Books with author David L. Preston

Braddock's Defeat by David Preston is a "classic work by one of the most gifted young historians working today," according to series editor David Hackett Fischer.Finalist, 2016 George Washington Book PrizeWinner, 2015 Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize in Military HistoryWinner, 2016 Distinguished Book Award in U.S. History, Society for Military HistoryWinner, 2016 PROSE Award for U.S. History Category, Association of American PublishersWinner, 2016 Distinguished Book Award, Society for Colonial WarsWinner, 2016 Judge Robert Woltz History Award, French & Indian War Foundation On July 9, 1755, British regulars and American colonial troops under the command of General Edward Braddock, commander in chief of the British Army in North America, were attacked by French and Native American forces shortly after crossing the Monongahela River and while making their way to besiege Fort Duquesne in the Ohio Valley, a few miles from what is now Pittsburgh. The long line of red-coated troops struggled to maintain cohesion and discipline as Indian warriors quickly outflanked them and used the dense cover of the woods to masterful and lethal effect. Within hours, a powerful British army was routed, its commander mortally wounded, and two-thirds of its forces casualties in one the worst disasters in military history.David Preston's gripping and immersive account of Braddock's Defeat, also known as the Battle of the Monongahela, is the most authoritative ever written. Using untapped sources and collections, Preston offers a reinterpretation of Braddock's Expedition in 1754 and 1755, one that does full justice to its remarkable achievements. Braddock had rapidly advanced his army to the cusp of victory, overcoming uncooperative colonial governments and seemingly insurmountable logistical challenges, while managing to carve a road through the formidable Appalachian Mountains. That road would play a major role in America's expansion westward in the years ahead and stand as one of the expedition's most significant legacies.The causes of Braddock's Defeat are debated to this day. Preston's work challenges the stale portrait of an arrogant European officer who refused to adapt to military and political conditions in the New World and the first to show fully how the French and Indian coalition achieved victory through effective diplomacy, tactics, and leadership. New documents reveal that the French Canadian commander, a seasoned veteran named Captain Beaujeu, planned the attack on the British column with great skill, and that his Native allies were more disciplined than the British regulars on the field.Braddock's Defeat establishes beyond question its profoundly pivotal nature for Indian, French Canadian, and British peoples in the eighteenth century. The disaster altered the balance of power in America, and escalated the fighting into a global conflict known as the Seven Years' War. Those who were there, including George Washington, Thomas Gage, Horatio Gates, Charles Lee, and Daniel Morgan, never forgot its lessons, and brought them to bear when they fought again-whether as enemies or allies-two decades hence. The campaign had awakened many British Americans to their provincial status in the empire, spawning ideas of American identity and anticipating the social and political divisions that would erupt in the American Revolution.

TJ wants to prove he's a full partner in the family treasure hunting business. He's on his way to Lake Powell to investigate a story about a treasure hidden deep in a forgotten canyon. But what TJ finds is a treachery that strikes right to the heart of what he holds most dear. TJ must make hard choices and overcome fear. He must search the twisting red canyons and hidden caves to find answers. He will find out that people are not always who they pretend to be. Along the way he will uncover a mystery that could change his life forever. But will he survive the ghost canyon to accomplish his goals?

TJ didn’t want to excavate an old ship off the coast of Florida for his summer vacation. But he finds himself on an old pirate ship and in the middle of a struggle that could very well mean the end of the world as he knows it! The enemy is cunning and possesses an artifact of great power. Will TJ be able to escape and save the world in time?In the midst of his adventures or rather misadventures TJ makes friends and finds allies in the most unlikely of places. TJ learns that sometimes a friend is only separated by a few centuries.

This series looks at how people succeed and reach the top of their chosen sport. Each book includes information on basic aptitude and ability, techniques, fitness and training, diet, equipment and much more. Containing fascinating facts about all aspects of the sport, it includes case studies about the sport and its well-known personalities. It features champions and competitors from around the world. Each book contains at least 50 photographs and explanatory diagrams.