Let me get this out of the way real quick. If you are looking at reviews for Rick Atkinson's The Fate of the Day because you already read The British Are Coming and want to make sure Atkinson didn't magically forget how to write then fear not. Volume Two is just as exceptional as Volume One of his Revolution Trilogy. Please go read in the warm confidence that there is no letdown.

For those who haven't read The British Are Coming, well, go read that. Why would you start with The Fate of the Day? That's like watching Back to the Future II before you watch the first one. Oh, you still want a full review? I mean, fine. It's still weird, though.

Atkinson's newest looks at the time between the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1777 (by the British, the Americans took Ticonderoga in the last one) to the siege of Charleston (and not the Battle of Sullivan's Island from the first book... and see it makes more sense if you read the first book before this one). Atkinson covers everything he possibly can from a military perspective from the big battles to smaller ones often ignored when talking about the Revolution.

There is an easy flow to the author's writing. People are introduced, their background given a little embellishment, and then we get to the military activities. A lot of books fall into the trap of either derailing the narrative to give long biographies of every character or not presenting enough for the reader to become connected to the person. Atkinson deftly avoids this by giving short biographies but also using the person's own words whenever possible. It allows the reader to get a better understanding of character while not going off on tangents. I actually think Atkinson does this even better in this book than the previous. Slightly longer introductions of people like the Marquis Lafayette (a personal fave) and John Paul Jones are exceptional and welcome. Atkinson also spends a bit more time with the political stories around the Revolution. More time is spent in England and France to give a fuller understanding of how the war was affecting those countries at home.

At the same time, there is no letup when it comes to the military actions. To be clear, this is not what I would call a "military history" in the traditional sense. We don't get pages upon pages of every single maneuver in battle (which is sometimes awesome, for the record). It is a detailed accounting of the chosen battles but only for vital activities. More importantly, Atkinson resurrects the stories of many battles and actions which you won't find in most books. Yes, American Revolution nerds know about the Battle of Ushant for example, but I certainly don't expect most people to have ever heard of it. However, Atkinson both tells a great story and shows how important it is to the our understanding of the war and its outcome.

A common misconception is the the sequel is often worse than the original. It is certainly incorrect here.

(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by Netgalley and Crown (ha, ironic!) Publishing.)

You can't go wrong with Rick Atkinson. Every book of his is worth picking up. If you haven't read the first of this planned trilogy, do yourself a favor and start with The British are Coming. If you enjoyed that already, this will be another great read. An incredibly vivid and in depth telling of some of the middle years of the Revolutionary War in America bouncing between the waring factions and from large to small perspectives. If you have any interest in Revolutionary War history this is another must have and a fabulous second entry into his trilogy.

Great sequel to a promising series. Rick Atkinson has proven himself a skillful master of military history. Similar to his series covering the US Army in WWII this book is full of interesting characters and anecdotes that make the time period come alive. He shows skill in detailing complicated army and navy engagements in a way that is easily accessible. Eagerly awaiting the final book in the trilogy.