The Fate of the Day Audiobook By Rick Atkinson cover art

The Fate of the Day

The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780

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The Fate of the Day

By: Rick Atkinson
Narrated by: Grover Gardner, Rick Atkinson
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In the second volume of the landmark American Revolution trilogy by the Pulitzer Prize-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The British Are Coming, George Washington’s army fights on the knife edge between victory and defeat.

The first twenty-one months of the American Revolution—which began at Lexington and ended at Princeton—was the story of a ragged group of militiamen and soldiers fighting to forge a new nation. By the winter of 1777, the exhausted Continental Army could claim only that it had barely escaped annihilation by the world’s most formidable fighting force.

Two years into the war, George III is as determined as ever to bring his rebellious colonies to heel. But the king’s task is now far more complicated: fighting a determined enemy on the other side of the Atlantic has become ruinously expensive, and spies tell him that the French and Spanish are threatening to join forces with the Americans.

Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson provides a riveting narrative covering the middle years of the Revolution. Stationed in Paris, Benjamin Franklin woos the French; in Pennsylvania, George Washington pleads with Congress to deliver the money, men, and materiel he needs to continue the fight. In New York, General William Howe, the commander of the greatest army the British have ever sent overseas, plans a new campaign against the Americans—even as he is no longer certain that he can win this searing, bloody war. The months and years that follow bring epic battles at Brandywine, Saratoga, Monmouth, and Charleston, a winter of misery at Valley Forge, and yet more appeals for sacrifice by every American committed to the struggle for freedom.

Timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the beginning of the Revolution, Atkinson’s brilliant account of the lethal conflict between the Americans and the British offers not only deeply researched and spectacularly dramatic history, but also a new perspective on the demands that a democracy makes on its citizens.

* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of maps and illustrations from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Rick Atkinson (P)2025 Random House Audio
Americas Europe Great Britain Military Revolution & Founding United States War Imperialism

Critic reviews

“Rick Atkinson takes his place among the greatest of all historians. This superb second volume in his Revolution Trilogy is that rare narrative that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Familiar characters become dimensional and complicated, new ones burst to life vividly, and the battles and struggles that created our country now have clarity and meaning.”—Ken Burns

“To read this book by prolific military historian Atkinson is to see the Revolutionary War as both a civil war—loyalists against rebels, with a sizable number of uncommitted colonists in between—and an international war involving numerous European powers . . . As ever with Atkinson, an exemplary work of narrative history.”Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“From chaotic bloodshed emerges a coherent struggle for freedom in this sweeping second volume of Pulitzer winner Atkinson’s Revolution Trilogy (after The British Are Coming) . . . Epic in scale but rich in detail, this captures the drama and world-historical significance of the revolution.”Publishers Weekly

Comprehensive History • Detailed Accounts • Wonderful Narration • Evenhanded Research • Vibrant Storytelling

Highly rated for:

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I really like this narrator. And I can’t wait for last installment. Atkinson is a master.

Great

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A new level of fascinating detail throughout! I enjoyed most of this twice already. Thank you, Rick!

Outstanding work!

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Written in an engaging narrative style. Documentary In content but non-fiction novel in delivery.

Amazing and highly researched depth.

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Incredibly detailed and quite scholarly. I slowed down in it a few times, but overall it was a good pace for such an incredible detail. I had had almost no previous knowledge about what went on in England before and during the war and the French roll. So I have read two of the three in the trilogy now I just found out the last one. It probably won't be available until 2031. That's an awfully long time to wait.

If you want all the details...

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Statistics are overwhelming
and can cause one to get lost in the details and
Lose sight of the human cost of the conflict

Comprehensive descriptions of both sides endeavors

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