The History of the Origin, Progress, and Termination of the American War … In Two Volumes.
Dublin: 1794.
Price: $3,750.00
About the item
First Irish Edition. xi,[1],446;xix,[1],502pp., plus [26]pp. index. 2 vols. 8vo. Contemporary calf, gilt leather spine labels. Boards quite heavily rubbed, quite worn at edges, corners, and spine ends, hinges tender. Bookplate on front pastedown of both volumes, contemporary ink note on titlepages. An occasional light stain, but generally very clean internally. In cloth chemises and half morocco and cloth slipcases, spines gilt. For London edition (same year): Sabin 91057; JCB II:372; Howes S914; Reese Revolutionary 89.
Item #248283
According to Sabin, this is "generally considered the best contemporary account of the Revolution written from the British side." Stedman was a native of Philadelphia, a Loyalist who served as an officer under Howe, and later an examiner of Loyalist claims for the British government. He had first hand knowledge of many of the campaigns and persons involved in the War. He is critical of Howe, and describes all the major theatres of war, as well as individual battles from Bunker Hill to Yorktown. Stedman's final summation is interesting: "The American Revolution is the grandest effect of combination that has yet been exhibited to the world: A combination formed by popular representation and the art of printing."
