Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Swamp Fox:
Leave my history alone, Mel Gibson.
Quick synopsis:
A biography of Francis Marion, American Revolutionary officer and guerilla warfare proponent.
Fact for Non-History People:
Francis Marion is (loosely) the inspiration for Mel Gibson’s character in The Patriot. Banastre Tarleton is the historical inspiration for the bad guy in the same movie. Fun story, The Patriot is one of the most hilariously inaccurate movies of all time. It enrages me.
Fact for History Nerds:
Francis Marion is considered one of the forefathers of the U.S. Army Special Forces.
My Take on The Swamp Fox:
I will not keep complaining about The Patriot. I will not keep complaining about The Patriot. I will not keep complaining about The Patriot.
What a stupid movie. Mel Gibson screws up William Wallace and then we have this drivel. Francis Marion was a deeply interesting character on his own. He was from South Carolina, fought in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, and did so using…. well brutal methods.
He was a slaveholder, but many free blacks willingly fought under him as a militia commander. He was known to be fair, but when fighting the enemy his methods were brutal whether against Indians in the French and Indian War or against the British in the revolution. He was not particularly nice to Loyalists either.
He was a man of many contradictions which make him profoundly interesting and Oller does a great job of bringing those things to the forefront.
Verdict:
Great book for both revolution history nerds and someone looking to read about someone interesting.
If You Liked This Try:
- Nathaniel Philbrick, Bunker Hill and Valiant Ambition
- Ron Chernow, George Washington and Alexander Hamilton
- Stacy Schiff, The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams
- Thomas B. Allen, Tories
- James Kirby Martin, Benedict Arnold: Revolutionary Hero
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