Who Lost America?

O'Shaughnessy, Andrew Jackson.  The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American
        Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire.  New Haven: Yale UP, 2013.  ISBN: 978-0-300-19107-3

This title provides an interesting take on the War for American Independence by providing a collective biography of all the major players on the British side in this debacle  that nearly lead to the destruction of the British Empire.

 Starting at top with King George III and working his way down through government officials (Lord North, Lord Germain, and the Earl of Sandwich) to generals (Howe, Burgoyne, Clinton, and Cornwallis) and admirals (Howe and Rodney), O'Shaughnessy provides a brief life story of each man  placing their life in context before concentrating on the role each played in the war.  He also provides information regarding what happened to each person after the war.

By the end of this well documented and illustrated book, the reader has more understanding of the role each British leader played in the conflict and sympathy for their difficulties during the War for American Independence than one would think possible out of one book.