Review by Choice Review
This is the first Nathanael Greene biography to utilize the recently published Greene papers. The text is disappointing because it is a quick and dirty biography lacking interpretive depth, especially for the crucial 1780-81 Southern Campaign. Tucker draws on fairly old secondary sources to supplement connections between Greene's letters and does not delve into Greene's thoughts. There is very little about Greene's mind-set in early May, when he came close to leaving South Carolina for Virginia; his mid-May shift to an emphasis on reestablishing US government in the South; or much on his relationship with the Carolina partisans. A biography does not need to be a series of battle histories, and Tucker does not provide anything new about Greene's battles at Guilford, Hobkirk's Hill, Ninety Six, or Eutaw Springs. He takes Greene's letters at face value and supplements them with dated secondary works, so it is not surprising errors are present. The text is an easy read, but it is probably best for someone with little knowledge of Greene or his role in the Revolutionary War. Scholars would be better served by reading the original Greene papers. Summing Up: Optional. Public libraries/general collections. L. E. Babits East Carolina University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
