In Revolutionary Snipers, acclaimed military historian Patrick K. O’Donnell vividly brings to life for the first time the exploits of Washington’s finest frontier commandos, whose legendary deadeye shooting offered the Continental Army an evolving and unconventional tactical advantage in the War of Independence. Snipers such as Daniel Morgan, Timothy Murphy, and Samuel Brady were rugged frontiersmen armed with long rifles, a path-breaking American technology that allowed them to attack from a significant distance.

The snipers, the very first members of the Continental Army, quickly struck terror among British troops besieged in Boston in the summer of 1775 by picking off a number of targets. However, their success was checkered by mutiny, an epic journey through the Maine wilderness, and heart-wrenching failure at the gates of Quebec. O’Donnell follows unforgettable characters in a riveting Band-of-Brothers-style narrative. Despite the setbacks, Washington and his officers perceived a new approach to waging war could emerge from the combined arms of pairing sniper groups with traditional units. The riflemen played vital roles in many pivotal battles—from protecting Washington’s army during its retreat from Manhattan, when some 25 snipers repelled an amphibious landing of hundreds of British soldiers at Throggs Neck, to energizing the momentum-shifting battles at Saratoga and later, in the South, at King’s Mountain and Cowpens.

Unearthing unpublished letters, diaries, and other participant documents, O’Donnell puts readers dramatically in the moment as riflemen prevented a British charge at Trenton that could have ended the war, employed irregular warfare to counter enemy attempts to re-supply during the critical yet obscure “Forage War” in spring 1777, and contested large swaths of the frontier, at times disguised as Native Americans.

Placing the riflemen front and center throughout the war, Revolutionary Snipers illuminates an unknown aspect of the conflict and is an important addition to our understanding of how the Revolution was won and of an emerging new way of war.

Praise for Revolutionary Snipers:

“A rousing account of the American Revolution’s most unconventional soldiers – ragtag, rugged, fiercely independent and sometimes hard to manage, they nonetheless played a crucial role in some of the conflict’s most important fights.”—Don N. Hagist, editor, Journal of the American Revolution

“The excitement—and bitter violence—of Revolutionary War combat comes alive in Patrick O’Donnell’s gripping narrative of the riflemen who formed the sharp end of Washington’s sword in the struggle for independence. Grounded in superb research, Revolutionary Snipers outlines the soul of America’s citizen soldier, just as vital today as it was 250 years ago.”—Edward G. Lengel, author of General George Washington: A Military Life

Praise for The Unvanquished:

“The Unvanquished brims with battles that read like Old West gunfights between lawmen and outlaws . . . Told from the eye level of the saddle, seasoned with a dash of early John le Carré, Mr. O’Donnell’s work beautifully brings a covert Civil War out of the shadows.”—Jonathan W. Jordan, Wall Street Journal

“This book highlights an area of Civil War history that is often buried or altogether absent in standard narratives of the war due to the secretive and often clandestine nature of these sorts of operations . . . Civil War scholars, students and enthusiasts alike will find The Unvanquished to be a valued addition to their libraries.”—US Army Magazine

“O’Donnell’s landmark new book is merely the tip of an enthralling iceberg of information and stories you have never read anywhere else.”—The Chattanoogan

“The Unvanquished is a spectacular book from one of America’s finest historians. After years of deep research, Patrick K. O’Donnell has unearthed a magnificent Civil War epic. Beautifully written, every page shimmers . . . Action-packed and original, this triumphant narrative is destined for the screen. Impossible to put down.”—James L. Swanson, Edgar Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer