First published 2025
The American Revolution overturned an empire and created a nation. Geoffrey Ward examines this transformation by looking beyond the Founding Fathers to include the experiences of common soldiers, women, African Americans, Native Americans, and Loyalists who lived through the conflict. Ward argues that the Revolution operated simultaneously as an independence war, a civil war, and a global conflict that engaged powers across oceans. His approach moves from the ground up rather than from leadership down, exploring international forces while centering human experiences. Guest historians Vincent Brown, Maya Jasanoff, and Alan Taylor contribute essays that expand the narrative. The book incorporates period prints, drawings, paintings, pamphlets, and texts alongside newly created maps and artwork. Thomas Paine's writings thread through the account. Ward shows how thirteen Atlantic colonies defeated the British Empire and established new governmental forms that influenced democratic movements worldwide. The book reveals how founding questions about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness remain unresolved today.
Genres: history, non-fiction, military-history, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction, narrative-non-fiction
Setting: America, Atlantic Colonies, British Empire
Period: 18th Century
608 pages · Hardcover · Knopf