The bitter and often bloody fight which accompanied the emergence of the United States of America as an independent force on the world stage has always been a subject of immense interest as well as of much debate and controversy. By reference to a wide range of source material, this text seeks to convey the immediacy of events such as the battles of Bunker Hill and Saratoga and the sieges of Charleston and Yorktown, as well as less famous incidents, while also offering a thorough assessment of the campaign in its American, colonial and European contexts. Combining a chronological survey of the war with a thematic examination of the major issues, this is a comprehensive account of a remarkable campaign.