Book Review: 1776

Title: 1776
Author: David McCullough
Rating: ****

A Quick Overview: (from Amazon) Esteemed historian David McCullough covers the military side of the momentous year of 1776 with characteristic insight and a gripping narrative, adding new scholarship and a fresh perspective to the beginning of the American Revolution. It was a turbulent and confusing time. As British and American politicians struggled to reach a compromise, events on the ground escalated until war was inevitable. McCullough writes vividly about the dismal conditions that troops on both sides had to endure, including an unusually harsh winter, and the role that luck and the whims of the weather played in helping the colonial forces hold off the world's greatest army. Some of the strongest passages in 1776 are the revealing and well-rounded portraits of the Georges on both sides of the Atlantic. The great Washington lives up to his considerable reputation in these pages, and McCullough relies on private correspondence to balance the man and the myth, revealing how deeply concerned Washington was about the Americans' chances for victory, despite his public optimism. Perhaps more than any other man, he realized how fortunate they were to merely survive the year, and he willingly lays the responsibility for their good fortune in the hands of God rather than his own. Enthralling and superbly written, 1776 is the work of a master historian. --Shawn Carkonen

My Thoughts: What a great book. It's definitely not what I'd call an "easy read", but upon completion I felt like it was a worthwhile read! I love learning new things, and to be honest, I don't remember a thing about the Revolutionary War from highschool history class, so this was a great book for learning. I like how it was written, often as actual letters written by people affected by the war who were present at the time of it. Nothing like quoting the actual people living through it to get a good sense of what was really going on. I'd reccomend it if you like history!