In 1871, the British Empire suffered its most humiliating defeat in a war they should have won. Blame has traditionally been cast at the feet of incompetent British military commanders and political leaders whose arrogant confidence and out-dated tactics were no match for the innovative and determined Americans. Weaving together the personal stories of ten prominent characters, including King George III, Prime Minister Lord North, General Burgoyne and the Earl of Sandwich, Andrew O'Shaughnessy demolishes the myths, emerging with a very different and much richer account of the conflict.