Rating: 
Summary: Could be better titled......
Review: I specifically bought this book to gain more information on Benedict Arnold's role in this battle. Ketchum did not disappoint in this regard. The details Ketchum provided prior to the battle, although extremely poignant, became almost lengthy. So much so, I was nearly 300 pages into this book before the battle began. I though the book would have been better titled "Gentleman Johnny, the Northern Campaign, and Saratoga."
All in all, I would certainly recommend this for someone looking for a definitive work on Saratoga.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling History
Review: I visited Burlington Vermont recently, July 2000, and enjoyed a tour of Whitehall, Hubbardton and the Saratoga battlefield with a friend and amateur historian. He recommended Ketchum's "Saratoga" and I concur with the majority of the reviews listed here. This is a gem of a history. If you have cut your teeth on Kenneth Roberts, as I have, and read some the drier histories out there, like Parkman's "Montcalm and Wolfe," to fill in the gaps, then you will be astonished and pleased at Ketchum's narrative style and in-depth scholarship. Buy this book and tour the area. You will not believe the terrain at Hubbardton, Bennington and Bemis Heights, the beauty of Lake Champlain, the majesty of Fort Ty and the only monument to Arnold.By the way...it was quite clear to me why Ketchum made the effort to describe Franklin's missions to Canada and France. All too often we get history in discreet chunks and Ketchum has provided perfect a lead-in and finale in the form of the epitome of the most original of Americans.
Rating: 
Summary: The price of our heritage --- fantastic read!
Review: In an age when 100,000 or 200,000 troops are needed for battle, when computers and stealth bombers have supplanted the powder, the balls, the cannon, and the sweat, Ketchum brings you to the battlefields where America was born. How quickly we can forget our heritage, how easily we can ignore the sacrifices! Beyond his desciption of the "big picture" strategies and the debates in Philadelphia, Ketchum leaves the reader in awe as he describes the American soldiers' battles, the marches, the indian raids, the muck, the oppressive heat, the fear, the motivation. This, and another gem of his, THE WINTER SOLDIERS, should be a must-read for any American. He rekindles the flame of pride in our American story.
Rating:
Summary: A great story told by the participants and a good writer.
Review: Ketchum gives a full retrospective of the Saratoga campaign. The events that led to the campaign, the players, the unit actions, common soldiers reflections and effect of perhaps America's most important victory during the War for Independence are interestingly woven together in this well written narrative. I was not aware that such a vast array of personal diary material and letters were available from this period. Apparently many soldiers and low grade officers wrote about their experiences just as during the Civil War. One hopes this author and others will use this narrative approach to enliven other battles of the Revolution.
Rating:
Summary: The best book on the American Revolution ever!!
Review: Ketchum gives an excellent account of the turning point of the revolution. He brings Burgoyne, Gates, and the strategies and sobering realities of war to life in this book.
Rating:
Summary: Why the Revolution succeded; the soldier's view
Review: Ketchum writes a detailed history of Saratoga and the events leading to the battle drawing largely from the correspondence of the soldiers who fought the battle. As such, "Saratoga" gives a detailed, participants' view of the battle. At this level, the work is enthralling, tense and a book which is difficult to put down. Shortcomings exist in several areas. First, the maps are weak. The text is detailed and makes reference to many points which are difficult or impossible to discern from the maps in the test. Moreover, given a battle so dependant on terrain, terrain is poorly illustrated on most of the maps. Second, Ketchum is weak on the sumary of the battles and skirmishes. On the major actions the impacts are clear, yet on some of the minor actions, the results are less clear. Left unexplained is the success of the Indian groups fighting with the British. Indian actions against American troops seemed singularly successful. It is unexplained why the Indians were so successful as well as how the Americans countered. Finally, while it is clear that Burgoyne's failure at Saratoga may have insured the success of the Revolution, it is less than clear whether Burgoyne's success would have insured Britsh success in holding the colonies. On finishing the book one is left with something of the feeling that comes at the end of Fitgerald's "Fire in the Lake": Battles may be won by the British, but the war was lost at the start. In the end, Ketchum's greatest success lies in illustrating the committment and fervor of the individual American to obtaining independence.
