William H. Hallahan

Thrusting you into the revolution's worst year, 1780, and its climactic finale the year after,The Day the Revolution Ended covers the many devastating blows that faced Washington and his impoverished troops during the last years of the war and the thrilling comeback of the allies–made possible by France's resources–as all forces made their way towards Yorktown in the final showdown of the American Revolution.

After six long years of tooth-and-nail skirmishes, the Revolutionary War was drawing to a climactic close. The stage had been set. As General Cornwallis set up camp to make his final stand in the sleepy Viriginian tobacco farm of Yorktown, General Washington received the news that would change the fate of the colonies: France's Admiral de Grasse was leading a fleet of 29 ships and six frigates from the French West Indies up to the Chesapeake. The Allies could finally have the resources to win the revolution.

But with this great hope came far too many seemingly insurmountable obstacles: de Grasse would not stay in Chesapeake after October 15th. This gave Washington and Lafayette less than two months to move their armies 450 miles, lay siege against Cornwallis, and compel him to surrender. If Cornwallis tried to escape by water, could the French Navy fight their way up the American coast past or through the British Navy and block Cronwallis's escape? Could Lafayette find enough cavalry and troops to block the Yorktown peninsula? Win or lose, the Battle at Yorktown would decide the fate of the colonies.

William Hallahan's spellbinding narrative traces the dramatic events of those last crucial years of war and revolution., when all the gathered forces met in climactic resolution. He grippingly recreates the events that took place throughout America, England, and France during the Revolution, culminating with the momentous sea battle between the French and British navies, the face-off at Yorktown, and the world's thrilling reaction to Britain's surrender.

Rivetingly told and vividly detailed, William Hallahan's breathtaking narrative follows a young, tenacious nation's relentless quest for emancipation and offers piercing portraits of the leading actors, on both sides, in the drama that shaped America's destiny.

Following the success of William Hallahan's best-selling The Day the Revolution Began, here is the dramatic conclusion to the American Revolution and the spirited beginning of a new nation. The Day the Revolution Ended vividly tells the story of America's victory through the eyes of those who lived it. Using such rich primary sources as diaries, journals, memoirs, newspapers, letters, official documents, and other eyewitness accounts, The Day the Revolution Ended traces the tense chess game of troop movements, skirmishes, and tooth-and-nail battles that brought the American forces, their French allies, the British troops, and the Hessian mercenary soldiers to their fateful encounter at Yorktown. Hallahan paints a sharp portrait of the events and the colorful players in the war, including Benedict Arnold's seething vengeance, Nathanael Greene's ability to turn even a retreat into a victory, Lafayette's military ardor, General Clinton's incompetent leadership, and Washington's high-stakes battles, as well as the extraordinary bravery of both generals and common soldier alike.

"...tells the story of the Americans' recovery and triumph with admirable clarity, fashioning his facts into an enjoyable narrative…a fine job…engaging style…excellent choice for fans of popular history." Publishers Weekly