The First Salute

A View of the American Revolution

By: Barbara W. Tuchman

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and best-selling author Barbara W. Tuchman analyzes the American Revolution in a brilliantly original way, placing the war in the historical context of the centuries-long conflicts between England and both France and Holland.

This compellingly written history presents a fresh, new view of the events that led from the first foreign salute to American nationhood in 1776 to the last campaign of the Revolution five years later. It paints a magnificent portrait of General George Washington and recounts in riveting detail the events responsible for the birth of our nation.

©1988 Barbara W. Tuchman (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Trenchant observations and an exciting climax....Most libraries will want this Pulitzer Prize-winner's latest." (Library Journal)

"Blackstone's inspired pairing of narrator Nadia May with the work of Barbara Tuchman introduces a new generation to...one of the twentieth century's most popular and esteemed historians." (AudioFile)

"[A] brilliant slice of American Revolutionary history....expertly weaving political and military history, Tuchman lets you feel how Washington's victory at Yorktown sent shock waves around the globe." (Publishers Weekly)

Pulitzer Prize level history

World class discussion of diplomacy military & naval matters involving America, Holland, France & UK. Detailed but not dull. Excellent research and analysis. Holds its own against other more recent works, such as the Chernow biography of Washington, which is also excellent. BT earned her two Pulitzer Prizes. This work is of equal excellence. Like her ability to ferret out how one side achieved success and the other came to fail. Sorry to say most historians get more bogged down in facts without selecting and editing to focus on key details. Thankfully to narration is also excellent.

Sometime the other view is what we need.

I really enjoyed this book and decided to write the review only after reading the criticisms. If you judge the book by the 1st negative review you will be missing a bright and insightful view of history. To most of the world our revolution was a little thing to be viewed with curiosity more then intrigue, I think one reason is that no one expected us to win. This is a good book worth of your time.

TUCHMAN!

Tuchman delivers the goods in this excellent read. The cast of characters is worthy of study and no one ever did that better than Ms. Tuchman. The narration by Wanda McCaddon is spot on per the usual.

The First Salute

Another great work by Tuchman with her insights and analysis of great events and people. Her humor and comments sometimes makes me smile at her American point of view. I would have liked her final chapter to be more upbeat about the U. S. This is a great story of how the Dutch and French helped a bunch of republic revolutionaries change the world.

Not your school-days re-telling of the Revolution

Anyone who has studied the revolutionary war will notice that there is little original material after Tuchman. Through courses taken, books read, documentaries viewed and lectures attended online and in person, I nevertheless failed to grasp the depth and breath of the complete story of American independence.

Tuchman approaches the War from a geopolitical perspective which confirms a few myths and shatters many, while never abandoning the drama of war on land, sea, and Solon, and enlivens all with well documented human drama.

Mc Caddon is Tuchman’s Audible alter ego. Her refined English accent, sounding ripened to maturity, evidencing a slight raspiness, comes through as both knowing , refined and sexy. She has the perfect voice to bring alive Tuchman’s wonderful prose.

If your looking for Revolution 101 and a freshening of your preconceived All American understanding of the American Revolution, don’t bother. But I strongly urge this book for those who enjoy both the beauty of art and language, and have an insatiable appetite for learning “The Rest of the Story” from one of the very best.

Excellent in-depth and Unique View of Revolutionary War

Recommended for those looking at “behind the scenes” trials and tribulations of the Colonies in achieving independence, juxtaposed against the bickering of the other global powers. Wonderful story.

Only complaint is on the reading of the story - I do not understand the need to put in French, or German or any other non-English phrases - or worse, a foreign accent. It’s distracting, a bit patronizing and unnecessary.

Not one of Tuchman's best.

What did you like best about The First Salute? What did you like least?

I enjoyed the history of the Netherlands in the Revolutionary War. I don't think that story has been told before.
I think the story dragged on for a long ways not seeming to get anywhere. When would the war start? etc.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The view of Europe on the British predicament was the best. What would Washington do was not that interesting.

Did Nadia May do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

She has a voice like Audrey Hepburn so if that matches your view of how George Washington talked than yes she did fine.

Did The First Salute inspire you to do anything?

Read more about the early years of our nation.

What you never knew about the Revolution

This excellent book contains hundreds of details and insights into the backstory of the American Revolution that I've never encountered in one volume. If you think the major battles were only those on American shores, you'll think differently after this book. It is heavily focused on the international political and military story that brought England to war with her colonies and how the European and Caribbean theaters influenced the ultimate outcome. Bringing so much desperate history into focus is no easy task but our writer does so deftly. Occasionally the book bogs into detail but not for long and it never over indulges in one specific area for too long. The narrator is excellent and obviously well acquainted with the rhythms of the author. Both highly rated.

Can’t play this audiobook

This is the only book I ever bought from Audible that I cannot play. Disappointed.

Alot of normally misc information brought together

Alot of normally misc information brought together. An interesting look @ the American Revolution from the European, especially Dutch, perspective. Alot more going on than we typically think of.