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Overview
In The Long Fuse, Don Cook investigates the American Revolution from the British side, throwing new light on this colorful age and its players. He draws from a multitude of primary sources, including personal correspondence and political memoranda, to show how Britain, at the height of her power but suffering from internal political strife, made one mistake after another, culminating in the loss of her prized colonies. In opposition to King George's American policies were such towering figures as William Pitt, Edmund Burke, and Charles James Fox; their speeches in the House of Commons are some of the best oratory in the English language. But despite their eloquence and forcefulness, they did not have the votes to prevail. In the end, the Americans rebelled as much against an English political state of mind as against the British Army. Cook takes us through the war years: King George's decision that "blows must decide" the colonies' future; Lord North's futile effort to negotiate peace after the British defeat at Saratoga, which only hastened the American alliance with France; the secret letter from Washington to Lafayette that the British intercepted, perhaps altering the outcome of the Battle of Yorktown; and the peace negotiations masterminded by Franklin and John Jay.Drawn from a multitude of primary sources, including personal correspondence and political memos, this narrative account of the political blunders that led Britain into the American Revolution throws new light on this colorful age and its players, from William Pitt and King George III to Ben Franklin and a young John Adams.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
Retelling the saga of the American Revolution from the viewpoint of Mother England, Cook ingeniously portrays the 13 colonies' breakaway as a succession of inexorable blunders and collective missteps in London that led to an unnecessary, unwinnable war. Former political correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and the New York Herald Tribune, Cook lays the lion's share of blame at the feet of autocratic King George III, who prodded his government into war-provoking acts, refusing all suggestions of compromise. Cook's vivid, wonderfully readable narrative sheds new light on the origins of the American Revolution and is peopled with memorable characters: Anglophile diplomat/scientist Benjamin Franklin, testifying before the House of Commons in London against the oppressive Stamp Act in 1766; Isaac Barr, fierce, rough-talking, one-eyed British colonel, sympathetic to the American cause, who warned Parliament that a revolution could be brewing; amiable, indecisive British prime minister Lord North, totally unfit to wage war, who repeatedly tendered his resignation in vain; parliamentarian William Pitt, who dared to question the king's wisdom in fiery oratory. Cook provocatively concludes that with a more conciliatory policy, England might well have reached an accommodation that would have kept the American colonies in the British Empire. (July)Booknews
A look at American independence from the British side, drawing on personal correspondence, political memoranda, and other primary sources to show how Britain--at the height of its powers but suffering from internal strife--made mistake after mistake and lost its prized colonies. The author, a longtime journalist, takes a narrative rather than a scholarly approach to the events and personalities of the era. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)Margaret Flanagan
A compelling historical document that recounts the saga of the American Revolution from the British point of view. Employing a host of primary British sources, including personal correspondence, private papers, military dispatches, and parliamentary speeches and debates, the author chronicles the multitude of mistakes George III made in dealing with the colonies. Despite the opposition of such political heavyweights as Edmund Burke, William Pitt, and Charles James Fox, the stubbornly autocratic monarch formulated a disastrous series of policies that eventually incited the colonists to" rebel, plunging the British into a foolish, costly, and unwinnable war that would strip the empire of its premium possession. An enlightening new perspective on the American Revolution as well as a fascinating overview of the lively tenor of British political life during this critical era. A valuable addition to the literature of the American Revolution.Book Details
Published
July 1, 1995
Publisher
New York : Atlantic Monthly Press, c1995.
Pages
432
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780871135889