Loyalist Books

Why Loyalist books? Loyalist heritage exists in some of the land we live on, in some of the houses we live in or have made into museums or other heritage properties, in museums, in historical records, family histories and genealogies. Books, however, are one of the leading ways that others learn about Loyalist history and heritage.

Each year numerous books are written and published on a variety of topics related to the American Revolutionary War period, including the Loyalists. In this section of our UELAC website, a few reviews of some of those books, and occasionally the book itself.

Featured Books

These books are available for purchase through the UELAC or its membership:

• Billy Green And Balderdash: The Facts , by David B. Clark, UE, Douglas A. Green, UE, and M. Lubell
  • Follow the same link for the follow-on book, “Billy Green and More Balderdash” by the same authors
• Moving Ever Westward: Loyalist Descendants Come to British Columbia, by Vancouver Branch UELAC, a project to celebrate the UELAC centenary in 2014
• Polly [Johnson], by Murray Killman, UE

Book Reviews

These books have been reviewed by UELAC contributors:

• An Annotated Nominal Roll of Butler’s Rangers, by William A. Smy
• The Book of Negroes, by Lawrence Hill
• Burdens of Loyalty, by Stephen Davidson
• Charlotte, by Janet Lunn
• Chasing Freedom, by Gloria Ann Wesley
• Defending Our Home: Loyalist Families of Dundas County and the Battle of Crysler’s Farm, by Ronald L. Doering, UE
• Farmers and Honest Men, by Horst Dresler
• The Founders, by J. William Lamb
• Freedom Bound, by Jean Rae Baxter
• Great Battles, by the editors of Military History and MHQ
• James Rogers’ 2nd Battalion, King’s Rangers, by Gavin K. Watt
• The Last Highland Charge, by Peter R. Johnston
• Letters for Elly, by Stephen Davidson
• A Loyal Little Red-Coat: A Story of Child-Life, by Fannie Ogden Ide
• Loyalism in the Hoosick Valley, by Bernard C. Young
• The Loyalist Corps: Americans Fighting in the Service of the King, by Thomas B. Allen and Tod W. Braisted (Reviewed by Stephen Davidson)
• The Loyalist Tiles Of St. Alban’s, by Diane Berlet (author) and Graem Coles (photographer)
• The Loyalists: Revolution, Exile, Settlement, by Christopher Moore
• Loyalists and Layabouts: The Rapid Rise and Faster Fall of Shelburne, NS, 1783-1792, by Stephen Kimber
• A Pioneer ABC, by Mary Alice Downie
• Simon Girty, Turncoat Hero: The Most Hated Man On The Early American Frontier, by Phillip Hoffman
• Sites of Power, by Peter A. Baskerville
• Tories: Fighting for the King in America’s First Civil War, by Thomas B. Allen
• Tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy, by Michael Johnson
• United Empire Loyalists: A Guide to Tracing Loyalist Ancestors in Upper Canada, by Brenda Dougall Merriman
• The Way Lies North, by Jean Rae Baxter

Recommended Reading For Young Readers

For young readers – and the young at heart – we have the following suggestions, by category. You can also download a printable copy of the entire young readers’ book list (PDF) which includes additional information on each title.

History of the Loyalists

• Downie, Mary Alice. A Pioneer ABC.
• Gleason, Mona. Loyalists of the New Settlement: A Study in Multiculturalism.
• Greenwood, Barbara and Heather Collins. Pioneer Story: The Daily Life of a Canadian Family in 1840.
• Jeffreys, C. W. and T. W. McLean. The Picture Gallery of Canadian History, Vol. 2.
• Livesey, Robert. The Loyal Refugees (Discovering Canada Series).
• Livesey, Robert. Black Heritage (Discovering Canada Series).
• Lunn, Janet and Moore, Christopher. The Story of Canada.
• Moore, Christopher. The Loyalists, Revolution, Exile and Settlement.
• Neering, Rosemary and Garrod, Stan. Building A New Life (Growth of a Nation Series).
  
• Neering, Rosemary and Garrod, Stan. In the Pioneer Home (Growth of a Nation Series).
• Neering, Rosemary and Garrod, Stan. Life of the Loyalists (Growth of a Nation Series).
• Osborne, Mary Pope and Boyce, Natalie Pope, American Revolution.
• Peabody, George. Kings Landing.

