Scan barcode
modernsappho's review
3.0
3.5 stars actually! i kinda wish i’d given myself more time to read this but it was an interesting take on the american revolution! and easy to read too
pops7fda2's review
4.0
An interesting perspective I had not heard before, note that I am not a history buff. Great to get info on the dynamics of the various parties on the edges of the US Revolution that had a huge impact on its outcome. A bit dry at times but overall very enjoyable.
cspiwak's review
3.0
Ir was good, giving a fresh perspective on the Revolution. What was happening in the rest of the country while the 13 colonies were in revolt? I'd have liked to hear more of the voices, but, since slaves and native Americans were a large part of the focus, the voices probably were not preserved.
minosh's review
5.0
This is a very impressive book, and I hope that it inspires further works on "early" North American history outside the thirteen colonies.
DuVal does a great job juggling the huge number of characters and interests present in the book. I am a big fan of her book The Native Ground and she continues her excellent work here in her descriptions of the Chickasaw and Creek Nations, which are treated as full-fledged political actors with their own internal logic. The book ties local and global strands together deftly. The analysis complements the narrative nicely and really left me with an increased appreciation for the complexity of the situation.
One of the greatest things about the book is its emphasis on the fact that from the ground in 1776, it was not at all clear that the United States was destined to rule the continent coast to coast. Instead the book shows how at many points it seemed more likely that a combination of different sovereignties would remain. I would really like to see more people taking up this argument in future literature, counteracting the now-ingrained view of Manifest Destiny.
DuVal does a great job juggling the huge number of characters and interests present in the book. I am a big fan of her book The Native Ground and she continues her excellent work here in her descriptions of the Chickasaw and Creek Nations, which are treated as full-fledged political actors with their own internal logic. The book ties local and global strands together deftly. The analysis complements the narrative nicely and really left me with an increased appreciation for the complexity of the situation.
One of the greatest things about the book is its emphasis on the fact that from the ground in 1776, it was not at all clear that the United States was destined to rule the continent coast to coast. Instead the book shows how at many points it seemed more likely that a combination of different sovereignties would remain. I would really like to see more people taking up this argument in future literature, counteracting the now-ingrained view of Manifest Destiny.
abbie_ohara's review
3.0
Loved the way DuVal approached Native history and her in depth examinations of the complicated relationships between the British and Creek Indians. Their autonomy and sovereignty is always remembered and their actions are never painted as reactions to the British, they are never helpless or manipulated as subjects but empowered actors. With this perspective DuVal is also careful to include a reminder of the destruction of colonialism and the British, something that is always critical to remember. The balancing act between this reminder and the exploration of Creek sovereignty during the Revolutionary war was wonderful and should serve as an example for other early American historical books.
More...