Osprey Trade Editions : Saratoga 1777

The Saratoga campaign was a watershed, and is widely believed to have been the turning point of the American War of Independence. For the first time British regulars were beaten in open battle by equal numbers of Americans. The Continentals bore the brunt of the fighting, supported by 'hordes' of militia who proved adept at attacking detachments or lines of communication. Expectations that Loyalists would swell British numbers, or take control of subjugated areas, proved groundless. And as so often throughout this war, the weather favoured the Americans: a late thaw delayed Burgoyne, while rain saved Herkimer, held up Breymann, and sabotaged the retreat. Defeat cost Great Britain more than an army. The after-shock in America (on both sides) and Europe transformed a civil war into a global struggle against the two colonial superpowers of the day, France and Spain, and eventually lost George III his American colonies. Text by Brendan Morrissey with illustrations by Adam Hook.