Marion is proverbially the great master of strategy-the wily fox of the swamps-never to be caught, never to be followed,-yet always at hand, with unconjectured promptness, at the moment when he is least feared and is least to be expected. South Carolina's "Swamp Fox," Francis Marion, is one of the most celebrated figures of the American Revolution. Marion's cunning exploits in the Southern theater of the Revolution earned him national renown and a place in history as an American hero and master of modern guerilla warfare. Although dozens of works have been written about Marion s life over the years, this biography -- written by William Gilmore Simms, South Carolina s greatest author -- remains the best. First published in 1844, The Life of Francis Marion was Simms's most commercially successful work of nonfiction. It offers a treatment of Marion's life that is unparalleled in its scope and accuracy, all in Simms's inimitable style.

The life and military service of "The Swamp Fox" told in great detail from an early history. The story is much different from the Mel Gibson movie. Here is a man who commanded an army of volunteers to save and preserve the state of South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. He was loved, revered and respected by the soldiers he commanded. His troops were disciplined and effective with little in the way of supplies and support. Marion certainly gave all he had and led from the front. He returned to his home bankrupt by the war. How many of us would give it all for our country?