"A terrific biography.... The dramatic story of how the American army that beat the British was forged has never been better told." -Doris Kearns Goodwin,New York Times-bestselling author ofTeam of Rivals
Frustrated with a stalled career in midlife, the Baron de Steuben uprooted himself from his native Europe to seek one last chance at glory and fame in the New World. Steeped in the traditions of the Prussian army of Frederick the Great-the most ruthlessly effective in Europe-he taught the ragged, demoralized soldiers of the Continental Army how to fight like Europeans. His guiding hand shaped the fighting force that triumphed over the British at Monmouth, Stony Point, and Yorktown. But his influence did not end with the Revolution. Steuben was instrumental in creating West Point and in writing the first official regulations of the American army, and his principles have guided the American armed forces to this day.
"Reveal[s] the deeds and character of a man whose life was full of surprises andfrustrating failures but ultimatelycrowned with success . . . sheds light on the career of an important but relatively obscure figure." - Booklist
"The author generally treats [Steuben] with balance, understanding and great good humor." - The Wall Street Journal
"An archetypal American story: an immigrant, ambitious, blustering, insecure, who gives his talents and his passion to his new-found home." -Richard Brookhiser, author of George Washington on Leadership
Autorentext
Paul Lockhart is a professor of history at Wright State University, where he teaches European and military history. He lives in Dayton, Ohio.
Klappentext
"A terrific biography....The dramatic story of how the American army that beat the British was forged has never been better told than in this remarkable book.” —Doris Kearns Goodwin, New York Times bestselling author of Team of Rivals
The true story of the Baron de Steuben and the making of the American Army, The Drillmaster of Valley Forge is the first biography in half a century of the immigrant Prussian soldier who molded George Washington's ragged, demoralized troops into the fighting force that eventually triumphed in America's War of Independence. Praised by renowned historian Thomas Fleming as "an important book for anyone interested in the American Revolution,” The Drillmaster of Valley Forge rights a historical wrong by finally giving a forgotten hero his well-deserved due.