History presented in a readable manner that holds your interest. I learned a lot that I did not know.

When most Americans think of the Revolutionary War they think of George Washington and his troops slogging through the snow or over the frozen Hudson River to defeat the British in land battles. Philbrick argues that it was a naval battle that enabled the Americans to prevail.

By 1781, Philbrick informs us, the Revolutionary Army was on the verge of collapse. They were starving, underfunded, and mutinous. Thus, he claims, the Battle of the Chesapeake between the British and the French navies (the French acting on the side of the Americans) was one of the most important naval engagements in the history of the world. The reason is that the defeat of a British fleet by a French fleet enabled the Revolutionary Army to prevail on land. The French in turn were aided by the Spanish in Cuba, who loaned the fleet the money to function.

But it might have been weather that played the largest role. Three large hurricanes in 1780 ripped through the Caribbean, sending the French fleet up north at the Chesapeake to ride out the 1781 hurricane season. This move proved pivotal for both sides in the war.

Evaluation: Philbrick does an excellent job of making history exciting. He also provides welcome explanations of necessary nautical details that add to the color and atmosphere of the story, such as the ways in which naval battles are fought, and how ships were constructed at the time. So much of military history is devoted to armies; this entertaining book helps balance that coverage.

The defeated British army trudged out of the ruins of Yorktown to the slow beat of a drum, surrounded by the American militia on one side of the road and the French on the other. The British General and his army showed their disdain of the Americans, giving their attention to the French. How could a barely clothed army of ill-fed and unpaid country yahoos defeat their magnificence? Only the French were worthy enemies.

And yet somehow General George Washington had achieved the unthinkable. Yes, he needed the French navy to do it. He knew this battle would be fought on water. And even if the French generals often ignored Washington's directive and did what they wanted, they were pivotal.

It all started with hurricanes in the Caribbean. The French were forced to move their ships to safer latitudes. The rest is history. The history Philbrick covers In The Hurricane's Eye.

Maps show readers the battles that are the focus of this installment of Philbrick's history of the Revolutionary War. There is no focus on one big personality, like Benedict Arnold was in Philbrick's previous volume Valiant Ambition. This is an ensemble cast of characters--British, French, and American.

But some things stand out. Washington for his ability to reign in his passions to keep a cool head. A favorite story is how Washington deceived the British by building ovens to bake the fresh bread the French army found a necessity on a route to New York City while the army headed south.

Readers are reminded of the plight of the common American militiaman, who after six years at war are released without recompense, worn out, to an uncertain future. 200,000 men had served. The escaped slaves who served the British with hopes of freedom were left without protection, starving and diseased, preyed upon by Southerners rounding up their property.

At war's end, America consisted of individual states unwilling to work together. They would not agree on taxes to pay for the war, and now they all vied for their own concerns. Anarchy threatened.

This narrative takes readers on a journey into an understanding of our past that will challenge the simplistic vision of America's beginnings encountered in school textbooks. Was victory at Yorktown all because of hurricanes? Or Washington's superior leadership? Was it because the French funded the war that Americans refused to support financially? Or the missteps of British generals?

Near the end of the book, Washington is quoted from a letter written to the French Admiral de Grasse: "A great mind knows how to make personal sacrifices to secure an important general good." I was appalled by the war crimes and suffering described in the book, but I was also inspired by Washington's ability to always chose what was right for his country. If only our leaders today would channel the Founding Father's vision of personal sacrifice and self-control, to do what was right for the many and the country.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

This book is great at revealing the French and Spanish military and political leaders integral in the Allied victory at Yorktown. Philbrick keeps the narrative moving at nice clip and (as with his first two books in this trilogy on the Revolution) uses his literary talents to bring history to life again.

It is much more interesting to a hisorian to read about a specific event in a larger period such as the Battle of Yorktown during the American Revolution. The detailed behaviors and relationships of the main characters are developed to a greater extent than would be in a general volume. I have always had an admiration for the loser at Yorktown, Lord Cornwallis. I still believe he was a good commander but Philbrick shows his poor dicision making to be critical to the eventual loss of the war by the British. The maps are concise but not too detailed to be confusing. This book is highly readable as summer reading and for historical research.

For the overwhelming majority of us, the Battle of Yorktown isn't much more than a quick mention in our history textbooks as the final major battle of the American Revolution. And to say the least, we miss out on quite a bit of all that led up to the pivotal moment. This includes amazing military and logistical maneuvers, numerous characters who stepped up to the plate when necessary to single-handedly save the day, several instances of pure good luck chance, and more, all taking place in a grand setting that encompassed nearly entire length of the Thirteen Colonies and the Caribbean. Most of us have no idea of the grand scope of everything that had to fall into place in order to set the stage for the Franco-American victory at Yorktown.

To say the least, master history writer Nathaniel Philbrick's new work "In the Hurricane's Eye" will be appreciated by many for its ability to fill in some heavy knowledge gaps and ability to help give a solid handle on all that encompassed the amazing path to the final battle of the American Revolution

....And of course, if those exact specifics aren't quite what you're looking for, don't worry. If you're looking for nothing more than an exciting yet also enjoyably informative American history read, Philbrick once again comes through in spades.