Here is a compelling portrait of the Revolutionary War general whose skills as an engineer and artilleryman played a key role in all of George Washington's battles including the Siege of Boston (where his use of cannons at Dorchester Heights won back the city) and the Battle of Trenton (where he was in charge of Washington's crossing of the Delaware River). Knox became an major advocate of the U.S. Constitution and served as the nation's first Secretary of War. He was co-founder of the U.S. Navy, laid the foundations for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and negotiated treaties and set policy with Native Americans.With nail-biting battle scenes, patriotism and deep understanding of his subject, Mark Puls breathes new life into the American Revolution and firmly assigns Knox to his deserved place in history.
"Great man though he was, George Washington did not win American independence by himself. Henry Knox, a self-taught artillery commander, was one of the the Revolution's great figures, and this book explains why we should know more about him. In the hands of Mark Puls, Knox and his beloved wife Lucy come to life in a way that reminds us of the debt we owe the men and women of the Founding generatio
Terry Golway, author of Washington's General
"Competent biography of Washington's talented young protégé, who commanded the artillery throughout the American Revolution and served as the nation's first Secretary of War...a solid résumé of everything anyone would want to know about this undeservedly neglected not-quite founding father."
Kirkus
"[A] brisk, informative biography...Puls's authoritative and absorbing account of Knox's life is a fitting tribute to General Washington's 'indispensable man'."
