John Ferling returns to our readers to celebrate National Library Week, and the release of his newest book. Join us for this virtual, moderated conversation.

From acclaimed historian John Ferling, a major, global reappraisal of the Revolutionary War on its 250th Anniversary.

In April 1775, British troops marched to Lexington, where an armed group of Yankees awaited them. Despite an order to disperse, shots rang out. Militiamen were killed. The British continued marching, only to find even greater trouble in Concord and all the way down the road back to Boston. The Revolutionary War had begun.

Shots Heard Round the World is a bold, comprehensive rendering of the world war that erupted out of America’s battle for independence. Ferling highlights underestimated pivotal moments to reveal why the British should have put down the rebellion within a couple years of fighting. As European rivals France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic entered the fray, Britain’s problems grew, but after seven long years, the war’s outcome remained very much in doubt. Ferling assesses military and civilian leaders, the choices they faced, and the political, tactical, and strategic decisions they made as the war raged in North America, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Asia, and on the high seas, affecting peoples and countries miles from American soil.

Long after the soldiers laid down their arms, future generations have reckoned with the Revolution and its far-reaching consequences. Shots Heard Round the World is the definitive account of the war and its monumental legacy.  A work of impressive synthesis and compression drawing on Ferling’s unequalled knowledge, Shots Heard Around the World will be the perfect one volume go-to for the anniversary of the American Revolution.

John Ferling is professor emeritus of history at the University of West Georgia. He is the author of many books on the American Revolution, including Jefferson and Hamilton, Whirlwind, a finalist for the 2015 Kirkus Book Prize, and, most recently, Winning Independence. He and his wife, Carol, live near Atlanta.

Please register; Zoom links will go out before the event.

Co-sponsored by the Avon Library,  Avon Historical Society, and the Avon 250^th Coordinating Committee

Join us for a virtual author event and John R. Maass

Published to coincide with the 250th anniversary, this sweeping narrative is an astute exploration of the five critical military events that changed the outcome of the Revolutionary war.

For eight grueling years, American and British military forces struggled in a bloody war over colonial independence. This conflict also ensnared Native American warriors and the armies and navies of France, Spain, the Dutch Republic, and several German principalities. From frozen Canada to tropical Florida and as far west as the Mississippi River, the Revolutionary War included hundreds of campaigns, battles, and skirmishes on land and sea in which soldiers and sailors fought and died for causes, crowns, and comrades.

In this masterful, yet accessible narrative of America’s fight for liberty, John R. Maass identifies the five decisive events that secured independence for the 13 hard-pressed but determined colonies. These include not only the obvious military victories such as Trenton, Princeton, and Yorktown but also the leadership and reforms that ensured Washington’s forces were capable of enduring the harsh conditions of the winter of 1778. Similarly, King Louis XVI’s decision to supply Continental troops during the Saratoga Campaign with desperately needed soldiers, arms, money, and fleets is also detailed as a key factor.

These turning points, not all of them triumphs on the battlefield, delivered a victory for the new United States. By challenging conventional interpretations of what ensures victory in warfare, From Trenton to Yorktown offers a fresh perspective on the Revolutionary War.

John R. Maass is a staff member of the National Museum of the U.S. Army at Fort Belvoir. He received a BA in history from Washington and Lee University and a PhD in early American history at The Ohio State University. He is the author of several books and numerous articles on early U.S. military history, including North Carolina and the French and Indian War: The Spreading Flames of War (2013); Defending a New Nation, 1783-1811 (2013); The Road to Yorktown: Jefferson, Lafayette and the British Invasion of Virginia (2015); George Washington’s Virginia (2017); and The Battle of Guilford Courthouse: A Most Desperate Engagement (2020).

Please register; Zoom links will go out before the event.

Co-sponsored by the Avon & Farmington Libraries., Avon Historical Society, and the Avon 250^th Coordinating Committee