The success of the American Revolution was perhaps the shining moment of the Enlightenment. It transformed history and set much of the world on a course toward civil rights and liberty. The architects of the victory duly deserve their standing as not only American heroes, but world heroes.

Still, each hero has to have an anti-hero. And The Men Who Lost America by Andrew O’Shaughnessy looks at the British officers and politicians who oversaw the war. These are the folks who “lost America” due to their decisions.

Long overlooked by British historians (for obvious reasons — who wants to dwell on failures?), this is a long overdue addition to any American Revolution book collection because it looks at the war from a uniquely British perspective. Each chapter looks at a different character, from King George III to General Cornwallis and his surrender at Yorktown which effectively ended the war. It analyzes their mistakes, their handicaps, and their (usually modest) success. Though it examines military tactics to some degree, the book is really about the political and social dynamics combined with the serious miscalculation of American sentiment.

But here’s the part few think about. When Great Britain conceded American independence, the naysayers of British society all said it was the beginning of the end of the British Empire. They were convinced the best days were behind them. They sounded an awful lot like those in America who said the same thing after Vietnam, or even Iraq.

Obviously the British naysayers were not only wrong, but wildly off base. Britain dominated the world in the next century like no nation had done since Rome.

It’s a lesson we could learn as we bemoan American mistakes abroad.

I love history, and the American Revolution is one of my favorites, so this book rates highly for me. If you like what I like, you’ll enjoy it too.