David McCullough tells the story of all those who fought with and against General Washington, from the farmers and teachers and the King's army - the fighting men and the leaders. Everything depended on the effort put forth by the inexperienced American army; without a strong result from this irregular force there would be no Independence. A really interesting example is Henry Knox, who only went to school until he was nine, then his father died and Henry found work in a bookstore. The store owner was a father figure and encouraged a love of reading and learning in Knox. He taught himself French, philosphy, and math and loved to read about ancient military campaigns. He was the brains behind the idea of moving the artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston in mid-winter.