Biographies

• Bolton, Jonathan and Claire Wilson. Joseph Brant, Mohawk Chief.
• Elliott, James. If Ponies Rode Men: The Journeys of Robert Land 1777-1791.
• Fillmore, Cathleen. The Life of A Loyalist: A Tale of Survival in Old Nova Scotia.
• Fritz, Jean. Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George?.
• Fritz, Jean. Traitor: The Case of Benedict Arnold.
• Fryer, Mary Beacock. Buckskin Pimpernel: the Exploits of Justus Sherwood, Loyalist Spy.
• Fryer, Mary Beacock. John Graves Simcoe, 1752-1806: A Biography.
• Fryer, Mary Beacock. John Walden Meyers, Loyalist Spy.
• Huey, Lois M. and Pulis, Bonnie. Molly Brant: A Legacy of Her Own.
• Moore, Christopher. Peggy Crysler of Upper Canada.
• Robinson, Helen Calster. Joseph Brant, A Man for His People.
• Thomas, Earle. The Three Faces of Molly Brant.
• Thomas, Earle. Sir John Johnson: Loyalist Baronet.

Historical Fiction

• Anderson, Laurie Halse. Forge.
• Avi. The Fighting Ground.
• Baxter, Jean Rae. The Way Lies North.
• Baxter, Jean Rae. Broken Trail.
• Baxter, Jean Rae. Freedom Bound.
• Bell, William. Zack.
• Benchley, Nathaniel. George the Drummer Boy.
• Benchley, Nathaniel. Sam the Minuteman.
• Bradford, Karleen. With Nothing But Our Courage.
• Collier, James Lincoln and Collier, Christopher. My Brother Sam is Dead.
• Crook, Connie Brummel. Flight.
• Crook, Connie Brummel. The Hungry Year.
• Crook, Connie Brummel. Meyers’ Creek.
• Crook, Connie Brummel. Meyers’ Rebellion.
• Crook, Connie Brummel. The Perilous Year.
• Davidson, Stephen. Letters for Elly.
• Downie, Mary Alice and John Downie. Honour Bound.
• Ernst, Kathleen. Betrayal at Cross Creek.
• Forbes, Ester. Johnny Tremaine.
• Fryer, Mary Beacock. Beginning Again: Further Adventures of a Loyalist Family.
• Fryer, Mary Beacock. Escape.
• Garvie, Maureen & Beaty, Mary. George Johnson’s War.
• Laidlaw, George W. J. The Price of Loyalty.
• Lunn, Janet. Charlotte.
• Lunn, Janet. The Hollow Tree.
• Lunn, Janet. A Rebel’s Daughter: The 1837 Rebellion Diary of Arabella Stevenson.
• Kositsky, Lynn. Rachel: A Mighty Big Imagining.
• Kositsky, Lynn. Rachel: The Maybe House.
• Kositsky, Lynn. Rachel: Certificate of Freedom.
• Kositsky, Lynn. Rachel: An Elephant Tree Christmas.
• Marsh, Audrey. Amos Elliot, Loyalist.
• O’Dell, Scott. Sarah Bishop.
• Osborne, Mary Pope. Revolutionary War on Wednesday.
• Rinaldi, Ann. Cast Two Shadows: The American Revolution in the South.
• Perkyns, Dorothy. Rachel’s Revolution.
• Smyth, Donna. Loyalist Runaway.
• Walsh, Ann, Editor. Beginnings: Stories of Canada’s Past.
• Wesley, Gloria Ann. Chasing Freedom.
• Wilson, Doris E, UE. Sarah’s Diary.

Black History

• Bell, William. Zack.
• Greenwood, Barbara. The Last Safe House.
• Livesey, Robert. Black Heritage (Discovering Canada Series).
• Pitt, Steve. To Stand and Fight Together.
• Smucker, Barbara. Underground to Canada.
• Thomas, Owen A. Niagara’s Freedom Trial: A Guide to African-Canadian History on the Niagara Peninsula.

The War of 1812

• Chan, Gillian. A Call to Battle: The War of 1812.
• Fryer, Mary Beacock. Laura’s Choice.
• Guyatt, Ben. Billy Green Saves the Day.
• Ibbitson, John. Jeremy’s War 1812.
• Misiak, Zig. Western Hooves of Thunder.
• Nixon, John. Redcoat 1812.
• Pearson, Kit. Whispers of War: The War of 1812 Diary of Susanna Merritt.
• Trottier, Maxine. Under a Shooting Star.
• Sutherland, Robert. A River Apart.
• Sutherland, Robert. The Schooner’s Revenge.
• Walters, Eric. The Bully Boys.

Download a printable copy of the entire young readers’ book list (PDF) with additional publication and descriptive information about each title.