Washington at Valley Forge Book

Freedman does the wonderful job I always expect of him in this thoughtful examination of how Washington remade his tattered army at Valley Forge. First he paints a sobering picture of the desperate shape of the men and the horrifying condition of the camp at the start of the winter. Then he goes on to detail the revitalization of that army as Washington systematically addressed the many problems from smoke filled cabins to supply chains to political enemies. Washington recruited skilled help, assigning Major General Greene to tackle the supply line problem, Baron von Steuben to address training, and well-educated aides as "pen-men" to assist with the volumes of necessary correspondance. Freedman enlivens the text with plenty of primary sources, including letters and writings from ordinary soldiers and also provides ample background information. Washington emerges as the remarkable leader that he truly was, dedicated, sincerely concerned for his men, politically savvy, smart and courageous. It is startling clear that without Washington's heroic efforts that winter, the Revolution would have failed.