Renegade Revolutionary

Rezensionen / Stimmen

"Mr. Papas argues that Lee's contributions to the winning of American independence, both as a propagandist and as a soldier, deserve recognition . . . [a] soundly researched and readable book that can be recommended." (Wall Street Journal) "Renegade Revolutionary is a revisionist book which corrects historical misimpressions of Charles Lee as bizarre, opinionated, abrupt, and morose to the neglect of his erudition, intellectual courage, social radicalism, and capacity for military professionalism. But it is revisionism with a light touch. Almost every paragraph exhibits the author's determination to understand and explore Lee's characterincluding his bipolar mood swingsand to respect the readers' curiosity and capacity for balanced judgment. Alternately calling his subject 'Charles' when presenting instances of his complex humanity and 'Lee' when reporting objective fact, Phillip Papas strikes the kind of balance that Charles Lee unsuccessfully sought to exhibit to his contemporariesespecially the American people whose Revolution mattered more to him that personal vindication that he knew he could do little to garner." - Robert M. Calhoon,author of Political Moderation in America's First Two Centuries "Did General Charles Lee or General George Washington have the right strategy to win the Revolutionary War? Readers may end up debating the question with the passion that divided the Americans of 1776. But this much is certain. With deft touches and shrewd insights, Phillip Papas has restored to vivid life a major figure in Americas past." - Thomas Fleming,author of Liberty! The American Revolution "In this beautifully written biography of General Charles Lee, Papas has rescued a fascinating and important figure from the sidelines of American Revolutionary history and given him the centrality he deserves. Papas draws a compelling portrait of a complex and contradictory 18th century man: an aristocrat more democratic than most native born revolutionaries; a humanist more comfortable with his dogs than with people; and a feminist in a patriarchal world. Charles Lee emerges from these pages as one of the few men bold enough to challenge George Washington's judgment and one of the most articulate visionaries of the future that was possible for America." - Carol Berkin,Presidential Professor of History, Emerita, Baruch College & The Graduate Center, CUNY "InRenegade Revolutionary, Phillip Papas, in hopes of resuscitating Lee and situating him alongside more celebrated English immigrant, Thomas Paine, provides a sympathetic and nuanced context for Lees role in the Revolutionary War. He creates a full portrait of the man who failed to win the hearts of the revolutionaries." (American Historical Review) "While admitting Lees faults, the author rehabilitates the much-maligned general and shows that in many ways he was ahead of his time, advocating for independence much earlier than most leaders and recognizing that the war could not be won with traditional European tactics unsuited to American conditions. Thoroughly researched and documented." (Choice) "Papas does an exceptional job portraying this complicated personality, mostly through the correspondence of those who knew him. But far from being limited in scope, Renegade Revolutionaryoffers a vivid insight into the politics and strategies of the American Revolution. Whether readers finish feeling Lee was more scapegoat than scoundrel, they will feel it was worth the journey of discovery." (Journal of America's Military Past)