From June 1775 to February 1781 during the American War of Independence, ten patriot generals died as a result of combat wounds. Their service and deaths spanned most of the war's duration and geographical expanse. The generals were a diverse group, with six born in America and four in Europe, three coming from professional military backgrounds, and the rest citizen-soldiers, mostly with limited military experience. As the colonists won their independence, the fallen generals became martyrs for the revolutionary ideals that would inspire later generations throughout the world. This is the first book to analyze these key military leaders' service and the quality of their leadership in light of recent scholarship on the Revolutionary War. Each general's profile provides background on military and political events leading to his emergence, assesses the general as a military leader in the war, and examines the campaign that culminated in his battle-related death.

Prologue: from resistance to war (October 1763-April 1775) -- Joseph Warren (April-June 1775) -- Richard Montgomery (June-December 1775) -- Nathaniel Woodhull (January-September 1776) -- Hugh Mercer (September 1776-January 1777) -- David Wooster (January-May 1777) -- Nicholas Herkimer (May-August 1777) -- Francis Nash (August-October 1777) -- Casimir Pulaski (October 1777-October 1779) -- Johann de Kalb (October 1779-August 1780) -- William Lee Davidson (August 1780-February 1781) -- Epilogue: the final campaigns (February 1781-September 1783).