To Try Men's Souls: A Novel of George Washington and the Fight for American Freedom Book

When I discovered a copy of this book tossed into a sale bin, I considered it no great risk to invest in it. After a cursory review of the jacket, I fully expected a well-researched setting for an interesting story. I got that and more.

What I did not expect was that this reader, who is hyper-critical of construction and grammar and judgmental of a writer's craft, would find himself reading through tears, not once, not occasionally, but again and again as the story unfolded, revealing the deep devotion of a generation of young heroes the likes of whom are almost completely forgotten by this present generation. Gingrich not only developed characters who were sympathetic but managed to spin into them a presence and passion both attractive and inspiring, even as they would have never identified themselves as heroes on any field. I closed the back cover with a profound sense of pride and patriotism and a certain satisfaction for having participated in the sharing of this amazing story.