In this riveting episode of History Shorts, host Peter Zablocki welcomes one of America's most celebrated historians, Rick Atkinson, to discuss the second installment of his Revolutionary War trilogy: The Fate of Day. Together, they explore the pivotal years of 1777 to 1780, a period that saw both near-collapse and unexpected momentum for the American cause. Atkinson shares insights into the decisive Battles of Saratoga, the harrowing winter at Valley Forge, and the shifting loyalties in a war that was as much a civil war as it was a war for independence.

Highlights & Takeaways:

• How Atkinson transitioned from journalism to narrative military history

• Why the Battle of Saratoga marked a global turning point in the war

• The underestimated fragility of Washington's army at Valley Forge

• The deeply divided American public and the loyalist dilemma

• Surprising archival discoveries in Windsor Castle and Ann Arbor

• Atkinson's literary influences and writing discipline

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MORE ABOUT RICK: https://rickatkinson.com/aboutrick/

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