The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware
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- Author：Patrick K. O'Donnell
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Summary
The Indispensables shines a spotlight on John Glover's Marblehead Regiment that included white， Black， and Native American soldier-mariners， fathers and sons， who fought during so many of the desperate days and major battles of the American Revolution--from Lexington and Concord， Bunker Hill， Brooklyn and New York to Trenton， Princeton， and Saratoga。 The regiment's diversity was way ahead of its time and set a standard that the US Army would not reach again for more than 170 years。 The regiment also established the origins of the US Navy prior to and during the Revolution。 And it provided the key members of Washington's Guard， which protected the commander of the Continental Army throughout the war and provided the template for today's Secret Service。 Immortalized by Emanuel Leutze's painting Washington Crossing the Delaware， in the Metropolitan Museum of Art， the Marblehead Regiment was responsible for the safe passage of Washington's army across the Delaware River on December 25-26， 1776， making possible the momentum- and morale-shifting victory at the Battle of Trenton。 The regiment was also instrumental in ferrying Washington's entire army across the East River from Brooklyn to New York City on the night of August 29-30， 1776， thereby saving it from certain capture early in the war。 Patrick O'Donnell is steeped in the history of America's wars。 His most recent book， The Unknowns （2018）， received glowing coverage in the Wall Street Journal， USA Today， Washington Times， and many other outlets， as well as praise from luminaries including Carlo D'Este， Alex Kershaw， and John C。 McManus。 It has sold almost 30，000 copies in all formats。 O'Donnell's previous book on the American Revolution， Washington's Immortals， was the winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution National Excellence in American History Book Award， listed as one of the "100 Best American Revolution Books of All Time" by the Journal of the American Revolution， and a finalist for the 2017 Library of Virginia People's Choice Award for Nonfiction。 It has sold over 50，000 copies in all formats。 O'Donnell has appeared on countless television and radio shows， including NPR， CNN， MSNBC， Fox News， C-SPAN， the History Channel， and other networks。 He is a superb speaker and very well connected with the media。 An expert on espionage， special operations， and counter-insurgency， O'Donnell has been involved as a writer and historical consultant for numerous documentaries produced by the BBC， the History Channel， and Dreamworks's Band of Brothers。 O'Donnell is the recipient of the Military Order of St。 Louis and is currently a fellow at the Fred W。 Smith Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon。 In 2012， the OSS society awarded him with the John Waller Award， which is given for historical scholarship。 He was the recipient of the 2002 William E。 Colby Award for his first book， Beyond Valor。
Reviews
PottWab Regional Library
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SM
Kelly Furniss
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This detailed and well researched book revolves around a group of men from Marblehead， Massachusetts and their roles in various stages of the Revolutionary War。 Laid bare is the bravery & scarifies made， the pure grit and determination in the seek for liberation。 Those interested in the history of the United States and the Revolutionary will likely find this to be a very interesting and informative book。My thanks go to the author publisher and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a hone This detailed and well researched book revolves around a group of men from Marblehead， Massachusetts and their roles in various stages of the Revolutionary War。 Laid bare is the bravery & scarifies made， the pure grit and determination in the seek for liberation。 Those interested in the history of the United States and the Revolutionary will likely find this to be a very interesting and informative book。My thanks go to the author publisher and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review。 。。。more
William Troy
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I grew up in Massachusetts about 30 miles from Marblehead。 I've been there often。 As a Boy Scout I marched the 7 miles from Acton to Lexington reenacting the march of the Acton Minutemen who joined the Minutemen from Marblehead and other Massachusetts communities there。 In the Army teaching in the Transportation School， I used the story of John Glover and his Marbleheaders manning the boats that took Washington's army across the Delaware as an example of early Army transportation but I did not k I grew up in Massachusetts about 30 miles from Marblehead。 I've been there often。 As a Boy Scout I marched the 7 miles from Acton to Lexington reenacting the march of the Acton Minutemen who joined the Minutemen from Marblehead and other Massachusetts communities there。 In the Army teaching in the Transportation School， I used the story of John Glover and his Marbleheaders manning the boats that took Washington's army across the Delaware as an example of early Army transportation but I did not know how indispensable the men of Marblehead had been to the Revolution until I read this book！ I never knew how important these hardy sailor/soldiers were to both the Continental Navy and Army until I read this book！ The Indispensables is an apt title for this book because it highlights the vital role that the people， money， harbor and facilities played during the entire Revolution。 Elbridge Gerry， not a favorite of mine because of Gerrymandering， I was surprised to learn how he was instrumental in supporting the Revolution using his own money and political influence to help supply gunpowder and other supplies needed by the Continental Army。 He was also helped shape the Navy。 John Glover， a strong leader who helped form the Marblehead Regiment eventually assuming command。 He spent his own money and pretty much went broke getting gunpowder through his business connections with the trading house owned by Jose Gardoqui and his family。 Glover not only used his money but also his ships to smuggle the powder into Marblehead。 Glover led the Regiment in much of the fighting up through 1782。 His leadership and his Marblehead Regiment extricated the Army out of Brooklyn across the East River helping Washington and the Army to live to fight another day。 I mentioned earlier the crossing of the Delaware for the successful attack on Trenton。 Other Marbleheaders were on the successful raid against Fort William and Mary in Portsmouth， New Hampshire to capture gunpowder。 When General Washington wanted to establish a Navy， Glover and other Marbleheaders provided ships and crews。 The city of Beverly， Massachusetts was used as a base for the fledgling Navy。 Caleb Gibbs a Marbleheader commanded Washington's Guard。 By the war's end 378 Marbleheaders had died in service。 Because the sailors had stopped fishing to join the Revolution， the town of Marblehead and Beverly lost substantial income and were economically devastated by the conflict。 One aspect of the Regiment and the sailing community of Marblehead was that both were integrated。 African American s specifically named are Romeo， Manuel Soto and Caesar Glover， all Freedmen who willingly served in the Regiment。 This book is an interesting read that brings the Revolution from a broad brush history to the affects on a small community。 It is a good read！ 。。。more
John Bohnert
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I found this book fascinating reading。 The author has a real knack for making history very interesting。
Mark Harbour
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Very interesting read about the key events from our troops that originated this free country。 It was interesting to read how， in so many of the battles， that our founding military players were so close to losing the fight， but managed to win them。Some of the language dates back to the founders - and - you may need to look up word definitions in some instances for clarity。。。。
Curtis Edmonds
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This is--well， sort of--a regimental history， which is a genre that had a very brief heyday in the last half of the 19th century and has largely gone the way of bell-bottom jeans and fiscal conservatism。 The regimental history is largely--but not exclusively--a product of the Civil War era。 There was a market for first-hand tales of martial combat then， and the supply of literary blood and gore was sufficient to meet that demand。 You see some of them in World War II histories--Stephen Ambrose's This is--well， sort of--a regimental history， which is a genre that had a very brief heyday in the last half of the 19th century and has largely gone the way of bell-bottom jeans and fiscal conservatism。 The regimental history is largely--but not exclusively--a product of the Civil War era。 There was a market for first-hand tales of martial combat then， and the supply of literary blood and gore was sufficient to meet that demand。 You see some of them in World War II histories--Stephen Ambrose's BAND OF BROTHERS is of course the best known， although it is about a company rather than a regiment。O'Donnell is reviving the genre， writing about a Massachusetts regiment， centered around the towns of Marblehead and Beverly， that served in the Revolutionary War and was instrumental--due to the number of seafarers in the ranks--in the evacuation of New York and the subsequent crossing of the Delaware in the Battle of Trenton。This is either your jam， or it isn't。 It was not always my jam。 I grew up in Texas; the American Revolution got short shrift next to the Texas one。 I didn't really get into the history of the Revolution until I moved to New Jersey and got a job working literally on the Trenton battlefield。 （O'Donnell highlights， rightly， the Second Battle of Trenton; the ugly， squat， orange cube of an office building was built right where the British forces massed to cross the bridge to crush the American army， which it failed to do。 Other than a couple of ragged flags at the modern bridge， you'd never know。）I say it's only sort of a regimental history， because Marblehead was a leader in the nascent American navy as well， so there's lots of privateering。 And there's a good bit of information about politicians from Marblehead， too， which is。。。 not entirely boring。 I guess。 （There is an old story about a Boston Bruins fan yelling at a goalie， "We got a town here named after you。 Marblehead。" That is everything I knew about Marblehead going in。 I now know much more。）Anyway。 This is very well done， and I am glad that I read it。 I have one minor quibble in that I think that O'Donnell doesn't give enough credit to the New Jersey rebels （David Hackett Fischer's WASHINGTON'S CROSSING gives them their due）。 But other than that， this was great， and if you want a Revolutionary War regimental history， this is what you want， even if you don't know it yet。 。。。more
Max Skidmore
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Excellent book with focus on the Marbleheaders who played a significant role in the American Revolution and the birth of the US Navy
Amy Hall
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Required reading for All Americans！My #1 recommendation to others on books I have read。 You will revel in the discovery of your true American DNA。 It will drive you to want to learn more。 I read this in the month before Independence Day， and said a prayer of thanks to those Patriots who proclaimed and delivered our American freedoms by investing their lives， their fortunes， and their sacred honor。
Margaret
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could not finish。 i thought this would be a fascinating story of the war but there was so much detail， it just was not for me。
Lawrence B。 Russell， Jr。
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WonderfulA great book。 We today are lucky we had such men at this time in history。 A great read！ Supurb。
peter lang
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Remarkable historyThis book is one of the best if not the best history books that I have read this year。 Well written， exciting and well researched do not miss this book！
Robert Dearmon
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Much better read than his previous book about the Maryland elite soldiers of the Revolutionary War。 Great insight into A Revolutionary War unit of diverse and fearless Massachusetts fighters that shaped what would become the United States United States Navy and men that embodied all that defines the American exceptional ideal albeit at a tremendous bodily， economic and spiritual sacrifice。
Steven J
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Well written accounts of the American Revolution with emphasis on the contributions of the Marblehead， MA Patriots throughout the war。 The author brought forth detailed accounts of many of the battles on land and sea from which I learned a lot。 I am from that area of MA and didn't know about many of the events detailed in the book。 Washington's navy is a fascinating part which caused the British to provide escorts for their supply ships thereby affecting their availability to attack revolutionar Well written accounts of the American Revolution with emphasis on the contributions of the Marblehead， MA Patriots throughout the war。 The author brought forth detailed accounts of many of the battles on land and sea from which I learned a lot。 I am from that area of MA and didn't know about many of the events detailed in the book。 Washington's navy is a fascinating part which caused the British to provide escorts for their supply ships thereby affecting their availability to attack revolutionary targets。 Amazing to hear about the sacrifice the Marblehead， MA Patriots （and of course all the Patriots in general） gave not just on the water and land， but the deplorable conditions they came home to。 All in all， a very informative and enjoyable read on the American Revolution。 。。。more
James M
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In his ackowledgement the author says his aim was to :to open a window into the past with the aim to breath life into the Revolution。 This he accomplished。 a great read。
Lisa Cobb Sabatini
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I won a copy of The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country， Formed the Navy， and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware by Patrick K。 O'Donnell from Goodreads。The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country， Formed the Navy， and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware by Patrick K。 O'Donnell is an important history lesson delivered with all the elements of a thriller。 Readers are quickly immersed into the story of the men who were at the forefront I won a copy of The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country， Formed the Navy， and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware by Patrick K。 O'Donnell from Goodreads。The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country， Formed the Navy， and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware by Patrick K。 O'Donnell is an important history lesson delivered with all the elements of a thriller。 Readers are quickly immersed into the story of the men who were at the forefront of the American Revolution。 These men and their community， whose morals and ideals challenged the status quo and promoted American independence， rose up again and again to overcome incredible odds， especially on the battlefield。 Time and again， the reader realizes that， if not for these mostly unsung heroes， the United States of America would not exist today。 O'Donnell details the successes and failures， keeping readers on the edge of their seats。 Full of action， amazing individuals， twists， and surprises， The Indispensables takes readers to the underdogs' fight for freedom and a New nation。 。。。more
Mike
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Great history book about the citizens of Marblehead， Massachusetts and how "indispensable" theywere to the cause of the American Revolution。 Easy to read， well researched， many interestingside stories and a "must read" for American History enthusiasts。 Great history book about the citizens of Marblehead， Massachusetts and how "indispensable" theywere to the cause of the American Revolution。 Easy to read， well researched， many interestingside stories and a "must read" for American History enthusiasts。 。。。more
Tom Hauserman
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Outstanding Piece of American HistoryLiving in Bucks County PA I have attended a number of reenactment events at Washington Crossing Park including crossings held in bitter cold。 I learned a lot about Col。 Glover and the Marblehead team that Glover led from the reenactors。 This excellent book fills in a lot of the backstory of this unit but also the history of the Revolution。 Simply a terrific well documented story of what would eventually be the United States of America！
Ben
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I received an advanced reader copy of The Indispensables” in digital format through Net Galley， My thanks to the publisher and author for this exemplary history of a group of patriots who responded to liberty’s call in the early days of the War of Independence。 Patrick K。 O’ Donnell does a magnificent job of historic story telling in “ The Indispensables” 。 It is the story of men from Marblehead， Mass。 who rallied to the cause of American Independence even before there was a call to arms。 Mostly I received an advanced reader copy of The Indispensables” in digital format through Net Galley， My thanks to the publisher and author for this exemplary history of a group of patriots who responded to liberty’s call in the early days of the War of Independence。 Patrick K。 O’ Donnell does a magnificent job of historic story telling in “ The Indispensables” 。 It is the story of men from Marblehead， Mass。 who rallied to the cause of American Independence even before there was a call to arms。 Mostly men of the sea， they picked up firearms and blades and fought at almost every major battle in the first years of the war。 At Lexington and and Concord， Bunker Hill，， the fighting around New York City then on to the battles that saved the nascent United States 。 The were present when Washington crossed the Delaware River and surprised the British and ensuring conflicts。 As Mr。O’ Donnell relates， it was the Marblehead men who steered the boats that ferried Washington’s army across that ice strewn ， raging River。 They even fought at sea as privateers。 Throughout the book there are stories of the Massachusetts’ men’s steadfastness and dedication to the cause of liberty。 The author writes clearly and well。 His depictions of combat， the privation of the American soldiers who fought the well- equipped and professionally led British with stunning success。。 The book abounds with citation from letters and diaries that bring the personages of simple soldiers to vibrant life。 。 Washington himself， often depicted as a remote and wooden Olympian shows his steel in leading his men at the forefront of battles， encouraging，，pleading， cussing and cheering on his troops。 I love to read history， but I have read only a few books of the period of our fight for Independence。 Perhaps because of the hagiographic treatment given some of our most important figures 。 “ The Indispensables” is a superb history that I recommend for everyone。 A few notes: （1） The author points out that many of the regiments formed in Marblehead had soldiers of color who fought， suffered and died alongside their friends in the War of Independence。News to me， and it points up the woeful scholarship of other ， more renown historians。。（ 2） As noted above， I read an ARC digital copy。 There was no art work or maps in this book， but there were some pages with notations and other indications that maps were to be in the finished copies。 I hope so， although I resorted to Wiki for maps。 （ amazing how some parts of Now downtown New York City and surrounding Burroughs hide bloody battlefields long paved over） 。 。 （3） There were some digital formatting oddities， such as footnotes appearing in the middle of paragraphs， that I am sure will be gone in finished copies。Never mind- this book is easy to recommend。” 。。。more
Brittany
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This was one of my most anticipated books of the year， and it did not disappoint！My book club is celebrating its third year anniversary this month， and our very first book was "Washington's Immortals" by Patrick K。 O'Donnell。 We loved it so much， and we thought it was a great book to start off learning about the American Revolution。 As soon as I saw he had a new book coming out， I knew I had to read it！Sidenote: I got approved for this on NetGalley with an e-ARC， and I couldn't have been more ex This was one of my most anticipated books of the year， and it did not disappoint！My book club is celebrating its third year anniversary this month， and our very first book was "Washington's Immortals" by Patrick K。 O'Donnell。 We loved it so much， and we thought it was a great book to start off learning about the American Revolution。 As soon as I saw he had a new book coming out， I knew I had to read it！Sidenote: I got approved for this on NetGalley with an e-ARC， and I couldn't have been more excited for it！ But， in a first for me， the e-book was so jumbled with the footnotes that I couldn't read the e-book。 （Paragraphs that split a page had the footnotes for the page inserted in the middle of the text and it made it very hard to try to read。） I'm sure this issue has been resolved for the final e-copy， but for me I had to snag the physical copy when it came out in order to properly enjoy the book。 But boy， did I enjoy it！！Structure and Formatting 5/5This book is pretty chronological， which is a favorite format of mine。 Even character introductions and backstories are done in such a way that it doesn't take you out of the moment of what's happening。 I just love the way he organizes his books。Thoroughness of Research 5/5One thing I loved about "Washington's Immortals" was the fresh new information he added by tapping a new set of source records he found at a tiny Maryland archive。 His hyper-focusing on one group of men really lends itself to a deep dive into their lives and personal experiences。 He does it again with these Marbleheaders and really gives you everything he can possibly tell you about these men and their experience in the war。 I enjoy the research tactic he uses and try to do the same when I research my own family history。 （As a result， I think genealogists wanting to research the American Revolution will enjoy this book。 And those with Marbleheaders in their line will DEFINITELY want to pick this up！）Storytelling/Writing 5/5O'Donnell is described as a military historian。 I don't know how that makes him different from some of the other history authors I've read， but as I said before I love how he intertwines the lives of the men in the troops he is covering into the narrative。 The people， down to the lowly privates and bystanders， feel like people rather than names found on a roster or witness list。 That makes the whole story come to life and it paints a picture not only of the war but of the people it affected。Level of Enjoyment 5/5This is definitely one added to my favorites list now， and I'll be keeping an eye out for O'Donnell's next book。 Prior Knowledge Needed 5/5I think I will now recommend this book over "Washington's Immortals" if you had to choose between the two to start learning about the Revolution。 This book really focuses on the earlier parts of the war and introduces some major players in a way that would be fantastic set up for the more all-encompassing "Washington's Immortals。" I also recommend this to anyone interested in learning about the American Revolution or wanting to see if history books are something they could enjoy。 。。。more
William Bahr
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An indispensable book for understanding the American Revolution！ Need freedom？ Who you gonna call？ The Marbleheaders！This highly fascinating， well-researched， and well-written book is about the men of Marblehead， Massachusetts， who became indispensable in getting the American Revolution off to a successful start。 Marblehead， at the time of the story， was a town whose people worked the Grand Banks fishing for cod， with that product being 1/3 of the Massachusetts economy。 Fishing was a dangerous b An indispensable book for understanding the American Revolution！ Need freedom？ Who you gonna call？ The Marbleheaders！This highly fascinating， well-researched， and well-written book is about the men of Marblehead， Massachusetts， who became indispensable in getting the American Revolution off to a successful start。 Marblehead， at the time of the story， was a town whose people worked the Grand Banks fishing for cod， with that product being 1/3 of the Massachusetts economy。 Fishing was a dangerous business， and the men on the boats quickly learned they needed to work together to stave off frequent life and death situations。 Whatever the men’s color or creed， their worth was quickly assessed by their talent， quick-thinking， resourcefulness， and especially the content of their character。 With trust and teamwork their bywords， these men and their leaders spearheaded the American Revolution as an indispensable， go-to team for the indispensable man， George Washington。The author fills his book with little-known stories he gleaned from primary research he made into muster rolls and pension applications made by Revolutionary War veterans in 1820。 He starts the book with a sailor seeking to retain his freedom by revolting against his impressment into the British navy。 The author then goes into a discussion of Marblehead’s inoculation attempt against the deadly smallpox virus， which set up a mini-civil war with conservative loyalists who objected to the vaccinations sponsored by several of the book’s major Marblehead figures: Dr。 Nathaniel Bond， Elbridge Gerry， and John Glover。 Dr。 Bond goes on to later inoculate Washington’s army （perhaps saving it from destruction by smallpox）。 Gerry becomes a towering political force in the Revolution and later becomes James Madison’s vice president。 And Colonel/General John Glover leads Marblehead’s impressive military efforts and becomes a trusted confidant to Washington。The main focus of the book， a list of Marblehead’s Revolutionary War involvement， includes:Lexington and ConcordBunker HillBattle of Brooklyn （ferrying Washington’s army out of Brooklyn to enable their escape）Kips Bay （making a stand as the rest of the army melts away）Washington’s Life Guard （staffing）Throg’s Neck and Pell’s PointBattle of Fort WashingtonTrenton （ferrying Washington's men across the Delaware & capturing bridge to cut off Hessian escape）PrincetonHelping to start the American Navy （strategy of capturing British ships to get ordnance & precious gunpowder for rebels and depriving said from British）Saratoga=============Not mentioned in the book， but helpful to know as the action develops:The seaside town of Marblehead， 14 miles NE of Boston， was previously called Marble Harbour by Captain John Smith of earlier Jamestown fame， who also named the area “New England。” Continuing the tradition of mistaking the town’s shoreline granite ledges for marble， settlers would later name the town “Marblehead，” focused upon the ledges as a “head” or exposed rock （geologically the uppermost extremity or projecting part of land）。 Marblehead’s claim to be the birthplace of the U。S。 Navy is disputed by a number of other towns: Beverly， MA; Machias， ME; Philadelphia， PA; Providence， RI; and Whitehall， NY。Neck: a narrow piece of land that comes out of a wider part （e。g。， Great Neck）。Point: a projecting usually tapering piece of land or a sharp prominence。 （e。g。， Pell’s Point）。Pounder – cannon descriptor indicating weight of cannon balls。Trunions: Pins or gudgeons， especially a cannon’s two small cylindrical projections， which form an axis on which the cannon pivots as it is aimed。Gunpowder mixture constituents: 15% charcoal， 10% sulfur， and 75% saltpeter。 Sulfur （yellow/gold） burns at a relatively low temperature （sort of like kindling）， charcoal （black， carbon） is the main fuel， and saltpeter （gray， potassium nitrate） is the oxidizer， the intense source of oxygen， the ignition accelerant。 Not an accident is that black， gray， and gold are the school colors of the United States Military Academy at West Point。Tactics are outgrowths of technology。 With the advent of gunpowder and the use of the musket as a weapon， battlefields were now smoky and noisy。 Leaders needed to maintain control， via drums， bugles， and keeping their men close。 Musket firing in volleys maintained the speed of loading and firing。 The psychological effect of a round of mass fire， where many inaccurate muskets managed to hit at least something in an effort to shock and awe， was followed either immediately or after several more rounds by a massed bayonet charge。 The speed of firing and cohesive unit movement was a critical focus of Prussian army drill。 [Military tactics later changed with the advent of the rifled musket and Minie ball for speed and accuracy， allowing for dispersion of units， with soldiers then more often able to move independently as seen in America’s Civil War。] Note: P 54: The author writes， “Under the best possible conditions， a well-trained and well-supplied soldier could load and shoot four or five times per minute。” While it is said that a well-trained Prussian soldier （someone who spent many years practicing） could get off rounds up to six times a minute， some of the very best modern-day Rev War reenactors can barely make four times per minute。 Many times in battle involving unit movement， a soldier would be lucky to get off one round per minute。Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 was a rebellion led by Bonnie Prince Charlie， with the help of the Scots and the French， to regain the British throne for his father， James （Latin Jacobus， hence Jacobite） Francis Edward Stuart， son of King James II/VII Stuart， who had been removed from power by William and Mary in the Glorious Revolution of 1688。