"Surrender of Lord Cornwallis" (detail), 1820, by John Trumbull (U.S. CAPITOL)
The story of the American Revolution gets a remarkable retelling by historian Larrie D. Ferreiro. In his new book, Brothers at Arms (Knopf), Ferreiro places the struggle—and its ultimate success—in the context of the global strategic interests of France and Spain in their fight against Great Britain.
Ferreiro shows that at the time the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord the emerging American nation, lacking a navy and sufficient artillery and trained leaders, stood little chance of militarily defeating the British. He dismisses the image of a heroically self-sufficient militia and Continental Army, explaining that the real story hinged on the two European powers’ military and financial supports. France and Spain provided the colonists with supplies, guns, and soldiers, while their navies stretched British forces around the globe to their limit. Without this involvement, the Americans would have had no chance of defeating the British.
Ferreiro teaches history and engineering at George Mason University in Virginia and the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey.
Brothers at Arms is available for sale and signing following the program.
