William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe

William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, was a British general who commanded during the early years of the American Revolutionary War. He led troops at Bunker Hill, captured New York and Philadelphia and repeatedly defeated Continental forces, but failed to destroy Washington’s army or coordinate effectively with other British commands. He resigned in 1778 amid criticism of the wider strategy.

Howe appears in Jeff Shaara’s Rise to Rebellion and The Glorious Cause, which dramatise the political and military leadership on both sides of the Revolution. He also features in older American historical fiction such as Kenneth Roberts’s Rabble in Arms, usually as a capable but cautious commander whose victories did not end the rebellion.

Bernard Cornwell’s Redcoat is set against during the winter of 1777–1778, young British soldier Sam Gilpin serves in occupied Philadelphia after seeing his brother killed.