audiobook Devastation: Volume I: The European Rimlands 1912-1938 (Crisis of Genocide) by Mark Levene in History

Description

In 1996; Congress commissioned the National Park Service to compile a list of sites and landmarks connected with the American Revolution that it deemed vital to preserve for future generations. Some of these sites are well known--Bunker Hill; Valley Forge; Fort Ticonderoga--and in no danger of being lost; others less so-- Blackstock's Plantation in South Carolina or Bryan's Station in Kentucky--and more vulnerable. But all are central to the story of our nation's fight for independence. From battlefields to encampments; meeting houses to museums; these places offer us a chance to rediscover the remarkable men and women who founded this nation and to recognize the relevance of not just what they did; but where they did it.The American Revolution: A Historical Guidebook takes readers to nearly 150 of these sites; providing an overview of the Revolution through an exploration of the places where American independence was articulated; fought for; and eventually secured. Beginning with the Boston Common; first occupied by British troops in 1768; and closing with Fraunces Tavern in New York; where George Washington bid farewell to his officers on December 4; 1783; Kennedy takes readers on a tour of the most significant places of Revolutionary history. Accompanied by illuminating excerpts and essays from some of the foremost scholars in the field; including David McCullough; Barbara Tuchman; David Hackett Fischer; Eric Foner; and John Ferling; the entries move in a roughly chronological order from the pre-Revolutionary years up through 1787. Taken together; the combination of site; essay; and excerpt provides rich context and overview; giving a sense of the major figures and events as well as the course of the Revolution; and cover topics ranging from the Boston Tea Party to the frontier wars.The guide is encyclopedic in scope and covers a wide geographical sweep. Accompanied by historical maps; as well as a number of illuminating primary documents including the Declaration of Independence and letters from John Adams and George Washington; it offers a comprehensive picture of how the Revolutionary War unfolded on American soil; and also points readers to the best writing on the subject in the last fifty years. The American Revolution: A Historical Guidebook is an essential companion for anyone interested in the story and history of our nation's founding.