War Without Mercy by Mark Edward Lender and James Kirby Martin

I am not fully objective on this one. The co-author of War Without Mercy is the late James Kirby Martin, who passed in 2024. He was a repeat guest on History Nerds United and a true scholar of the American Revolution. More importantly, he was truly wonderful man who was extremely generous with his time in working with the total neophyte that I was when I started the blog and podcast. I think I am able to be objective on the book, but I have given fair warning as I am still bummed.

All that said, War Without Mercy is a hell of a book. Put simply, Martin and Mark Edward Lender want to put a simple idea into the minds of readers. The American Revolution was not just a battle for independence by a bunch of scrappy and heroic rebels. It was partly that, but it was also a vicious war of reprisals and local warfare which didn’t always have to do with independence. War was hell well before the Civil War, and the authors do an excellent job of showing the gory details.

It’s probably important to note that this book does skew a bit academic. I wouldn’t necessarily suggest it to someone who is just wading into the history of the American Revolution. This narrative is more ideal for someone who some background on the major players and battles so that they can understand the truly visceral nature of the small battles.

(This book was provided as a review copy by Osprey Publishing.)

Interested?

Buy it here!

Recommendation if you like this one:

James Kirby Martin, Benedict Arnold: Revolutionary Hero