When young Josiah Penn Stockbridge accepts the position as aide-de-camp to George Washington at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, he thinks only of the glory and romance of battle. He is unprepared for the reality of America’s bloody fight for independence. The Continental Army is starving, underpaid, and dangerously close to mutiny, and Washington fights not just to defeat the British but to maintain order and morale among his own men.
As anonymous letters by officers calling for revolt circulate through camp in Newburgh, New York, Washington must make a choice: preserve the young republic by keeping civilian control of the military, or reshape the new government by standing in solidarity with his troops and assuming greater power for himself.
During one fateful week in American history, Josiah will watch a conflicted general become a legend and will discover for himself that the greatest struggles of war are those within the hearts and minds of fallible men.
Gave up in the 1st chapter when I encountered this doozy… “After the afternoon dinner with Lady Washington, various officers, and foreign and domestic visitors selected by Lady Washington – generally consisting of some fish, mashed potatoes, and soft vegetables…” Lady Washington invited fish to dinner?!?!? The sentence continues for the better part of my phone screen. I really don’t know why I continue to attempt Kindle First books. The writing in my FB feed is often better.
~~Patriotism/Sense of Duty/Always an Eye on History~~ Josiah Penn is an aide-de-camp for General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The General had 32 aids but Josiah was the only one that was with him for the entire war. Josiah is a compilation of 25 aids (and secretaries) that served the General. One is able to indeed gain knowledge of Washington that we never read before.
History in a “Novel” Form Both Entertains and Enlightens This is not your run-of-the-mill historical novel. While the story is based upon the events of the Revolutionary War, much of the action is a retelling of history through the eyes of Washingtonâs aide, Josiah (who is a compilation of all the aides assigned to Washington during the war). Thus the book takes on more of the feel one might experience when reading Bruce Catton or Thomas Fleming. This is history in an entertaining form.