This is a thoroughly disappointing book. The title promises a sweeping survey of the life of a common soldier during the Revolutionary War, and the author touts himself as “the Soldier-Historian of Southfarm Press.” Unfortunately, from first page to last, the book is little more than a compendium of contradictory and unreliable lore.

In the opening chapter, for instance, the author asserts first that Brother Jonathan probably didn't smell too bad, despite the absence of bathing, because his diet was deficient in the animal fats that cause body odor. Then within the next few pages, the author asserts that Brother Jonathan's diet was high in calories because it was heavy in meat and fat, that soldiers were especially fond of pemmican made by mixing dried meat and berries with animal fat, and that on their bread, soldiers smeared their lard ration or the congealed fat they skimmed off the pot when boiling their meat.

At another place, the author asserts that “macaroni” found its way into the tune Yankee Doodle because the cheese and noodle dish had recently become a fad in Britain — as if “Stuck a feather in his hat and called it a cheese and noodle dish” would have made any sense at all as an insult. The line in Yankee Doodle referred to the foppish dress of young men in London, fresh back from their tours of Italy, who were dubbed “Macaronies” for their ridiculous imitation of European fashion. And so it goes, for chapter after chapter. Not a word of this can be cross-checked for accuracy, because the author provides not a clue about his historical sources.

Yes, the author, dudley c gould, uses all lowercase letters for his name, in the style of the poet, e e cummings. Skip this book and read the poet; he's a more reliable historian.