How America Was (Really) Won with Rick Atkinson

The Lincoln Project

Society & Culture, Daily News, News, Politics

4.7 • 8.4K Ratings

🗓️ 4 July 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America (July 4th, 2026), we are bringing you a very special episode commemorating this Fourth of July. In this special episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson joins Rick Wilson (who is also a history buff) to re-examine the history of the Revolutionary War and how the grit of great Americans ultimately secured our country's freedom. Americans left their farms, their families, and their lives to join the Continental Army in pursuit of this vision -- a free, fair, and just America. Standing up to the extraordinary front of the British and their fleet of weaponry and strategic military minds, the Americans faced incomprehensible odds with bravery, resilience, and strategic creativity. What was Washington really like? How did he lead? Was he this mythical, legendary figure we've all grown familiar with? Or did he grow and evolve throughout the war -- and did that growth shape the outcome of the war? We are all generally familiar with this story, but you haven't heard this version of it before. Rick Atkinson's two new books, The British Are Coming and The Fate of the Day, are out now -- and for all of you history nerds...this is a must-read. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Rick Atkinson does not have a social media presence on X or Bluesky, but he does have a website at https://rickatkinson.com/, where you can view all of his books and learn more about him. You can follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and @TheRickWilson.bsky.social on Bluesky, and you can subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com for live chats with special guests and Rick's writing. You can join the Lincoln Project fight at www.lincolnproject.us and follow us on X at @ProjectLincoln. If you'd like to help us continue this critical work, visit https://action.lincolnproject.us/helplp to make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Exclusively on Disney Plus.
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0:11.0	Upon my signal, unleash hell.
0:15.0	And every second counts.
0:17.0	When that shows zero, this restaurant ceases operations.
0:21.8	FX is the bear.
0:23.1	New season now streaming exclusively on Disney Plus.
0:27.1	18 plus subscription required, Teas and Cs apply.
0:30.1	You know, counterfactuals are easy for historians because you can never be wrong.
0:34.9	Of course.
0:35.2	But I think that if Washington had fallen somehow,
0:40.9	then the game really was going to be up.
0:44.1	Your task will not be an easy one.
0:46.3	Your enemy is well-trained, well-equipped in battle-hardt.
0:50.2	There is not a liberal America and a conservative America.
0:53.9	There is the United States of America.
0:58.8	Good night and good luck.
1:01.0	Hey, folks, and welcome back to the Lincoln Project podcast.
1:03.1	I'm your host, as always, Rick Wilson.
1:04.4	I am delighted to be joined today by Rick Atkinson, one of the preeminent military historians of our time.
1:13.7	And a guy who's written some of my very favorite books about the history of this great country of ours and Rick I want to
	...

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