The Rhode Island Campaign: The First French and American Operation in the Revolutionary War
"McBurney has written an important book. Using sources that have heretofore overlooked, he provides a fresh, nuanced, and compelling reinterpretation of the United States's first joint operation. Moreover, he does it with readable style. This work will be the standard for years to come."Dennis Conrad, editor, Naval Documents of the Aemrican RevolutionandPapers of General Nathaniel Greene"The book's success hinges on the personalities, events and local color that marked this particular conflict, which featured warfare on land and sea, and participation from prominent patriots such as John Hancock, Paul Revere and Rhode Island's Nathanael Greene, among others.  Colorful descriptions and disagreements and outright insubordination abound, woven into in-depth accounts of military strategy and action, including vivid mentions of dummy soldiers on Butts Hill and fire ships lurking in the bay."Doug Norris,South County Independent"[McBurney] gives us a sophisticated maritime history that cannot be detached from events on land... [He] does a deft and thorough job of examining this significant theater of the revolutionary war, and of making his case that itwassignificant."Patricia Behre, professor,Fairfield University