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by Mark Edward Lender and James Kirby Martin.
Hardback (6.5×9.5 inches). 296 pages. 2025.
While the book explains how Patriots and Loyalists waged a barbaric war against each other far from the organized battlefields, the more important aspect is why neighbors turned on each other during the American Revolution.
A Peckham study found that of the 1,331 land actions during the war, fewer than 100 involved regular armies battling each other. The rest were local militias, irregular forces, and ordinary families defending hearth and home (p28).
Of note, 238 of these were in NJ, 228 in NY, and 155 in SC (p29). Each receives their own chapter explaining how sympathy and tolerance diminished and the steady escalation of brutality.
Additional chapters explain the ruthless prosecution of genocide on the frontiers involving Indians (Native Americans) egged on by British agents.
The book contains eight color illustrations, five black and white maps, and six black and white illustrations. I knew about SC excesses from a previous book I reviewed and other books hinted at general burnings and killings, but this book covers a wider area. If you believe Mark Twain, history doesn’t repeat itself, but its sure rhymes. In a more modern era of today, this book can also serve as a warning how quickly name calling and altered images and propaganda videos can escalate to much worse.
Enjoyed it.
— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood
