Phillip Thomas Tucker, Ph.D., has authored more than 40 books of distinction on a wide variety of subjects in the field of history. He has written extensively on many aspects of American history, making important contributions by breaking much new ground in multiple fields of history. Because of his many key contributions in the writing of original and thoughtful history to present fresh perspectives and new views, Dr. Tucker has emerged today as America's leading "New Look" historian. Tucker earned three degrees in American history, including a Ph.D. from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri. After earning his Ph.D., Tucker then embarked upon a career as a professional historian for the Department of Defense, serving for more than two decades.
One figure who Dr. Tucker has written on in great detail is Alexander Hamilton, known to most Americans better for his service as Secretary of the Treasury, his tempestuous personal life, and his appearance on the ten dollar bill than for his military exploits. Tucker has told the fascinating story behind the popular Broadway play "Hamilton" in his ground-breaking book "Alexander Hamilton's Revolution, His Vital Role as Washington's Chief of Staff." Tucker also wrote about Hamilton's key contributions, as a young artillery officer, during Washington's crossing and at the battle of Trenton in his ground-breaking "Washington's Surprise Attack, A New Look at the Battle that Decided the Fate of America."
Hamilton's first military title was Captain of the Provincial Company of Artillery in New York, and he displayed a talent for leadership and logistics early on. In this role, he not only had to recruit and train artillerists, but also had to find ways to feed, clothe, and pay them. A former mercantile clerk and an avid student of artillery warfare, Hamilton proved conscientious and effective in this role, despite difficulties securing funding from the provincial congress.
Most of Hamilton's early successes, however, came under less-than-glorious circumstances. His primary role for much of the early period of the American Revolution was to cover the Continental Army as it gradually retreated westward. Ultimately, though, his coverage of these retreats proved effective and important, providing the Continental Army a chance to recover and resupply, and even sometimes securing the surrender of Hessian mercenaries employed by the British. Hamilton's day of glory came in leading the daring attack that captured a key strategist redoubt at Yorktown that played a large role in forcing Lord Charles Cornwallis to surrender the town--a turning point of not only the American Revolution, but also in world history.
