{"title":"Christian Mcburney","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"kidnapping-the-enemy-book-christian-m-mcburney-9781594161834","title":"Kidnapping the Enemy","description":"On the night of December 12, 1776, while on a reconnaissance mission in New Jersey, Lieutenant Colonel William Harcourt and Cornet Banastre Tarleton of the British dragoons learned from loyalist informers that Major  General Charles Lee, the second-in-command in the Continental army behind only George Washington, was staying at a tavern at nearby Basking Ridge. Gaining valuable information as they rode by threatening captured  American soldiers with death if Lee's whereabouts was not revealed, Harcourt and Tarleton, surrounded the tavern, and after a short but violent struggle, captured him. The dragoons returned through a hostile country by a different route, arriving safely at their British post at New Brunswick with their quarry in hand. With Lee's capture, the British were confident the rebellion would soon be over. Stung by this \"special operation,\" the Americans decided to respond in what would be one of the most daring raids of the war. On the dark night of July 10, 1777, Lieutenant Colonel William Barton led a hand-picked party in whaleboats across Narragansett Bay - carefully avoiding British navy ships - to New Port, Rhode Island. Although the town was occupied by more than 3,000 Redcoats, after landing Barton led his men up a hidden path and stealthily hurried to a farmhouse where General Richard Prescott had taken to spending nights. Surrounding the house, they forced open the doors and seized the sleeping Prescott, as well as his aide-de-camp and a sentry, and then quickly returned to their waiting boats. Despite British artillerymen firing rockets and cannon, and being chased by the British vessels, the bold band of Americans reached the mainland safely. Not only had Barton kidnapped a British major general who could be exchanged for Lee, he had removed from action a man who had gained a reputation for his  harsh treatment of American patriots. In Kidnapping the Enemy: The Special Operations to Capture Generals Charles Lee and Richard Prescott, Christian M. McBurney relates the full story of each of these remarkable raids, the subsequent exchange of the two generals, and how these kidnappings had important effects on the course of the Revolutionary War. He then follows the subsequent careers of the major players, including Lee, Barton, Prescott, and Tarleton. The author completes  his narrative with descriptions of other attempts to kidnap high-ranking military officers and government officials during the war. The low success rate of these operations makes the raids that captured Lee and Prescott even  more impressive.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50268330918161,"sku":"CIN1594161836VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50385361043729,"sku":"CIN1594161836G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1594161836.jpg?v=1750991761"},{"product_id":"spies-in-revolutionary-rhode-island-military-book-christian-mcburney-9781626197244","title":"Spies in Revolutionary Rhode Island (Military)","description":"Espionage played a vital role during the American Revolution in Rhode Island. The British and Americans each employed spies to discover the secrets, plans and positions of their enemy. Continental navy lieutenant John Trevett dressed as an ordinary sailor, grew out his beard and went from tavern to tavern in Newport gathering intelligence. Metcalf Bowler became a traitor on the order of Benedict Arnold, as he spied for the British while serving as a Patriot leader in Providence. Disguised as a peddler, Ann Bates spied for the British during the Rhode Island Campaign. When caught, one spy paid with his life, while others suffered in jail. Author Christian M. McBurney, for the first time, unravels the world of spies and covert operations in Rhode Island during the Revolutionary War.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50395622572305,"sku":"CIN1626197245VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1626197245.jpg?v=1751089014"},{"product_id":"untold-stories-from-world-war-ii-rhode-island-book-varoujan-karentz-9781467141864","title":"Untold Stories from World War II Rhode Island","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFollowing the success of World War II Rhode Island, author Christian McBurney returns, with new coauthors Norman Desmarais and Varoujan Karentz, to present extraordinary personal stories of local contributions to the war effort.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom John F. Kennedy's training as a PT boat commander at Melville to George H.W. Bush's training as a pilot at Charlestown, the smallest state played an oversized role preparing navy officers and sailors. Important innovations are credited here too. Radar used on night-flying aircraft was developed at Jamestown's Spraycliff Observatory and tested at Charlestown, and at Davisville, Seabees developed a pontoon aircraft landing field tested on Narragansett Bay. Scituate was home to the nation's most successful spy listening station. After these and more captivating stories are revealed, the final chapter details existing World War II sites across the state readers can visit.