Andrew O’Shaughnessy Brings Unique Perspective on the American Revolution to C of C - College of Charleston Libraries
On September 16th, 2013, the College of Charleston’s Friends of the Library will welcome Dr. Andrew O’Shaughnessy to campus to speak on an often overlooked topic: the British side of the American Revolution.
While all Americans learn of the heroism and sacrifices of Washington, Jefferson and Hamilton, British leadership, from King George III to General Burgoyne, is usually portrayed as incompetent at best. In his new book, The Men Who Lost America, Andrew O’Shaughnessy dispels that notion with a meticulously researched account of the course of the war, as analyzed though the trials and triumphs of ten prominent Britons. His conclusion? While roiling political tensions at home and the American’s fervent fighting spirit would prove fatal to the British war effort, The Men Who Lost America were worthy and effective opponents.
Dr. Andrew O’Shaughnessy is a Professor of History at the University of Virginia, and the Sanders Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. He is a British born, naturalized American citizen, with degrees from both Columbia and Oxford Universities. Pulitzer Prize-winner Jon Meacham had this to say about O’Shaughnessy and The Men Who Lost America, “Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy has written a remarkable book about an important but curiously underappreciated subject: the British side of the American Revolution. With meticulous scholarship and an eloquent writing style, O’Shaughnessy gives us a fresh and compelling view of a critical aspect of the struggle that changed the world. This is a great book.”
Dr. O’Shaughnessy’s visit to campus is one of several events hosted by the Friends of the Library’s Addlestone Authors Series, which brings prominent regional and nationally recognized authors to the College. According to Interim Dean of Libraries, Dr. John White, “Dr. O’Shaughnessy is an accomplished scholar, whose work places the American Revolution in a global context by examining the loss of the colonies through a transnational lens. The Men Who Lost America is both scholarly and approachable — a rare combination for such a complex historical investigation.”
Andrew O’Shaughnessy’s lecture will take place on September 16th, 2013, at 6:00pm, at the College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, 125 Bull Street.
Please contact Stephanie Alexander at alexandersd@cofc.edu for more information.