On the Wing of Speed: George Washington and the Battle of Yorktown

The early days of 1781 cast a cold shadow over the downtrodden American Continental army. Mutiny, the recent disastrous losses in South Carolina at Camden and Charleston, and Benedict Arnold's betrayal called General George Washington's leadership into question. Faced with the possibility of either a crushing defeat or a brilliant victory, Washington's loyalty to the fledgling United States compelled him to make a bold, offensive stroke in the late summer of 1781. In less than a month, he marched the combined American and French armies to Yorktown, Virginia-nearly 450 miles south of their encampment at New York-to face the might of the British army.Through a riveting mixture of fact and dialogue, noted author Donald T. Phillips chronicles the remarkable events of the Siege of Yorktown. From dramatic artillery assaults to the celebrated American and French attacks and, finally, to the incredible British surrender, "On the Wing of Speed" delivers a thrilling tale of courage, strength, and devotion."Extraordinary. Brilliant. Don Phillips does more than take the reader to the scene; he renders us participants in the experience. "On the Wing of Speed" is a compelling read for all Americans who want to understand how the United States was born." -Admiral James M. Loy, Deputy Secretary, Homeland Security (Ret.), Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.)