Howard Fast was a writer who was not thought fondly of by the right wing of American Literati. He was firmly a depression era writer, and his take on the American War of Independence is valuable to the objective reader. His books were printed in large editions for the American Armed Services in WWII, but were quickly allowed to disappear once the House Committee on Un-American Activities was roaming the land. Fast was blacklisted and, briefly jailed. The book is readable, and not overly didactic. ( )