Rating:
Summary: Why the Revolution succeded; the soldier's view
Review: Ketchum writes a detailed history of Saratoga and the events leading to the battle drawing largely from the correspondence of the soldiers who fought the battle. As such, "Saratoga" gives a detailed, participants' view of the battle. At this level, the work is enthralling, tense and a book which is difficult to put down. Shortcomings exist in several areas. First, the maps are weak. The text is detailed and makes reference to many points which are difficult or impossible to discern from the maps in the test. Moreover, given a battle so dependant on terrain, terrain is poorly illustrated on most of the maps. Second, Ketchum is weak on the sumary of the battles and skirmishes. On the major actions the impacts are clear, yet on some of the minor actions, the results are less clear. Left unexplained is the success of the Indian groups fighting with the British. Indian actions against American troops seemed singularly successful. It is unexplained why the Indians were so successful as well as how the Americans countered. Finally, while it is clear that Burgoyne's failure at Saratoga may have insured the success of the Revolution, it is less than clear whether Burgoyne's success would have insured Britsh success in holding the colonies. On finishing the book one is left with something of the feeling that comes at the end of Fitgerald's "Fire in the Lake": Battles may be won by the British, but the war was lost at the start. In the end, Ketchum's greatest success lies in illustrating the committment and fervor of the individual American to obtaining independence.
Rating:
Summary: A singular book on a singular battle-Saratoga
Review: Ketchum's "Saratoga" is a superb, one of a kind, military history
You can blame my enthusiasm for this book on my being a long-time history buff, a West Point graduate, and a writer myself ("Nuclear Turnaround").
Add to this, I was raised in the Mohawk Valley of upstate New York. My parent's ancestors participated in the British-Indian battles in that area that led up to the epic at Saratoga that Ketchum so ably portrays. I particularly admire how the author covered so many aspects of that battle, ranging from the detailed personality portraits of the commanders on both sides to the split loyalties of the various Iroquois Indian tribes. Ketchums description of the seeds of disappointment planted in Benedict Arnold's mind leading up to his later betrayal at West Point is so well spelled out. At the same time, the ego and flamboyance of Burgoyne that contributed to his defeat is another highlight of the story. All of this, the author does in an entertaining and story telling manner. I highly recommend this volume to anyone who wants a better understanding of this key aspect of the American Revolution presented in such an entertaining read.
Rating:
Summary: A singular book on a singular battle-Saratoga
Review: Ketchum's "Saratoga" is a superb, one of a kind, military history
You can blame my enthusiasm for this book on my being a long-time history buff, a West Point graduate, and a writer myself ("Nuclear Turnaround").
Add to this, I was raised in the Mohawk Valley of upstate New York. My parent's ancestors participated in the British-Indian battles in that area that led up to the epic at Saratoga that Ketchum so ably portrays. I particularly admire how the author covered so many aspects of that battle, ranging from the detailed personality portraits of the commanders on both sides to the split loyalties of the various Iroquois Indian tribes. Ketchums description of the seeds of disappointment planted in Benedict Arnold's mind leading up to his later betrayal at West Point is so well spelled out. At the same time, the ego and flamboyance of Burgoyne that contributed to his defeat is another highlight of the story. All of this, the author does in an entertaining and story telling manner. I highly recommend this volume to anyone who wants a better understanding of this key aspect of the American Revolution presented in such an entertaining read.
Rating:
Summary: From a recent Visitor to the Battle site
Review: Last weekend I happened to visit the National Memorial Park at Saratoga the site of the battles and skirmishes which collectively are known as the Battle of Saratoga. I was captivated by the energy of the US Park Service Rangers who spoke of the Battle almost in the "present tense." They described the principal players (Burgoyne, Gates) as if they were still alive. I asked them to recommend readings on the subject and was directed to the Ketchum book. Although it is hard to match actually being at the site, Ketchum does an excellent job of making the story come to life. If you like the book.. you'll love the site. It's rugged fields and forest overlooking the Hudson is one of the region's great beauties. It hasn't changed much in two hundred years. And it's easy to see why the story is so compelling. Ketchum has done an excellent job. The argument that Saratoga was a turning point in the War seems more that hype. The argument actually seems valid. Ketchum's book artfully develops the thesis.
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