In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown

In The Hurricane’s Eye from historian Nathaniel Philbrick tells of The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown. This is the third of three books from Philbrick which tell of The Revolutionary War and the rise of George Washington. Philbrick found success and critical acclaim starting with his tales of the sea with In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex (which inspired Moby Dick) and Sea of Glory: Americas Voyage of Discovery; The U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1932-1842. Philbrick has stayed in the past, but he has moved inland for some of the historical accounts. He returns here to the sea and the battle of the Chesapeake Bay which helped provide emancipation of America from the British.

Philbrick tells a very detailed story of how the French Navy, in an act of revenge, routed the British Navy in the waters of the Chesapeake. There are many historical figures in the tale of struggle, retribution, temporary alliances, and historical destiny. Much people here to follow, but there are also portraits and pictures displayed that provide faces and captions for the many figures involved. The book does not have some of the oomph that one will find in some of Philbrick’s other books, but a great telling of the world-changing struggle of those times, and the many who determined the actions involved.