Robert Middlekauf's book is published in the Oxford History of the United States series, where each volume is dedicated to a specific period. A Glorious Cause combines academic rigor with a lively and engaging style. In a sweeping overview of the American Revolution, the author reconsiders and pushes the boundaries of popular understanding of the period, examining in detail the diplomatic and economic origins of the war, its driving forces and the course of military campaigns, the conflicting aspirations of the Founding Fathers, and the heated debates that accompanied each turning point of the American Revolution. Translating the results of specialized research into a compelling and compelling narrative is the highest art (and even duty) of the historian, and Professor Middlekauf masters it to perfection.