The Perils of Peace

The acclaimed historian presents a “captivating account of a surprisingly little-known period” at the close of the American Revolution ( Kirkus , starred review). On October 19, 1781, Great Britain’s best army surrendered to General George Washington at Yorktown. But the future of the thirteen former colonies was far from clear. 13,000 British troops still occupied New York City, and another 13,000 regulars and armed loyalists were scattered from Canada to Georgia. Meanwhile, the American army h