<p>Knowlton's Rangers formed in Sept 1776 by Gen George Washington was the first official reconnaissance unit of the United States. Not your typical history book not summarizing but allowing the men to speak for themselves covering their experiences on the way to becoming Rangers the Battle of Harlem Heights the Battle of Fort Washington as Prisoners of War and their eventual release from British captivity. Arranged in diary format it is filled with extensive transcriptions of the letters diaries memoirs pension applications military court and newspaper reports of the men of that unit and those who fought alongside them. Many of these first hand experiences have some surprising details that are not in the usual history books and the end of the book includes a thorough list of the Ranges names and the units from which they were detached transporting you to a poignant description of their experiences and everyday lives as soldiers in their sacrifice during the American Revolution.</p>