Part Memoir. Part History. Part Travelogue. Part Love Letter to the State of New Jersey. On a late summer day in 2009, Al Frazza began a journey of exploration. His goal — to visit, research, and photograph hundreds of New Jersey Revolutionary War historic sites. While thoroughly exploring the physical landscape of his home state, he encounters a history that is often heart-breaking, sometimes uplifting, but always interesting. Working alone, with no prior training as a historian, and no financial backing, his life slowly becomes dominated by the project. Increasingly unsure if and when he will ever complete his journey, he moves ever onward in his 1994 Oldsmobile. Ultimately, he explores nearly 650 historic locations, and creates the Revolutionary War New Jersey website. This book tells the story of Al’s journey in his own words, including some humorous experiences he had along the way. It also describes the New Jersey experiences of famous figures such as George Washington and Ben Franklin, as well as ordinary New Jersey residents whose lives, farms, and homes stood in the midst of a war zone. Told in short chapters that flow from one topic to another, the book moves at a brisk pace. State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey creates a unique reading experience that will keep you engaged. You might even find yourself inspired to go out and explore the history around you — wherever you may live. ------ Al Frazza is a proud lifelong resident of North Jersey, who has had a passion for history for much of his life. He is the creator of the Revolutionary War New Jersey website, which is used by thousands of people every week to help them explore New Jersey’s Revolutionary War historic sites. Al’s history work and photographs have been featured in many New Jersey publications. This is his first book. "Al Frazza's Revolutionary War New Jersey was my go-to source as I drove around the Garden State for a traveling history of the war that made us who we are. And the story of how Frazza created his matchless online guide - working by himself, over more than seven years, inspired by his love for his home state - is as fascinating as the information-rich website itself." - Bob Thompson, author of Revolutionary Roads: Searching for the War That Made America Independent... and All the Places It Could Have Gone Terribly Wrong . "This fascinating little book could be called The Site that Al Built. Instead, it is named State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey . This book is the history of Al Frazza's travels and research to make his historical website concerning New Jersey's part in the Revolutionary War a reality. Let me hasten to say, the book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in history and how historians go about mining facts from primary sources. Al spent over seven years traversing the great state of New Jersey. He visited over 600 historical sites, then documented the relationship of the sites to the Revolutionary War on his website. Even if you are not into history, you will enjoy reading this book. "After spending 10,000 hours of research, thousands of miles of travel, and untold misery in a hot car, what do you get? If you are Al Frazza, you get a fantastic website about the American Revolutionary War and its events in New Jersey. State of Revolution is a gold mine of information for anyone writing their American History Master's Capstone Project. Al was not writing an academic paper, but unknowingly, he produced a book that I wish I'd had when I did my history capstone project. He explains how he developed the website, and in his explanation, he gives guidance for historical research. Al shares anecdotes from his field research that keep the book moving and interesting. He does not write in a dry academic manner but rather as if he is talking to the reader as a friend." - Philip Van Heusen, for Readers' Favorite , readersfavorite.com "The best resource for information about the Garden State in the American Revolution has long been Revolutionary War New Jersey ( revolutionarywarnewjersey.com ). For over seven years, Al Frazza's wonderful web site has provided a treasure trove of details for both scholars and those simply seeking to explore the scene of the action. Now, thanks to State of Revolution: My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey , we can share the back story of Frazza's odyssey. "We join the author on the road as he visits about 650 historic locations, highlighting thousands of people, buildings, monuments, cemeteries, and battlefields. State of Revolution is equally educational, humorous, inspiring, and a paean to New Jersey. "As a long-time user of Frazza's site, I was excited to learn of the book. I was not disappointed. As a former longtime NJ resident and an American Revolution Round Table president, I highly recommend that you jo