This is the only book that addresses the relations between religion; Protestant missions; and empire building; linking together all three fields of studyby taking as its starting point the early eighteenth century Anglican initiatives in colonial North America and the Caribbean. It considers how the early societies of the 1790s built on this inheritance; and extended their own interests to the Pacific; India; the Far East; and Africa. Fluctuations in the vigour and commitment of the missions; changing missionary theologies; and the emergence of alternative missionary strategies; are all examined for their impact on imperial expansion. Other themes include the international character of the missionary movement; Christianity's encounter with Islam; and major figures such as David Livingstone; the state and politics; and humanitarianism; all of which are viewed in a fresh light. This monumental study shows that the missionary movement had a far more complex and ambiguous relationship with the Empire than has previously been thought; and will be widely welcomed by students and scholars of imperial history and the history of religion.
#596737 in Books James Nelson 2010-05-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x 1.22 x 6.40l; 1.53 #File Name: 0071626794400 pagesGeorge Washington s Great Gamble And the Sea Battle That Won the American Revolution
Review
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Another winner by James L. NelsonBy derrickAfter reading Nelson's incredible book "With Fire and Sword;" which I highly recommend to anyone interested in American history at all; I was greatly looking forward to this book. I knew next to nothing about the siege of Yorktown; so I was counting on learning a lot from here. And I was not disappointed. This book gave great information about Yorktown; but also gave so much more. This book spoke of the entire Southern strategy by the British; gave valuable insights in General Greene that I have never had before; and even spent an incredible amount of time discussing what Benedict Arnold does after defecting to the British army! I got way more than I bargained for; and loved it. I thought I was just going to learn about the very last battle of the Revolution. Instead; I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the details of the last year-and-a-half of Revolutionary fighting. What a treat!So; why do I only give four stars and not five? By necessity; a large portion of this book is devoted to naval matters; for the siege of Yorktown was largely a naval operation. I like boats; but I am not a sailor. The author is; and I think that he assumes that his audience knows more about naval matters than they actually might. He does explain some naval matters (for example; he takes to time to make sure that his audience understands what makes ships sail faster or slower than other ships). But for a non-sailor like myself there is still a lot of naval matters he does not explain which I did not understand.That aside; though; this book is still worth the read. I definitely enjoyed it and look forward to exploring history with this author again.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Interesting (but poorly titled) early American history bookBy F. MoyerIn 1781; George Washington; with the aid of the French navy; accepted the surrender of Lord Cornwallis and his troops at Yorktown (effectively ending our Revolutionary War with England) -- and that’s about all I remembered about Yorktown before reading this book.There was lots on interesting background information. For example; since the British had a mighty navy (and the American navy was nearly non-existent); the British could quickly ferry troops anywhere along the eastern coast to raid American goods and to destroy American manufacturing capability. The Americans; who could only their move troops via overland routes; subsequently had no means to rapidly redeploy their forces in response.And; of course; key questions are answered. How did Lord Cornwallis wind up in Yorktown? Why was the mighty British navy unable to prevent the French navy from supporting Washington?But what was Washington’s “Great Gamble� Almost as an afterthought; the book says that it was Washington’s decision to move his troops from outside NY to Yorktown. But since the British were well entrenched in NY (and had more troops inside NY than Washington had outside NY); an American attack on NY was simply not possible. So Washington redeploying his troops to a place where they might actually impact the outcome of the war seemed smart rather than chancy.Bottom line: Very much a history book -- so contains lots of interesting information; though not wrapped in particularly exciting prose.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good analysis of a coordinated campaignBy Steven PetersonThis is a work that explores the evolution of George Washington's military thinking as the French entered the Revolutionary War. Talking about his "Great Gamble;" I think; rather overstates things. A key point of this book is how Washington began to appreciate the potential value of naval superiority. After the French entered the War; he had hoped for some collaborative successes between the French navy and the American-French infantry. It did not happen.The book also notes Washington's fixation on New York as the proper focus of his military strategy. British General Clinton was hunkered down in New York City and its environs--making it difficult for Washington to "get at him."The book also considers Lord Cornwallis' retreat from the Carolinas to Virginia. Poor strategic thinking by the British left Cornwallis and his forces tied to the coast; to allow for the British fleet to communicate with him. However; a large French fleet set out from the Caribbean. Cicrumstances conspired to lead Washington and the French General; Rochambeau; to target Cornwallis rather than Clinton. The march of these two forces south and the confluence with the French navy threatened Cornwallis' position.Then the story of the naval battle and the French victory and the doom of Cornwallis' forces. The book concludes that Washington's evolution in thinking about the importance of control over the waters was a key part of the signal victory at Yorktown. Well done. . . .
