The American Revolution: An Intimate History
4.8 | 371 ratings
Price: 45.9
Last update: 03-19-2026
Product details
- Publisher : Knopf
- Publication date : November 11, 2025
- Edition : Media tie-in
- Language : English
- Print length : 608 pages
- ISBN-10 : 052565867X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0525658672
- Item Weight : 5.1 pounds
- Dimensions : 9.63 x 1.52 x 11.09 inches
- Best Sellers Rank:#125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Military History Pictorials
- American Military History
- U.S. Revolution & Founding History
- Customer Reviews:4.64.6 out of 5 stars(75)
Top reviews from the United States
- Luis FThe American Revolution: An Intimate HistoryThis book is nothing short of a masterpiece. The American Revolution: An Intimate History takes the familiar story of 1776–1783 and transforms it into something vivid, nuanced, and deeply human. Ward’s writing is powerful, cinematic, and full of empathy — and when paired with Ken Burns’s signature historical sensibility, it’s a profound journey into the heart of America’s founding.
Why This Book Is Extraordinary
A Revolutionary Saga from the Ground Up
Unlike many histories that center only on the Founding Fathers or the big political battles, Ward and Burns bring in everyday people: militiamen, Loyalist families, Black soldiers, women pamphleteers, Native Americans. According to Square Books, they “tell the story … through the eyes of not only our ‘Founding Fathers’ but also … ordinary soldiers … and underrepresented populations.”
Square Books
This perspective makes the Revolution feel like something real and messy — not just a mythic origin story.
Balanced and Honest
The authors don’t shy away from darker truths. Publisher’s Weekly notes how Ward confronts the paradox of liberty and slavery, noting with sorrow that after the war, “five enslaved people captured at Yorktown were returned to Thomas Jefferson … Two more … were returned to George Washington.”
PublishersWeekly.com
That kind of honesty gives the book real moral weight.
Beautifully Designed
This is a beautifully made volume — richly illustrated with maps, paintings, pamphlets, and historic prints.
PublishersWeekly.com
+1
These visuals are more than decoration; they help ground the narrative, making each moment feel like stepping into a gallery of real lives and real struggles.
Expert Voices
Ward and Burns don’t work alone. Throughout the book, there are guest essays by respected historians — Vincent Brown, Maya Jasanoff, Jane Kamensky, and others — which add depth, perspective, and a variety of voices.
Square Books
This broadens the narrative without making it feel fragmented.
Lyrical, Yet Serious Prose
Ward’s writing has real grace. According to Barnes & Noble’s description, his prose “moves with a measured, cinematic cadence … a long conversation across centuries.”
Barnes & Noble
He manages to be scholarly without being dry, and emotional without being sentimental.
Relevance Today
One of this book’s greatest strengths is how it connects the Revolution to our present moment. It’s not just about battles and politics — it’s about identity, power, and who was truly included in the promise of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” As Booklist put it, the book “profoundly deepens our understanding of our nation’s origins and how the past is shaping our volatile present.”
Book Marks
A Few Things to Note
Because of the depth and detail, it’s a big read — not a quick, lightweight history.
The amount of visual material (maps, paintings, documents) is dense, which is wonderful, but might feel a little overwhelming at points.
Probinism
For readers looking for a tightly argued academic monograph, there are moments where some of the historiographical debates are simplified to keep things accessible.
Probinism
Final Verdict: This is easily one of the most compelling, beautifully told books on the American Revolution I’ve read. It balances sweeping history with personal stories, celebrates triumphs, and doesn’t hide the contradictions. Whether you’re a history buff, a student, or just curious about how America was born — this book will stay with you long after the last page. Highly recommend. - Hans471Anyone interested in the true history of the founding of our country needs to read this.What a wonderful, beautiful book! By far one of the nicest books I have ever purchased. I watched the series on PBS and saw there was a companion book. I immediately ordered it as a Christmas present for my brother (who doesn't get PBS). Its so nice I have decided to buy another copy to keep at my house as its nice to sit down and read from time to time. Wonderful illustrations and a fair and balanced history of our countries founding.
- JenniferPoor packagingThe book is lovely HOWEVER packaging was inappropriate. It was packaged I. A Mylar bag and arrived with the dust over edges worn , the spine misshapened and the bottom of several pages dog eared.
- Amazon CustomerCarefully Researched & Well illustrated Work Outstanding As Companion To The Audion-Visual Set.Another Ken Burns/PBS Triumph as a well researched and detailed historical record of the founding of
the United States of America. This book is a companion to the DVD/Blu-Ray audio-visual (A/V) set that allows
the viewer to go on to research deeper in order to gain further knowledge. The only regret is that it does not
include "The Great Awakening," whereby a Colonial Religious Revival had taken place on/about the same time
as the Revolution which lamented the lost Rights of English Liberty as the colonists were always regarded as
inferiors- second class persons - always ridiculed. Colonists were consistantly denied Equality as being British Subjects and always regarded as inferiors: "Colonials," as they were called in Great Britian, greatly despised. One must remember that the Colony of Georgia was a "Dumping Ground for English Prisoners," and after the Revolution, Austrialia had this dubious honor. On the upside, both the book and the A/V set explains why Coffee in the U.S.A., is more popular than Tea as a direct result of the American Revolution; there is even a publication sold by Amazon that covers this topic. My summary of this Ken Burns/PBS book is: Simply Outstanding! Makes a great gift item too! - PekemomHigh Qualith Art and TextThis is a large “coffee table” sized book. The product quality is superb. Ideally one should buy a clear book cover to preserve the beautifully printed book jacket. Text and illustrations are high quality. The price is half of the publisher’s price. This will provide hours of learned reading.
- T. BobbittBeautiful and informative history by one of our greatest story-tellers, Ken VurnsExcited to receive this, a long awaited volume. Sadly, the back cover was torn when packaged. Wish it had been enclosed in wrap to protect it.
- Kennette BryantBeautiful BookThe is a gorgeous book that went right on our coffee table. It covers everything from Ken Burns' series with high quality paintings shown in the show. It is a large, heavy, high quality book and I am so happy with the purchase!
- The Queen BeeGreat book--dust cover needs to be laminated.Dust cover was torn when I took it out of the box. If it was for myself I wouldn't care. I'd just tape up the rips but since it was for a gift I will feel obligated to explain that I'm not giving a used book. This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in a critical historical period in our nation and any parent should require their middle, high school, college age--well honestly any young person who was not exposed to the information in this book and series of documentary films.