The American Revolution: A Global War by R. Ernest Dupuy, Gay Hammerman, and Grace P. Hayes

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The American Revolution: A Global War is a work evaluating the political events and diplomatic history beginning in 1754 with the Seven Years' War/French and Indian War and continuing through the American Revolution and concluding with the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The authors informally take the position that many Americans believe that the American Revolution was an "entirely American conflict" in which the French gave tacit military support and that the conflict only occurred in America (p. vii). Thus, Dupuy, Hammerman and Hayes demonstrate to what extent European nations were directly involved politically, militarily, and economically in the American Revolution. They contend that the European powers were heavily involved in this conflict and support their argument with their discussion of the various political and diplomatic intrigues behind the scenes, as well as descriptions of battles across the globe and, finally, the very "international" nature of the American army with the insertion of supplies, men, and officers from Europe. In conclusion, the overall theme of the book is that the American Revolution was a continuation of the Seven Years' War, that the conflict involved actors on the international scene, and that battles occurred outside of the thirteen American states, thus making the American Revolution a global war. The American Revolution: A Global War begins with a discussion of the international nature of the Seven Years' War, highlighting the harsh peace that the British imposed on France and Spain as well as the tensions in Europe in the inter-war period. The focus of this shifts back to America with a summation of growing tensions between Britain and the thirteen American colonies that led to violence an... ... middle of paper ... ... The American Revolution: A Global War is a clear, concise analysis of the international nature of the American Revolution. The authors put forward a logical and convincing argument concerning the American Revolution as a truly global conflict. Dupuy, Hammerman, and Hayes introduce the nations and figures that participated in this conflict and their motivations for becoming involved. The only criticism I would make is that while the book is both interesting and easy to read, some of the latter chapters dealing with the more exact nature of the naval conflicts are hard to follow and would probably be of more interest to students and scholars of naval history. In conclusion, this book offers an invaluable perspective on the American Revolution, which greatly contributes to the body of knowledge concerning this period and diplomatic history in general.

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