The Fire of Liberty

This anthology gathers first-person writing from the American War of Independence, 1774 to 1783, drawn from diaries, letters, speeches, and memoirs on both the rebel and British sides. Typical pieces cover political argument before shots are fired, camp life, battles, occupation of towns, and the strain on households that split over loyalty. Recurring figures include soldiers, officers, politicians, and civilians who record a day's events rather than a later overview. There is no single narrator. The book is a documentary sampler of the Revolutionary War, not a continuous campaign history written by one historian.

Re-issue with slipcase. Compiled. 24 pages of colour and monochrome plates showing contemporary prints, portraits and etchings. Pictorial slipcase in cream and violet shades.