RECOMMENDED REVOLUTIONARY WAR BOOKS AND DVDS

A selection of recommended books and DVDs about the Revolutionary War era. Each of the items recommended is concerned either primarily or partly with the role of New Jersey and New Jerseyans in the founding of the nation.

Washington's Crossing
David Hackett Fischer
Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for history, this book is an engaging account of Washington's Crossing the Delaware River into New Jersey, the subsequent battles at Trenton and Princeton. Also covers the events leading up to the crossing, most of which involve New Jersey.

1776
David McCullough
Pulitzer Prize winning author David McCullough's account of George Washington and the army in the crucial year of 1776. Much of the action in the book takes places in New Jersey (and neighboring New York City).

Available at Amazon

1776 - The Illustrated Edition
David McCullough
Pulitzer Prize winning author David McCullough's account of George Washington and the army in the crucial year of 1776. Much of the action in the book takes places in New Jersey (and neighboring New York City).

A Guide to New Jersey's Revolutionary War Trail
Mark Di Ionno
A guide to the Revolutionary War sites in New Jersey. Written by New Jersey columnist Mark Di Ionno of the Star Ledger.

Available at Amazon

Alexander Hamilton
Ron Chernow
This fascinating biography of Alexander Hamilton has much New Jersey related material. Hamilton courted his future wife Betsy Schuyler in Morristown, spent much of the war in New Jersey as one of Washington's aides de camp, was involved in the of Paterson, and met his untimely death in a duel with Aaron Burr in Weehawken.

Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr
Nancy Isenberg
This positive biography of Aaron Burr   . Aaron Burr's New Jersey connections are detailed in the book: his courting and marriage of Theoshia at the Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus, his duel with Alexander Hamilton in Weehawken, New Jersey.

John Adams
David McCullough
2001 Pulitzer Prize winner for biography, this account of John Adam's life was the basis for the very popular John Adams HBO mini-series. Although this book does not deal primarily with New Jersey, it does contain some information relating to New Jersey's role, as well as appearances by major New Jersey characters, such as Lord Stirling.

Miracle at Philadelphia
Catherine Drinker Bowen
The classic account of the Constitutional Convention of May to September 1787. New Jersey Delegates.  The Virginia Plan became the basis of the Constitution. However, the other plan that was submitted for consideration was the New Jersey Plan. The New Jersey plan was drafted by James Paterson.