Book description
Between 1776 and 1783, Britain hired an estimated 30,000 German soldiers to fight in its war against the Americans. Collectively known as Hessians, they actually came from six German territories within the Holy Roman Empire. Over the course of the war, members of the German corps, including women and children,…
Why read it?
1 author picked Hessians as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I love Hessians because Friederike Baer takes what’s normally a footnote into the history of the American Revolution—the role of German soldiers hired by King George to fight alongside the redcoats—and puts them center stage.
The result completely upended my picture of the American Revolution, and I was dazzled by Friederike’s ability to restore depth and humanity to those so often dismissed as faceless “mercenaries.” I love how she traces their experiences—from the battlefields to the quiet, uncertain years after the war—with such care and empathy.
Reading Hessians felt like meeting the Revolution’s most feared bogeymen—and finally hearing them speak.
From Richard's list on The best books on the American Revolution as a World War.
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