The Howe Dynasty: The Untold Story of a Military Family and the Women Behind Britain's Wars for America

In December 1774, Benjamin Franklin met Caroline Howe, the sister of British Admiral Richard and General William Howe, in a London drawing room for "half a dozen Games of Chess." As Julie Flavell reveals, the games concealed a matter of the utmost diplomatic urgency, a last-ditch attempt to forestall the outbreak of war.

Aware that the Howes, both the men and the women, have seemed impenetrable to historians, Flavell investigated the letters of Caroline Howe, which have been overlooked for centuries. Using these revelatory documents, Flavell provides a compelling reinterpretation of England's famous family across four wars, centering on their enigmatic roles in the American Revolution. The Howe Dynasty interweaves action-packed stories of North American military campaigns--including the Battles of Bunker Hill and Long Island--with parlor-room intrigues back in England, creating a riveting narrative that brings alive the influence of these extraordinary women in both peacetime and war.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Published: 07/20/2021
ISBN: 9781631490613
Pages: 480

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 05/03/2021
Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2021