Really good historians have the mental ability to conjure up a palette of rich colors with which to paint their story. The palette crafted by the best historians are a kaleidoscope that embrace a topic of great importance and interest, a superb sense of time and place, and, most importantly, the human element which always binds the other elements into a seamless whole.
Once again, Jim Stempel has painted a canvas that pulls the reader into an extremely important event in American History -- the Winter of 1777-1778. With superb research and supportive analysis, in From Valley Forge to Monmouth: Six Transformative Months of the American Revolution, Stempel has crafted another stellar work, often delving far deeper into events than previous historical accounts.
1777 had seen one disaster after another for the American cause, the only bright light being the British surrender at Saratoga. St. Clair had surrendered Fort Ticonderoga to the Redcoats, and British forces had landed at Head of Elk in Maryland, then proceeded to defeat the Continentals at the Battle of Brandywine. They then occupied Philadelphia, the American capital, and as the year waned, the British captured Fort Mifflin on the Delaware River.
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