The Howe Dynasty: The Untold Story of a Military Family and the Women Behind Britain's Wars for America

With this latest work, Flavell (When London Was Capital of America) explores the history of the Howe family, particularly the generation of Howes who played an immense role in military history in North America. Flavell shows that the Howe brothers George and Richard were heavily involved, on behalf of the British, in military actions in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. She writes that the Howe women, sister Caroline and mother Lady Howe in particular, were integral in the management of the Howe men’s reputations, as well as in the political maneuvering behind the scenes. Flavell primarily looks at the brothers through the lens of their highly influential sister Caroline. Caroline’s prolific letter writing reveals her involvement in everything from peace negotiations with Benjamin Franklin, to the management of her brothers’ reputations when the Revolutionary War did not go as planned for the UK. Full of detail and intrigue, the narrative is illustrated with vivid portraits of extended family members and maps of military engagements.