Liberty's Fallen Generals: Leadership and Sacrifice in the American War of Independence: Military Profiles

From June 1775 to February 1781 during the American War of Independence, ten patriot generals died as a result of combat wounds. Their service and deaths spanned most of the war’s duration and geographical expanse. The generals were a diverse group, with six born in America and four in Europe, three coming from professional military backgrounds, and the rest citizen-soldiers, mostly with limited military experience. As the colonists won their independence, the fallen generals became martyrs for the revolutionary ideals that would inspire later generations throughout the world. Liberty’s Fallen Generals is the first book to analyze these key military leaders’ service and the quality of their leadership in light of recent scholarship on the Revolutionary War. Each general’s profile provides background on military and political events leading to his emergence, assesses the general as a military leader in the war, and examines the campaign that culminated in his battle-related death. A compelling study in leadership and sacrifice, Liberty’s Fallen Generals is essential reading for those interested in learning more about America’s earliest heroes.