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    To Try Men's Souls: A Novel of George Washington and the Fight for American Freedom
    Unavailable
    To Try Men's Souls: A Novel of George Washington and the Fight for American Freedom
    Unavailable
    To Try Men's Souls: A Novel of George Washington and the Fight for American Freedom
    Audiobook12 hours

    To Try Men's Souls: A Novel of George Washington and the Fight for American Freedom

    Written by Newt Gingrich

    Narrated by William Dufris

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    After two bestselling series examining the Civil War and WWII, Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen have turned their sharp eye for detail on the Revolutionary War. Their story follows three men with three very different roles to play in history: General George Washington, Thomas Paine, and Jonathan Van Dorn, a private in Washington's army.

    The action focuses on one of the most iconic events in American history: Washington cross - ing the Delaware. Unlike the bold, courageous General in Emanuel Leutze's painting, Washington is full of doubt on the night of December 25, 1776. After five months of defeat, morale is dangerously low. Each morning muster shows that hundreds have deserted in the night. While Washington prepares his weary troops for the attack on Trenton, Thomas Paine is in Philadelphia, overseeing the printing of his newest pamphlet, The Crisis. And Jonathan Van Dorn is about to bring the war to his own doorstep. In the heat of battle, he must decide between staying loyal to the cause and sparing his brother who has joined up with the British.

    Through the thoughts and private fears of these three men, Gingrich and Forstchen illu minate the darkest days of the Revolution. With detailed research and an incredible depth of military insight, this novel provides a rare and personal perspective of the men who fought for, and founded the United States of America.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateOct 20, 2009
    ISBN9781427207753
    Author

    Newt Gingrich

    Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, is the author of several bestselling books, including Valley Forge, To Try Men's Souls, Pearl Harbor and Gettysburg (all with William R. Forstchen). He is a member of the Defense Policy Board and co-chair of the UN Task Force, is the longest-serving teacher of the Joint War Fighting course for Major Generals, and served in Congress for twenty years. He is also the founder of the Center for Health Transformation.

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    Reviews for To Try Men's Souls

    3.5/5

    50 ratings6 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I was very aware of the gravity of the subject of this book as I dove into it, but that did not damper my amazement and astonishment of just what these brave men did on that Christmas night back in 1776 to literally save this burgeoning and embryonic nation from being a permanent English colony. I have no doubts to the legitimacy of the events in this book, but what made this tale hit so deep is the wonderful characterizations that Gingrich/Forstchen gave historic people like Washington, Knox, Paine, Adams and various soldiers within the context of this event. If anything, I had trouble with the first half of the book or so because it was sooooo depressing, manifesting itself through the moods and actions of George Washington himself. I think that is the real brilliance of this book as the reader is transported from that to the successful actions of the patriot army as they stormed Trenton and literally caught the Hessians asleep in their homes and bunkers, Washington's pride beaming through all the way. The authors also very smartly portray the conflict Washington felt along the way. Paine's contributions to the morale through his publication of The American Crisis is neatly inserted here as well, Gingrich/Forstchen presenting him as a very, very tortured soul.In short, entertaining, inspiring, and just amazing to think of what the founders of this nation had to do just so today we can call ourselves Americans and not bow to a king (well, for a while longer, anyway). I wish more middle/high school kids would read books like this to get an understanding of what it took to create the greatest political experiment in human history and just what is currently at stake.
    • 4/5
      I did not high expectations for this book when I began it, but it turned out much better than I expected. The story of the crossing of the Delaware was told through three viewpoints: George Washington, an army private, and Thomas Paine (author of Common Sense). The shifting viewpoints were interesting, but I really liked getting Paine's point of view. He's not a character who has been explored in depth in my prior readings. I like how the value of his writings were shown through other characters as important to the American Revolution. I also liked how Gingrich and Forstchen developed his character as a whole. A very pleasant surprise read.
    • 4/5
      What an intense book. If I did not know already how it played out, I would have probabaly had to put it down. It gives being an American a new appreciation. I think this book can give us all a great sense of how amazing it is to be American.
    • 3/5
      Not my favorite book but definitely worth a read, especially if you are a history buff.
    • 3/5
      I have previously read Gingrich's book, Pearl Harbor and was very disappointed. Pearl Harbor was poorly conceived with stereotype storyline and flat uninteresting characters. Fortunately, To Try Men's Souls is a better book. Perhaps Newt and his partner were running stale with WW II theme and recharged with the revolutionary war. The book focuses on the attack by Washington's troops on the Hessian encampment in Trenton, NJ. Obviously, much of the book deals with the infamous crossing of the Delaware river.It is clear again with this book that character development is not a Gingrich strong point. However, at least the storyline is pretty well developed and reasonably interesting. You will get tired reading about how many times the troops and horses slipped on the icy ground and how biting the nor'easter wind and sleet was. Not withstanding, the book is not high literature but an ok read.
    • 2/5
      Should be required reading for American history classes. Gets a bit bogged down with repeated description of the suffering of the soldiers, but still, very engaging. Presents the importance of Thomas Paine writings to the cause of freedom.