Short Synopsis
A unique account of the American Revolution, told from the perspective of the leaders who conducted the British war effort.

Full Synopsis
The loss of America was a stunning and unexpected defeat for the powerful British Empire. Common wisdom has held that incompetent military commanders and political leaders in Britain must have been to blame, but were they? This intriguing book makes a different argument. Weaving together the personal stories of ten prominent men who directed the British dimension of the war, historian Andrew O'Shaughnessy dispels the incompetence myth and uncovers the real reasons that rebellious colonials were able to achieve their surprising victory.

In interlinked biographical chapters, the author follows the course of the war from the perspectives of King George III, Prime Minister Lord North, military leaders including General Burgoyne, the Earl of Sandwich, and others who, for the most part, led ably and even brilliantly. Victories were frequent, and in fact the British conquered every American city at some stage of the Revolutionary War. Yet roiling political complexities at home, combined with the fervency of the fighting Americans, proved fatal to the British war effort. The book concludes with a penetrating assessment of the years after Yorktown, when the British achieved victories against the French and Spanish, thereby keeping intact what remained of the British Empire.

"[Jackson] enlivens the presentation by emoting whenever he has the chance, and by assigning the various figures distinctive speaking voices. The history is interesting and the reading vigorous and generally polished, a solid combination." ---AudioFile

"[An] engaging study . . . based on an extensive reading of the vast literature and of many original sources." ---Brendan Simms, The Wall Street Journal

"O'Shaughnessy gives us a fresh and compelling view of a critical aspect of the struggle that changed the world. This is a great book." ---Jon Meacham, author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

"Beautifully written and deeply researched, The Men Who Lost America is a great achievement. It will provide any interested [listener] with a delightfully user-friendly way of understanding how and why the British lost the revolutionary war." ---Pauline Maier, author of Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788