Oxford University Press
576 Pages
As I wrap up the George Washington books in this collection, I again refer to the idea that these last few books are more of a focused energy on single or few events in Washington’s life. The same is true for Washington’s Crossing by David Hackett Fischer. This one deals directly with Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and the battles of Trenton, Assunpink Creek, and Princeton. The summary of the book calls this a “pivotal moment in American history.” It also won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for History. This book has an impressive pedigree.
This book is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of information in these pages. This book focuses on the events leading up to these battles in December of 1776 and January 1777. There is an incredible amount of detail surrounding these events. This is most definitely a scholarly work. In fact, of the three negative reviews that I’ve read, they all uniformly say that there's too much detail. I do not agree. This book was simply fantastic.
Part of the book details George Washington’s decision to cross the Delaware and attack the British and Hessians at Trenton. Overall, however, there isn’t much on Washington himself. The details of the preparations for battle from both sides and the battles themselves are expertly written. The author brings the events of those days to life. The decisions of the leaders of both sides are intimately explored, and some of the tales of the enlisted men add an air of authenticity to the endeavor. Much of our history is told from the point of view of the exalted leaders. David Hackett Fischer gives us a peek into the world of the common man as they fought and struggled to protect the fledgling nation. These stories of people like you and I make the events read so much more realistically.
Also told in this book was George Washington’s redemption. After abject failures elsewhere, the Continental Army was on its last legs. Another defeat could have very well doomed the Revolution and resulted in a British victory. Washington and his advisors took advantage of English arrogance by its generals. They took initiative after months of reeling and retreating. General Cornwallis expected the Americans to cower in their winter quarters and remain susceptible to the mighty British Army. He felt the colonists were intimidated by his troops. This nonchalance proved to be a grave error on his part.
With Washington taking the initiative to cross the Delaware and attack Trenton and Princeton, he proved that the colonials were ready to defend their country. Emerging victorious turned the esteem of the Continentals towards the positive. They had been teetering at the brink of falling apart. This series of victories saved the Revolution and it embedded the prestige of George Washington in the minds of his men. Attitudes among the rebelling troops gelled more than before. They had a new swagger. Meanwhile, the British were forced to reevaluate their views of their opponents. The British had been humiliated. They needed to regroup and try to understand this new way of war. Change does not come easy, and that adage came to haunt the English. Their might had been so strong for so long, they were hesitant to change what had been successful over that time.
Washington’s Crossing does detail how George Washington grew into the leader that he was expected to be. It solidifies the concept of his great leadership. While not specifically a biography of Washington, it gives a detailed, scholarly analysis of his actions at a make or break moment in his life as well as the life of the early United States. This book is not an easy read, but it is well worth the time you’ll spend reading it. I highly recommend it. So does the Pulitzer team.
Craig Bacon could not stop reading this book, Normally a book this size would take him a couple of days to read. This took two weeks. But he loved it.
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