Bestseller about the American War of Independence is published as a comic book
5/12/2025
Translation: machine translated
Rick Atkinson's Revolution trilogy is being published as a graphic novel for the first time. The Ten Speed Graphic imprint is developing the adaptation together with the historian and aims to create a new approach to American founding history.
Rick Atkinson's acclaimed Revolution trilogy is getting a new face: Ten Speed Graphic, an imprint of Ten Speed Press, has announced that the three historically based non-fiction books about the American War of Independence will be adapted as graphic novels. The realisation will take place in close collaboration with Atkinson himself. Author Norah Neus will be responsible for the adaptation, while Italian artist Federico Pietrobon will create the illustrations.
Start in the anniversary year
The first volume «The British Are Coming: The Graphic Edition, Volume 1» is due to be published in June 2026, just in time for the 250th anniversary celebrations of the Revolution. It covers the first months of the war, from the battles at Lexington and Concord in the spring of 1775 to the siege of Boston in 1776. Further volumes will follow at yearly intervals. A total of six graphic novels are planned, depicting the entire trilogy.
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Sophisticated history in a new format
Atkinson is a Pulitzer Prize winner and is one of the most renowned military historians in the USA. Critics have praised his trilogy in particular for the way he interweaves strategic decisions with personal stories, making the historical material tangible. He initially reacted sceptically to the idea of a graphic novel adaptation. His books are meticulously researched and run to over 500 pages each. «I wondered how that could be translated into panels», he told the Associated Press in an interview. It was only when he saw examples of other historical adaptations that he changed his mind.
The comics of my youth have evolved enormously.
The creators emphasise that the graphic adaptation preserves historical accuracy. Atkinson himself checks details such as uniforms and character depictions. For example, he corrected the depiction of John Adams, who was still a young man at the beginning of the revolution and not the older, pot-bellied and bald statesman that many people have in mind.
Why a graphic novel?
The aim is clear: the story of the American founding should reach a wider audience. Those who are put off by a 560-page work might find a new approach through the visual narrative style. «We want to increase the reach without diluting the content», explains the publisher.
A look at the original
Rick Atkinson's Revolutionary Trilogy is one of the most important modern works about the American War of Independence. With meticulous research and a lively narrative style, Atkinson conveys not only the military events, but also the social and political upheavals associated with the birth of the USA. His works show how ideas of freedom, equality and self-determination emerged in a time of upheaval and were lived by soldiers, politicians and ordinary people.
The trilogy, whose three volumes trace the course of the war in clearly defined stages, builds on this foundation. It began with «The British Are Coming», published in May 2019. The opening volume covers the years 1775 to 1777 - from the first shots fired at Lexington and Concord to the Battle of Princeton - and became a bestseller immediately after publication.
The second volume, «The Fate of the Day», followed in April 2025. It covers the period from 1777 to 1780, a phase characterised by turning points, political upheavals and military setbacks. This part also quickly made it onto the bestseller lists. In it, Atkinson shows how closely military developments were interwoven with diplomatic and social dynamics and how uncertain the outcome of the conflict remained for a long time.
The concluding third volume is currently in progress and has no publication date as yet. It will cover the final years of the war, including the French intervention, the battle in the south and finally the British surrender at Yorktown.
Header image: Ten Speed Graphic
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