Book SummaryOf all the Patriots who took up arms during the American Revolution, perhaps only George Washington made a greater contribution than did General Nathanael Greene. One of Washington's most trusted advisers, Greene proved his ability and courage in many of the war's important battles. But his greatest contribution came as commander of the Continental Army in the South. When Greene was appointed to the post in late 1780, the British army seemed unstoppable and American hopes for independence were fading. But Greene developed and implemented a strategy that led to a stunning turnaround in less than a year, culminating in the British surrender at Yorktown in October 1781. Greene's premature death in 1786 deprived the young country of one of its brightest leaders, but his record of steadfast service during the Revolutionary War should continue to inspire all Americans.
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Book Information
Hardcover ISBN 10: 1-59556-012-2
Hardcover ISBN 13: 978-1-59556-012-4
88 Pages
30+ color maps, photos, illustrations, chronology, glossary, further reading, internet resources & index
Author Bio
Gregg A. Mierka was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1950, and currently lives on the grounds of the General Nathanael Greene Homestead Museum, Spell Hall, in Coventry, Rhode Island. Mr. Mierka and his wife, Mary, were married in 1972. Since 1995, they have conducted the tours and education programs at Spell Hall, which is the historic 1770 home of General Nathanael Greene. Mr. Mierka is a graduate of Central Michigan University (1972 and 1974), Rhode Island School of Design (1980), and Harvard University (1984). For several years Mr. Mierka also taught at primary and secondary schools and colleges in Michigan, New York, and Rhode Island.
As a painter, Mr. Mierka's works have been exhibited in America as well as Europe, and are among several public and private collections. He also worked for film director Ronald Maxwell on the movie Gettysburg as part of assistant director Skip Cosper's Corps of Civil War Specialists under historian Brian Pohanka, co-producer of the A&E Civil War Journal. After completion of Gettysburg, he worked on the French and Indian/Revolutionary War film The Broken Chain. In 2004, Mr. Mierka provided information about Nathanael Greene to author-historian David McCullough as part of his research for the book 1776. Other works by Mierka are his series of biographies called Rhode Island's Own, combined with transcripts and personal narratives of Union soldiers and sailors who served in the Civil War compiled and written for the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. He is currently working on part three of the series The Life of Colonel Elisha Hunt Rhodes, with Robert Hunt Rhodes, Elisha's grandson and author of the book All for the Union.