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50433961132305,"sku":"CIN1467141860G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51027997294865,"sku":"NIN9781467141864","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1467141860.jpg?v=1751053418"},{"product_id":"world-war-ii-rhode-island-military-book-patrick-conley-9781467136907","title":"World War II Rhode Island (Military)","description":"Rhode Island's contribution to World War I vastly exceeded its small size. Narragansett Bay was an armed camp dotted by army forts and navy facilities. They included the country's most important torpedo production and testing facilities at Newport and the Northeast's largest naval air station at Quonset Point. Three special, top-secret German POW camps were based in Narragansett and Jamestown. Meanwhile, Rhode Island workers from all over the state--including, for the first time, many women--manufactured military equipment and built warships, most notably the Liberty ships at Providence Shipyard. Authors from the Rhode Island history blog smallstatebighistory.com trace Rhode Island's outsized wartime role, from the scare of an enemy air raid after Pearl Harbor to the war's final German U-boat sunk off Point Judith.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50480362619153,"sku":"CIN1467136905G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51028115620113,"sku":"NIN9781467136907","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53621870985489,"sku":"CIN1467136905VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1467136905.jpg?v=1751338910"},{"product_id":"world-war-ii-rhode-island-book-christian-mcburney-9781540216175","title":"World War II Rhode Island","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51035675558161,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51035677884689,"sku":"NIN9781540216175","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51742791893265,"sku":"CIN1540216179G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1540216179.jpg?v=1751244611"},{"product_id":"untold-stories-from-world-war-ii-rhode-island-book-christian-mcburney-9781540241153","title":"Untold Stories from World War II Rhode Island","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51036144075025,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51036146860305,"sku":"NIN9781540241153","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1540241157.jpg?v=1751341699"},{"product_id":"george-washingtons-nemesis-book-christian-mcburney-9781611214659","title":"George Washingtons Nemesis","description":"McBurneys new book, George Washingtons Nemesis relies on original documents (some newly discovered) to combine two dramatic stories involving the military law of treason and court-martials, creating a balanced view of the American Revolutions most fascinating personality.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51306660233489,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51306660626705,"sku":"CIN1611214653VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53389526434065,"sku":"CIN1611214653G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1611214653.jpg?v=1751408397"},{"product_id":"abductions-in-the-american-revolution-book-christian-mcburney-9781476663647","title":"Abductions in the American Revolution","description":"The tactic of kidnapping enemy leaders, used in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, dates to the American Revolution. George Washington called such efforts honorable and supported attempts to kidnap the British commander-in-chief (twice), Benedict Arnold (after he turned traitor) and Prince William Henry (a future king of Great Britain). Washington in turn was targeted at his Morristown winter headquarters by British dragoons who crossed the frozen Hudson River. New Jersey Governor William Livingston performed a patriotic service by going to considerable lengths to avoid being abducted by the Loyalist raider James Moody. Sometimes these operations succeeded, as with the spectacular captures of Major General Charles Lee, Major General Richard Prescott, Brigadier General Gold Selleck Silliman, and North Carolina's governor Thomas Burke. Sometimes they barely failed, as with the violent attempt by British secret service operatives against Major General Philip Schuyler and the mission by British dragoons against Thomas Jefferson. Some of the abducted, such as signer of the Declaration of Independence Richard Stockton and Delaware's governor John McKinly, suffered damage to their reputations. The kidnapper risked all--if caught, he could be hanged. This book covers more than thirty major attempted and successful abductions of military and civilian leaders from 1775 to 1783, from Maine to Georgia, and including two in Great Britain.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52430193099025,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52430193623313,"sku":"NLS9781476663647","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781476663647.jpg?v=1759169032"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/collections\/author-books-by-christian-mcburney.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}