by William H. Hallahan. Morrow, 2000. [973.7 Hallahan]

Red Dawn at Lexington, by Louis Birnbaum. Houghton Mifflin, 1986. [973.331 Birnbaum]

The Victory at Yorktown: the Campaign that Won the Revolution, by Richard M. Ketchum. Holt, 2004. 973.337 Ketchum]

The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution, by Barnet Schecter. Walker, 2002. [973.332 Schecter]

George Washington's Great Gamble & the Sea battle that Won the American Revolution, by James L. Nelson. MH, 2010. [973.337 Nelson]

Chaining the Hudson: The Fight for the River in the American Revolution, by Lincoln Diamant. Lyle Stuart, 1989. [973.3 Diamant]

Through a Holwing Wilderness: Benedict Arnold's March to Quebec, 1775, by Thomas A. Desjardins. St. M., 2006. [973.331 Desjardins]

Washington's Secret War: The Hidden History of Valley Forge, by Thomas Fleming. Smithsonian, 2005. [973.3341 Fleming]

Washington's Crossing, by David Hackett Fischer. Oxford, 2004. [973.3 Fischer]

Army

A Revolutionary People at War: The Continental Army & American Character, 1775-1783, by Charles Royster. University of North Carolina, 1979. [973.34 Royster]

Navy

Rebels Under Sail: The American Navy During the Revolution, by William M. Fowler. Scribner, 1976. [973.35 Fowler]

George Washington's Secret Navy: How the American Revolution Went to Sea, by James L. Nelson. MH, 2008. [973.35 Nelson]

Blue Water Patriots: The American Revolution Afloat, by James M. Volo. R&U, 2006. [973.35 Volo]

Patriot Pirates: The Privateer War for Freedom & Fortune in the American Revolution, by Robert H. Patton. Pantheon, 2008. [973.35 Patton]

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