THE ROYAL AMERICAN REGIMENT: An
Atlantic Microcosm, 1755-1772, Alexander V. Campbell, University of
Oklahoma Press, Norman, 2010, 356 pages, $34.95.
Alexander V. Campbell has taken his Ph.D. dissertation on the British 60th, or Royal American, Regiment of Foot, and converted it into a readable and intriguing account of this polyglot unit, which contributed in a number of ways to the French and Indian War, and the development of a true Atlantic community in the pre- American Revolution period.
Unlike the classical regimental history, which recounts only campaigns and battles, The Royal American Regiment: An Atlantic Microcosm, 1755-1772, demonstrates how the Royal American Regiment, its officers and men, impacted the wider economic, social, and political fabric of the British North American Empire from 1755 to 1772. Campbell researched private papers and family archives of many of the Regiment's officers and interweaves these sources into a stylistically readable tale.
Although not explicitly noted in the book, the actions and activities of the Royal American Regiment show the remarkable infl uence of Swiss foreign officers employed by the British Crown on the development of North American history. While James Prevost, Frederick Haldimand, and Henry Bouquet are the most known, a host of Swiss subalterns also rises out of the pages. …
Alexander V. Campbell has taken his Ph.D. dissertation on the British 60th, or Royal American, Regiment of Foot, and converted it into a readable and intriguing account of this polyglot unit, which contributed in a number of ways to the French and Indian War, and the development of a true Atlantic community in the pre- American Revolution period.
Unlike the classical regimental history, which recounts only campaigns and battles, The Royal American Regiment: An Atlantic Microcosm, 1755-1772, demonstrates how the Royal American Regiment, its officers and men, impacted the wider economic, social, and political fabric of the British North American Empire from 1755 to 1772. Campbell researched private papers and family archives of many of the Regiment's officers and interweaves these sources into a stylistically readable tale.
Although not explicitly noted in the book, the actions and activities of the Royal American Regiment show the remarkable infl uence of Swiss foreign officers employed by the British Crown on the development of North American history. While James Prevost, Frederick Haldimand, and Henry Bouquet are the most known, a host of Swiss subalterns also rises out of the pages. …
