1776 (ISBN 1594131430)

Download Description:
"In this stirring book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence -- when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper. Written as a companion work to his celebrated biography of John Adams, David McCullough's 1776 is another landmark in the literature of American history. "

An Interesting Overview of a Difficult Year:
What works in David McCullough's "1776" is the introduction of smaller stories. This is when he shines. Everyone knows that George Washington is larger than life and has in their head iconic images of him crossing the Delaware. What fascinates here is the story of Henry Knox getting much-needed guns to Boston, or the fortuitous fog that allows the entire army to escape. Another aspect of 1776 that I loved was the fact that Washington, in the midst of one of the most difficult and disappointing years of his military career, was obsessed with completing his renovation of Mount Vernon. He's upset about how poorly things are going on the front lines, so he steps away briefly to write home and specify just how he wants the fireplaces to be installed. This is classic adaptation to events - if you can't control the situation you're in, find one that you can control and attend to that for a while. The stories, intertwined and numerous as they are, are edited brilliantly by McCullough, who makes this book, which could have been a dry recitation of dates and battles, a human tale of sacrifice, triumph, disappointment, homesickness and almost anything else you could name. I could "hear" Mr. McCullough's voice throughout my reading of the story, and that's a huge compliment.

Must have:
Excellent book. For a guy who has a tough time following American Revolution material, this one kept my attention for the duration. Very interesting take on a true David vs. Goliath tale that I think much of our country's population really knows little about. Haven't read much about the Revolution since school but this served as a bit of a refresher and much more. Looking forward to moving on to McCullough's John Adams....

Just Great:
Nothing much to say except that when I picked up, I could not put it down. Read it entirely in a couple of days. If you are interested in American history, this book will make a great addition to your library.

A master historian:
"Real" historians likely have their noses in the air about Mr. McCullough, and this may be a good indication to recommend it to readers - "1776" is readable and enjoyable as a story in itself! Buy or borrow this book. David McCullough takes information from many references, especially various letters written by participants of the American Revolution in the year 1776, and blends them into a sequence that would befit a movie. Maybe it will be someday, and it should be at least as engrossing as the book. The reader will notice that almost all of the action and narrative turn out to be depressingly bad times for the young American pre-republic. Nevertheless, you keep reading, knowing that SOMETHING good is going to happen to all those long-suffering patriots. Indeed it does. The year 1776 proves to be a good choice of year to write about. Not only was that the year of the Declaration of Independence, but militarily it was "bookended" with two favorable events accomplished by the rebel army: the taking of Dorchester Heights, then Boston by default in early 1776; then the defeat of the Hessian brigade at Trenton in December 1776. In that long, agonizing middle between these events the army suffered bitter defeats and horrendous suffering. The author very skillfully describes these sufferings, but always points out the near-miraculous things that seem to bridge the army temporarily from bad to bad, keeping them around to fight another day. More important, he demonstrates that these "bridge" events would have been meaningless had not the army, and specifically George Washington and other leaders, not had the insight and the perseverance to immediately take advantage of them. The hauling of cannon by Henry Knox's men to Boston is one example. The freakish weather in the retreat from Long Island, and for the attack at Trenton are others. These are fabulous models of character by many, many people. At the end, McCullough hints that the rebel army at last began looking like what would soon be called the Continental Army. Very appropriate, very optimistic and satisfying conclusion to the book. Pick up a copy.

1776:
I have always been a fan of Revolutionary War history. I was born Williamsburg, it was easy as a kid to let imagination take over in a town like that. I thought 1776 was great. I thought that the book could be expanded to allow in the whole northern campaign of the war, Breeds Hill, Ticonderoga, Lexington, Concord and the events that led to these battles. However, it covered the year 1776 from Washington's perspective in a such a way that made me put the book down to just ponder the details of the story that no one, not even Washington, knew the way it would end. This book should be part of every high schools required reading list, because it can invigorate the understanding of our country's bedrock traditions. These traditions are so often unrealized, unappreciated words whose backstory is only vaguely understood by each new generation. This book will invite a love of history, and respect for history to all who read it... Will Lutz