The first book to appear in the illustrious Oxford History of the United States presents, in this critically acclaimed volume – which was nominated as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize – an unparalleled history of the War of Independence and the birth of the American Republic. Beginning with the French and Indian War and extending to the election of George Washington as the first president, Robert Middlekauff offers a panoramic account of the conflict between England and America, highlighting the drama and suffering of the colonial struggle for independence.