A great read for anyone interested in seeing the American Revolution from a soldier's eye view. ( )

Joseph Plumb Martin wrote one of the few soldier's accounts of the American revolution. Written some forty years after the war ended from his home Maine, Martin's record is a surprising account of his experiences as a Continental regular. Though he was present at the defense of Fort Mifflin in 1778, fought at Monmouth and Yorktown, it is not his battle experiences that are most engaging. Rather, it is his vivid accounts of the soldiers' day to day struggle to survive. Though food was hard to come by under most circumstances, due to an ineffective commissary system and badly depreciated currency, the undernourished army reached starvation conditions during the winters. Martin is particularly eloquent regarding the condition of the army during the Valley Forge winter, and the disastrous Morristown winter of 1780.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in an inside glance at life inside the Continental Army. It is written with humor, is a quick read, and has the merit of being inexpensive. ( )

The memoirs of Joseph Plumb Martin a private in the continental army during the American Revolution. A good read full of day to day living.
A story of long marches cold, heat,rain, snow and hunger. The modern soldier would recognize Mr. Martin. ( )