Review: 1776

1776 by David McCullough
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I learned SO MUCH about the Revolutionary War from this book! But that's the point of reading books by David McCullough - he did the research and found the facts and knit them all together in a readable narrative, and all I have to do is read his books and learn from them. He was truly one of the greatest writers of the last century, maybe one of the top ten. He brought American history into the lives of 21st century readers and armchair travelers. This is the third book I've read by him and hopefully it will not be the last.

So, back to the topic: General Washington and his grand endeavor to free the American states from the rule and taxation of the British government. The book chronicles only one year of the war, 1776. It is considered the founding year of our country because the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4. The war was already in progress. It started April 19, 1775 and lasted until September 3, 1783.

1776 was a decisive year. It started with General Washington and an army of questionable soundness encamped just west of Boston which was occupied by the British. There were many problems with the army including that the men were often extremely sick and unable to fight. By the end of the year the army seemed dedicated to the cause but again in very bad shape, some even marching to battle on icy roads with no shoes. It is to these men that we owe a huge debt of gratitude because despite all the hardships, they persevered! Amazing!

I liked reading the book because I learned more about the people involved in the battles - both the Americans and the British. I learned what kinds of hardships the Americans endured to bring this country its independence. There's so much in this book worthy of note that I really knew nothing about before. Thinking back to what I learned about the Revolutionary War in high school I see now that what I thought it was, it wasn't. And what it was, was amazing. The battles, the retreats, the unexpected attacks, the decisions General Washington had to make - they are all detailed in this book.

Anyhow, I'm glad I read it and my only question now is: What David McCullough book do I want to read next?

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