Overview

"""An Army of skeletons appeared before our eyes naked, starved, sick and discouraged."" Gouverneur Morris recorded these words in his report to the Continental Congress after a visit to the Continental Army encampment at Valley Forge. Sent as part of a fact-finding mission, Morris and his fellow congressmen arrived to conditions far worse than they had initially expected. After a campaigning season that saw the defeat at Brandywine, the loss of Philadelphia, the capital of the rebellious British North American colonies, and the reversal at Germantown, George Washington and his harried army marched into Valley Forge on December 19, 1777. What transpired in the next six months prior to the departure from the winter cantonment on June 19, 1778 was truly remarkable. The stoic Virginian, George Washington solidified his hold on the army and endured political intrigue, the quartermaster department was revived with new leadership from a former Rhode Island Quaker, and a German baron trained the army in the rudiments of being a soldier and military maneuvers. Valley Forge conjures up images of cold, desperation, and starvation. Yet Valley Forge also became the winter of transformation and improvement that set the Continental Army on the path to military victory and the fledgling nation on the path to independence. In The Winter that Won the War: The Winter Encampment at Valley Forge, 1777-1778, historian Phillip S. Greenwalt takes the reader on campaign in the year 1777 and through the winter encampment, detailing the various changes that took place within Valley Forge that ultimately led to the success of the American cause. Walk with the author through 1777 and into 1778 and see how these months truly were the winter that won the war. AUTHOR: Phillip Greenwalt holds a B.A. in History from Wheeling Jesuit University and a M.A. in American History from George Mason University. He works for the National Park Service at George Washington Birthplace National Monument and Thomas Stone National Historic Site. Previously, he was a historical interpreter at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He currently resides in the Historic Northern Neck of Virginia with his wife, Adel."

Full Product Details

9781611214932

Table of Contents

Reviews

"This is a compelling and important story, in a wonderfully written book. Readers will come away better understanding the challenging duties, hardships, and stubbornness that transformed the army of these common soldiers of different ethnicities and immigrant groups, with African Americans and Native Americans among them, into a capable fighting force which would ultimately win independence for the colonists. Greenwalt has written a tightly woven account of these critical events that can help people learn more about the experience and rebirth of the Continental Army over the winter of 1777-1778.-- ""The NYMAS Review"" ""Serving as both a helpful concise history text and as a phenomenal field guide to modern Valley Forge and its surroundings, Greenwalt's research and careful attention to landmarks provide valuable insight to both the tourist and student of the American Revolution.""-- ""The Colonial Review"" ""The Winter that Won the War does not disappoint. It is a succinct history that summarizes the major events and characters that molded the American army into the fighting machine that eventually won the war. It is a must-read for anyone wanting an overview of the American army at Valley Forge.""-- ""Collected Miscellany"""

Serving as both a helpful concise history text and as a phenomenal field guide to modern Valley Forge and its surroundings, Greenwalt's research and careful attention to landmarks provide valuable insight to both the tourist and student of the American Revolution. -- The Colonial Review

Author Information

Phillip Greenwalt holds a B.A. in History from Wheeling Jesuit University and a M.A. in American History from George Mason University. He works for the National Park Service at George Washington Birthplace National Monument and Thomas Stone National Historic Site. Previously, he was a historical interpreter at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He currently resides in the Historic Northern Neck of Virginia with his wife, Adel.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available