"The Hessians: Mercenaries from Hessen-Kassel in the American Revolution" by Rodney Atwood is a scholarly military history of the German auxiliary troops—commonly called “Hessians”—who served Britain during the American Revolutionary War.
The book focuses on soldiers recruited from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, the most important of the German principalities that supplied troops under subsidy agreements with Great Britain. Atwood examines how these forces were raised, organized, and deployed across the North American theater.
A central theme is the structure and functioning of the Hessian military system, including recruitment practices, training, discipline, and the administrative mechanisms that enabled the landgraviate to maintain a large professional standing army and lease it abroad.
The study also explores the operational history of Hessian units in America, including their participation in major campaigns such as New York, Trenton, and Saratoga, as well as their roles in garrison duty, field operations, and logistical support within the British war effort.
Another key focus is the experience of individual soldiers, addressing issues such as morale, adaptation to North American conditions, captivity, and interactions with both British allies and American opponents.
