WITH COLORS FLYING: Highlights of the American Revolution

The eight Revolutionary War scenes which John Trumbull (1756-1843) painted as a basis for engravings (four of which he later enlarged -- to their detriment -- for the Capitol Rotunda) are here trigged out with the ""story"" of each event. The paintings, elsewhere called ""animated portrait galleires, are generally regarded as heroic conceptions rather than historic depictions (except of the physiognomies); they therefore have a limited value as documents. The narrative amounts to a summary history of the Revolution (with a few pauses) in short sentences, largish words and small type. Which leaves the rather nice color plates dangling.