=============I believe you’ll find the author has a great style of writing。 He uses many fine words that carry the story quite well。 A few times， however， he tries to keep the action going by using logical but likely speculative supposition about various action （P 59: John Gerry…dipped his pen into his inkwell…。 His pen scratched as he scrawled his missive， and he hastily sealed his letter with wax before handing it off to an express rider。）。 And how did the author know this？ Sometimes， he also goes into great extended detail， which can either be engaging or not， depending upon the reader’s level of interest。 And， at least once， I believe he makes an error of fact: P 196: "Lee [Washington's valet] was later described by Thomas Jefferson “as the best horseman of his age， and the most graceful figure that could be seen on horseback。” Actually， the person Jefferson was describing was George Washington himself。In his content， the author covers much of the first half of the American Revolution by “colorizing” the Marbleheaders in an otherwise black & white Revolutionary War history。 Many times the Marbleheaders are major players， but sometimes the full event histories are recounted even if there are just slender threads of involvement。 For example， for Lexington， we learn of it primarily because some of the involved Marbleheaders were there hiding in a frozen cornfield。 Other times， we learn of a famous person because a Marbleheader worked for him。 But whatever the action， the reader will find many revealing anecdotes， quotes， and origin stories of famous patriot personages not found elsewhere。 One event I found particularly interesting was the propaganda race to get news of Lexington and Concord to England。 Who fired the first shot？ Who was at fault？ Whoever got the news first to tell their story， the rebels or the Brits， would gain some advantage！Overall I found this book about the truly Indispensables both engaging and enlightening。 As well， it features excellent maps， portraits， and documentation。 Bottom-line: very highly recommended！Of possible interest: George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key - the Mystery and Magic of Its Body， Mind， and Soul， a best-seller at Mount Vernon。 “Character is Key for Liberty！” andStrategy Pure and Simple: Essential Moves for Winning in Competition and Cooperation 。。。more
Ray
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No military historian working today brings as much gusto to his work as Patrick O'Donnell。 He plunges into his research and keeps digging until he finds details that many missed before。 That's what made The Indispensables such a vital and important book for me。 There have been so many books written about the founders and the American Revolution that it seemed as if there was nothing left to say。 O'Donnell shows how wrong that is， just as he shows how this small band of men from Marblehead made o No military historian working today brings as much gusto to his work as Patrick O'Donnell。 He plunges into his research and keeps digging until he finds details that many missed before。 That's what made The Indispensables such a vital and important book for me。 There have been so many books written about the founders and the American Revolution that it seemed as if there was nothing left to say。 O'Donnell shows how wrong that is， just as he shows how this small band of men from Marblehead made one of the most important parts of the Revolution possible。 This is a book that demands your attention。 。。。more
Elijah Malcolm
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The story of these amazing men is just the sort of reminder we need right now about the true founding story of our country。 People who fought， died， and gave up or risked everything for not just their freedom but for the generations after them。 Very inspiring！
Dr。 Robert
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“The Indispensibles” completely enveloped me and transported me back in time。 Vividly and beautifully-written， it tells the crucial story of the diverse Marblehead Regiment， the members who played a key role as a mainspring for the ideas of the Revolution and who saved the Continental Army multiple times。 I learned so much that I never knew about our precious founding。 Cinematic and epic， “The Indispensibles” should be made into a feature film ， and it required reading in all middle schools， hig “The Indispensibles” completely enveloped me and transported me back in time。 Vividly and beautifully-written， it tells the crucial story of the diverse Marblehead Regiment， the members who played a key role as a mainspring for the ideas of the Revolution and who saved the Continental Army multiple times。 I learned so much that I never knew about our precious founding。 Cinematic and epic， “The Indispensibles” should be made into a feature film ， and it required reading in all middle schools， high schools， and universities。 It is one of the best books I have ever been privileged to read。 。。。more
Casey Wheeler
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