American independence was won not just with ideas and words, but also through force of arms. A key element of that battlefield victory was the combat leadership provided by hard-fighting warriors. "Founding Fighters" recounts the stories of fifteen of the American Revolution's most important and colourful battlefield commanders. Collectively, these men participated in virtually all of the war's significant battles and campaigns. They experienced the conflict in all its variants: conventional contest between opposing armies, brutal guerrilla struggle between partisans and regulars, frontier and naval fighting, and civil war pitting neighbours, and even family members against each other. These founding fighters helped win stunning victories, knew ignominious defeats, and suffered physical and spiritual privation through times when ultimate victory and independence appeared impossibly remote. While leaders such as George Washington are household names, a number of important Revolutionary-era military figures remain much less known (and, in some cases, forgotten). Cate rectifies this omission by telling the stories of these less famous fighters whose contributions were nonetheless essential to the victory of the Patriot cause. More than a mere examination of battlefield exploits and personalities, however, this book illuminates fascinating aspects of American military and cultural history and offers a superb window for investigating two of the enduring themes of the American military tradition, civil-military relations and the respective roles and worth of professional and citizen soldiers.