Redcoat

by Bernard Cornwell

Book Overview

It is autumn 1777, and the cradle of liberty, Philadelphia, has fallen to the British. Yet the true battle has only just begun. On both sides, loyalties are tested and families torn asunder. The young... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060512776
• ISBN13: 9780060512774
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Best book ever!!

As someone who loves history and historical fictions books, I absolutely loved this one! It was very well written and was very hard to put down. It reveals the redcoat point of view of the war as opposed to the American view we're used to seeing. You'll get wrapped up in the Revolutionary War once again, hate the lobsters, but also feel pity for them at the same time. I loved the characters, the battle scenes, the romance, and even the plot twists. Bernard Cornwell is an astounding author.

love this writer

Cornwell is one writer that I will read as long as he writes historical novels. I have read them all and never disappointed.

very underated

this is by far cornwell's most undrated book. it is a hidden gem. because the sharpe's series and the starbuck chronicles are so hugely successful,and because it was never made into a series redcoat is often forgotten. redcoat is different from other cornwell. there is still the stories within the story. there are no real enemies like an obadiah hakeswill, but vane and scammell are pretty good ememies nonetheless. sam gilpin is a hero that could rival richard sharpe. what's most refreshing being an american, is to see the british side of the war, which is never told in the american history books. it was so interesting. william howe is a very likeable character. this is a great book, unfortunately there weren't any more.

Redcoat provides British Perspective

Redcoat is a fine work of historical fiction on the American Revolution as seen from the British perspective. The ingredients of Cornwall's writing are all here. Characters are standard fair for him, with some clever deviations. Cornwall seems to revel in graphic, bloody descriptions of fighting, whether a battle or a fight to the death between two protagonists. At times I find this penchant for violence threatens to undermine the fine historical research that goes into his works. The main stength of this novel lies in its fine depiction of General Howe's 1777 Philadelphia campaign. The description of the British night attack at Paoli's Tavern and the rebel counter-attack and near success at Germantown are first-rate, and alone worth reading. While some of the characters and plot are standard Cornwall creations, traceable to his ever popular Sharpe series with predictable villins, confused heros, and shattered notions of honor, the reader can still get a very balanced view of what motivated both sides in this conflcit. Rebel and Loyalist outlooks are clearly expressed through the characters. The book delivers a good story, slow at times, but reflective of the nature of the war itself, and those who were pursueing it. There are some clever character developments here, with interesting role reversals which provide for surprise. If the reader does not mind Cornwall's often graphic, bloodletting descriptions, he will find much of merit here. This is a good novel on the American Revolution, with rich historical detail and some interesting plot.

Wonderful and Exciting.

I thought this was a good book. It was very exciting and full of battle scenes. In the beginning of the book the English go to an encampment and surprise and kill lots of rebels. It also tells of the Battle of Brandywine, how the rebel attack almost broke through but was repelled by the English. Overall I thought this was a good book that had lots of good characters and also had a very good plot.

Outta print, outta luck

This is an excellent read in the usual Cornwell style - crisp plot, interesting characters, and an eye for historical detail. Because the story line and characters are so vivid, a sequel would be a real treat.