Reviewed by David White, Customer Service Bibliographer
A new offering in Osprey's Campaign series, Philadelphia 1777 is better than many of its predecessors. Author Clement has gathered current research on an overlooked campaign of the American Revolution - a campaign that many scholars now consider as pivotal in the war.
Following the series' tried and true formula of both contemporary and new artwork, highly annotated maps, 3-D maps and concise narrative, Philadelphia 1777 presents a highly readable account of the British campaign to take our nation's first capital. There are short biographies of the key leaders on each side, plus detailed listings using the most current scholarship on force composition prior to each battle in the campaign: Head of Elk, Brandywine, Paoli, Germantown, the Delaware Forts and Whitemarsh.
Of particular note is the section on Paoli. Propagandized at the time and in future histories as a massacre, the historical record points instead to a surprise attack executed perfectly by the British.
While earlier editions of Osprey series are often dated and no longer accurate, many of the newer editions - including Philadelphia 1777 - use current research and updated and more accurate art work, and have raised the level of these publications to where they contribute to the scholarship on their subject.
This book is recommended for general history collections, as well as collections on the military aspects of the American Revolution.
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