Brilliant, timely, and indispensable. . . . Parkinson writes with authority on military, political, social, and cultural history, reconstructing the story of this critical period as it actually unfolded, with everything happening at once."" - Annette Gordon-Reed, New York Review of Books""[Takes] a fresh look at the Revolutionary War and the communication of strategies of the founding fathers."" - Eric Coller, Binghamton University""Parkinson's scholarship shines with his attention to very specific details."" -Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History""Clear prose and logical structure make it a joy to read. . . . Parkinson's impressive analysis . . . will force future scholars to engage with his uncomfortable argument that American independence rested on racism and ethnocentrism."" - Common-Place""Parkinson has captured something of the panicked and often explicitly racially demonizing culture of the revolutionary period with this new and valuable take on familiar sources relevant to the field of early American studies."" - American Quarterly""Convincingly demonstrates that race and racism were not afterthoughts to the rhetoric of equality of rights but were deeply integrated into the founding years of the United States."" - Journal of American History""Engrossing. . . . A must-read for anyone interested in the American Revolution and issues of race."" - Library Journal, starred review""[A] sophisticated, textual analysis . . . [revealing] much about the nature and legacy of the American Revolution."" - William and Mary Quarterly""Parkinson's balance between patriotism and prejudice injects The Common Cause with a certain timeliness in an age in which questions of journalistic accuracy, rhetoric, and representation are heavy on the minds of American readers."" - H-Net Reviews""Wonderfully written and deeply researched. . . . Reveals a very different and much darker picture of the revolution. . . . Full of illuminating insights about familiar events."" - William and Mary Quarterly""Several aspects of Parkinson's work are particularly impressive, but what stands out is the sheer ambition of the task he has successfully brought to fulfilment."" - The English Historical Review""Persuasively explains the intensely racialized nature of citizenship in the newly independent U.S. and the long-standing problems posed by the exclusion of Americans of indigenous or African heritage from the 'common cause"" of the Revolution."" - Publishers Weekly""One of the most significant studies in of the Revolution in years. It sweeps the entire war; connects cultural, military, and political concerns; contains the best survey of American newspapers during this period; and argues persuasively that fear of blacks and Indians formed the psychic center of the new nation. Highly recommended."" - CHOICE""Even as he builds on the existing scholarship about the Revolution, Parkinson recasts our understanding of the Revolutionary War and its lasting impact."" - Virginia Magazine of History and Biography
