Revolutionary Snipers

From the bestselling and award-winning author of Washington’s Immortals and The Indispensables, the dramatic untold story of the snipers whose marksmanship and irregular warfare altered the outcomes of crucial battles and influenced the way the American Revolution was fought In Revolutionary Snipers, acclaimed military historian Patrick K. O’Donnell vividly brings to life for the first time the exploits of Washington’s finest frontier commandos, whose legendary deadeye shooting offered the Continental Army an evolving and unconventional tactical advantage in the War of Independence. Snipers such as Daniel Morgan, Timothy Murphy, and Samuel Brady were rugged frontiersmen armed with long rifles, a path-breaking American technology that allowed them to attack from a significant distance. The snipers, the very first members of the Continental Army, quickly struck terror among British troops besieged in Boston in the summer of 1775 by picking off a number of targets. However, their success was checkered by mutiny, an epic journey through the Maine wilderness, and heart-wrenching failure at the gates of Quebec. O’Donnell follows unforgettable characters in a riveting Band-of-Brothers-style narrative. Despite the setbacks, Washington and his officers perceived a new approach to waging war could emerge from the combined arms of pairing sniper groups with traditional units. The riflemen played vital roles in many pivotal battles—from protecting Washington’s army during its retreat from Manhattan, when some 25 snipers repelled an amphibious landing of hundreds of British soldiers at Throggs Neck, to energizing the momentum-shifting battles at Saratoga and later, in the South, at King’s Mountain and Cowpens.