Imagine for a moment that you're a soldier in the Continental Army or one of the Colonial Militias during the American Revolution. You might think that the worst thing you have to fear is getting shot or wounded in battle. But you'd be wrong. You also have to worry about smallpox, a deadly disease that strikes both officers and enlisted without discrimination. Able to wipe out armies more effectively than any gun, it has been an overlooked aspect of the American Revolution. Author Becker aims to correct that shortcoming in Smallpox in Washington's Army: Disease, War, and Society During the Revolutionary War , which builds off her earlier published articles on the topic. The chapters in the book are focused on important areas of operation during the American Revolution where smallpox was prevalent. Each chapter can be read individually, making this book excellent for scholars looking for a specific piece of information.

Endnotes are placed at the end of every chapter, further enabling the chapters to be considered and used individually, and making it that much easier to search for sources. This book offers a new perspective on the strategy of George Washington and other colonial leaders during the American Revolution. It places smallpox at the center of their discussions, and makes the threat of disease a factor in virtually all military operations. That said, this is not a comprehensive list of every campaign or battle, but rather a closer look at how the smallpox virus shaped the thinking of the Continental Army, as well as the British army, and how those thoughts led to some of the policies enacted during the war. ers to be considered and used individually, and making it that much easier to search for sources. This book offers a new perspective on the strategy of George Washington and other colonial leaders during the American Revolution. It places smallpox at the center of their discussions, and makes the threat of disease a factor in virtually all military operations. That said, this is not a comprehensive list of every campaign or battle, but rather a closer look at how the smallpox virus shaped the thinking of the Continental Army, as well as the British army, and how those thoughts led to some of the policies enacted during the war.

ers to be considered and used individually, and making it that much easier to search for sources. This book offers a new perspective on the strategy of George Washington and other colonial leaders during the American Revolution. It places smallpox at the center of their discussions, and makes the threat of disease a factor in virtually all military operations. That said, this is not a comprehensive list of every campaign or battle, but rather a closer look at how the smallpox virus shaped the thinking of the Continental Army, as well as the British army, and how those thoughts led to some of the policies enacted during the war.ers to be considered and used individually, and making it that much easier to search for sources. This book offers a new perspective on the strategy of George Washington and other colonial leaders during the American Revolution. It places smallpox at the center of their discussions, and makes the threat of disease a factor in virtually all military operations. That said, this is not a comprehensive list of every campaign or battle, but rather a closer look at how the smallpox virus shaped the thinking of the Continental Army, as well as the British army, and how those thoughts led to some of the policies enacted during the war.

is not a comprehensive list of every campaign or battle, but rather a closer look at how the smallpox virus shaped the thinking of the Continental Army, as well as the British army, and how those thoughts led to some of the policies enacted during the war.