First published 2010
George Washington leads his battered Continental Army into the brutal winter of 1777 at Valley Forge. His men retreat from Philadelphia, demoralized and defeated. They arrive to find Congress has ignored their pleas for food, clothing, and shelter. The soldiers huddle under tents as temperatures plummet and supplies vanish. Disease spreads through the ranks. Meanwhile, British forces enjoy comfort in occupied Philadelphia, joined by Allen van Dorn, a Loyalist whose patriot brother Jonathan died fighting for independence. Washington refuses to abandon his dying army. Help arrives when Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a German volunteer, reaches the camp. Von Steuben faces an impossible task: transform these starving, untrained men into professional soldiers capable of defeating British regulars in open battle. The Continental Army has never accomplished such a feat. With time running out and resources scarce, von Steuben begins drilling the troops through the harsh winter months. This crucible of suffering will either destroy Washington's cause or forge it into something powerful enough to win a revolution.
Genres: historical-fiction, war, military-fiction, american-history
Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-figures, military-strategy
Setting: Valley Forge, Philadelphia
Period: 1777, American Revolution
438 pages · Hardcover · Thomas Dunne Books
Content warnings: violence, war