A Well-Executed Failure

"Fischer fills a gap in the military history of the American Revolution with this tight and clear book."—American Historical Review

"Fischer clearly makes his point that the Continental army was a military force rapidly becoming more capable at all levels despite its many shortcomings."—New York History

"Fischer takes a new approach to this familiar story, treating the Sullivan campaign as an opportunity to evaluate the performance of the Continental army at midwar. . . . Fischer's focus on the professionalism exhibited by Sullivan's troops adds depth to the conclusions of Charles Royster, Don Higginbotham, and other military historians who have studied the Continental army's evolution over the course of the war."—Pennsylvania History

"The author . . . uses the Sullivan campaign to develop a richly detailed overview of the stages of development of the Continental army as it evolved from the 'rabble in arms' of 1775 and 1776 into the lean-and-mean troops who stood by at Yorktown while Lord Cornwallis's army furled its flags."—Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer Times

"Fischer has written an interesting book that is a model for using a military campaign to study the broader effectiveness of the army."—William and Mary Quarterly