Dimensions
154 x 233 x 28mm
This book is an exceptional narrative history of the tumultuous years of the American War of Independence. On 16 November 1776, a ship flying the red and white striped ensign of the Continental Congress entered the port of St Eustatius in the West Indies. The guns of the island's fort fired the ritual salute. It was the first official salute to the United States of America and was to have the most profound repercussions for England, her American colonies and the rest of the Old World.
Drawing on her broad knowledge of history Tuchman uses this pivotal moment as the starting point to examine the rivalries that determined Europe's crucial role in the American struggle and to study the personalities involved - from Admiral Sir George Brydges Rodney to Lord Cornwallis and General George Washington himself.
'The First Salute' memorably captures the causes, personalities and events surrounding the birth of the world's most powerful nation.
