Reviews

Reviews of Shots Heard Round the World

Kirkus

“an excellent history of the run-up and battles of the American Revolution with more than the usual diversions describing how other nations reacted. . . . Scholars have not ignored European participation, but Ferling writes better than most of them and pays more attention than academics to the campaigns and commanders. From battles to international relations, an outstanding introduction to the American Revolution.”

Booklist

“Ferling captures the essence of America's prolonged battle for independence, a fight the British initially expected to resolve in just a few years. . . . The book delves into why these nations fought, their war aims, strategies, diplomacy, the war’s outcome, the human toll, the peace settlement, and the unexpected consequences of the conflict. For readers of American history, this is a must-have volume to complete any collection covering the fight for democracy as we approach the sestercentennial.”

Wall Street Journal

“John Ferling brings Europe and its rivalries into the familiar story of American independence. With “Shots Heard Round the World,” Ferling . . . shows not only why nations fought but also how they waged a protracted struggle whose outcome remained in doubt to the end. . . . He brings diplomacy into focus alongside the back and forth of fighting in America. . . . After 250 years, some points everyone at the time understood have been forgotten. The American Revolution was global event, with global consequences. What began as a struggle over self-government by colonists and a bid for revenge by the French and Spanish turned into a transformative conflict that reached well beyond the Western Hemisphere."

Washington Post 

“In dramatic detail, Ferling . . . demonstrates how shots on the battlefield echoed throughout halls of power, in Philadelphia’s Continental Congress, England’s Parliament, France’s Palace of Versailles and Spain’s Royal Palace. He delves into the intricate relationships between these diverse factions and the delicate balancing act that kept the wheels from falling off the wagon of war. . . . Ferling has crafted an exceptional account of the Revolutionary War and its foreign entanglements. His thoroughly researched book outlines the political intrigue behind this world-changing conflict while detailing the battles that history buffs know so well. This account highlights the precariousness of the struggle, in which outcomes could have gone much differently if not for fate, luck and intervention by distant kings."

Military Heritage

“This new book assesses the military and civilian leaders on both sides. It also considers their decisions and the effects of those decisions as the war raged not only in North America, but also in the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and Central America. The work provides a fascinating look at the global legacy of the American Revolution.” 

The Christian Science Monitor

In his excellent new book, “Shots Heard Round the World: America, Britain, and Europe in the Revolutionary War,” author John Ferling places much of his emphasis on “the world.” Ferling dramatically conveys the global significance of America’s long fight for independence in what he calls an “international history” of the war. . . . It’s fitting that Ferling, the author of many books on the Revolutionary period, has published his account to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the outbreak of the war. Surely many new reappraisals of the American Revolution will appear as we approach the semiquincentennial of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Other historians might differ in their conclusions, but Ferling has set a high standard indeed."