[.ca] Saratoga: Turning Point of Americas Revolutionary War (ISBN 0805061231)

Like You Were There:
Richard M. Ketchum has done such an outstanding job of historical research and non-fiction writing that it's as if readers are there at the scene, watching events unroll before their very eyes. In "Saratoga" he goes way beyond a simple reciting of troop movements and statistical results; he takes us behind the lines and into the minds of the officers. Who were these men and what prompted them to make the decisions that led to Britian's devastating defeat and a major turning point in the Revolutionary War in favor of the Americans? Ketchum spends a lot of ink setting the stage: Who was "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne and how did he come to lead the British invasion of New England from Canada? Who were the Germans, often inaccurately referred to exclusively as "Hessians," and why were they there supporting the British? How did Burgoyne's decision to employee Canadian and--more relevant--Iroquois Indians to assist the British invasion affect the campaign? Who were the American officers and how did they get a rag-tag crew of citizen soldiers to defeat arguably the greatest army on earth at the time? Ketchum fleshes out his character portraits and explanations of the ensuing action with generous use of quotes from actual correspondence of the day by many parties involved, officers and enlisted men alike. The action chronicles Burgoyne's interminable advance down Lakes Champlain and George to the Hudson River where he is to meet General Howe's northbound Army--a pincer move that will divide the New England and southern colonies and win the war. Their auspicious start--fair weather, fast movement, high morale, superior numbers and weaponry--culminates in the shockingly easy victory over the American's prize northern fort at Ticonderoga with nary a shot fired when St. Claire decides (wisely) to retreat. But from there the fun is over. Nasty weather, brutal wilderness, unruly Indians, incompetent officers, unwieldy supply lines, dwindling troop counts, desertion and disease, and, of course, the tenacious and heroic efforts of the seemingly overmatched American Continentals and militias eventually spell doom for the invasion force in the train wreck called the Battle of Saratoga. Ketchum sketches in fine detail the whole excruciating campaign. One of the startling obstacles of waging 18th-Century warfare was the slow speed of communication, not just with troops deployed across a broad battlefield, but with distant command structure. Never was this more evident than with British efforts to wage war from across the Atlantic, where instructions, supplies, and reinforcements took literally months to appear on scene. With perfect hindsight it's hard to imagine how Burgoyne's campaign had any chance of success, unless he were to charge relentlessly toward Albany, regardless of the condition of his troops; or unless Generals Howe or Clinton had moved to support him in time, as originally conceived. Time and delay were Burgoyne's greatest enemies. History books are often tedious. Not so with "Saratoga." Ketchum has set the table for plenty of exciting what-if play by armchair generals. I couldn't put this exciting volume down! --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of BIG ICE and WAKE UP DEAD

Fabulous:
A terrific book, and the best one on the battle of Saratoga that you'll ever read.

Excellent!:
Richard M. Ketchum is as good a writer as there is. This account of the Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolution could just be THE definitive work on this subject. As the preface to this book states, at Saratoga the British campaign that was supposed to crush America's rebellion ended instead in a surrender that changed the history of the world. Those 24 words are as succinct as it gets. Who could have guessed that those ragged farmers could have at first cut off and then captured a complete British army in the field? Yet that is exactly what occurred. Along with Yorktown and Cowpens this was one of the few times American forces faced English regulars in a stand up, toe to toe fight and won. Saratoga signaled the ability of American arms and the ferociousness of the American spirit. It destroyed an intricate British campaign to separate New England from the rest of the States and ultimately secured French recognition of American Independence. This is one richly detailed literary effort that truly does describe the turning point of America's Revolutionary War.

A terrific history:
I picked up this book after having read Ketchum's brilliant "Divided Loyalties: How the American Revolution Came to New York". I was just as impressed with this marvelous text, "Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War". I think that Richard Ketchum has become as important to recounting the critical events of the Revolutionary War as John Keenan has been with World Wars I and II. What impresses me most is his persuasive argument. Any pivotal moment during the Revolution could have been termed a "turning point". But after conveying the details of the battle, the struggles of the terrain and weather, the torturous communications, the events that led to the battle and those that came later, I cannot argue against his case. Like most historians, Ketchum has that ability to bring the moments back to life, to convery that sense of urgency of the event: and he does it by using primary sources as well as his own research. But beyond that, he uses the language in a way that is easily understandable without talking down to the reader. I wish that could be said of other historians! Pick up this book.

A singular book on a singular battle-Saratoga:
Ketchum's "Saratoga" is a superb, one of a kind, military history You can blame my enthusiasm for this book on my being a long-time history buff, a West Point graduate, and a writer myself ("Nuclear Turnaround"). Add to this, I was raised in the Mohawk Valley of upstate New York. My parent's ancestors participated in the British-Indian battles in that area that led up to the epic at Saratoga that Ketchum so ably portrays. I particularly admire how the author covered so many aspects of that battle, ranging from the detailed personality portraits of the commanders on both sides to the split loyalties of the various Iroquois Indian tribes. Ketchums description of the seeds of disappointment planted in Benedict Arnold's mind leading up to his later betrayal at West Point is so well spelled out. At the same time, the ego and flamboyance of Burgoyne that contributed to his defeat is another highlight of the story. All of this, the author does in an entertaining and story telling manner. I highly recommend this volume to anyone who wants a better understanding of this key aspect of the American Revolution presented in such an entertaining read.