1776

Just never could get into it. Seems like he did research but missed the spirit/heart of the times. I'll stick to books closer to the founding dates but keep this on my shelf for future reference.

I was a little hesitant at first to read this, because if really did not come to me as a solid recommendation, but after taking the time to sit down with it one afternoon I loved it. The research and the details are all amazing. I had difficulty in a couple of instances getting into it. I feel that this is not because of the book, but because I do not read about history casually normally. I am accustomed to the pick-up-put-down of in class reading. Overall an amazing read with astonishing attention to detail and most importantly character.

Absolutely loved this book. McCullough's narrative skills are very good and keeps you engaged. I also didn't think a book of only a few hundred pages would have enough material for me to learn stuff that I don't already know but I was quite wrong. He shows tons of diary scripts from both American and British soldiers to show you exactly how they felt and what happened. I always enjoy history straight from a historical figure's hand. He was also very descriptive on battle scenes to give more enlightenment on how terrible war really is.

This was as thrilling as a book about 250 year old events can be! All the letters and diary content really added to the historical narrative.

The information contained in this book interesting though only a snapshot of what I was thinking might come from it. About halfway through I realized this was just going to cover 1776 (with a brief play of some events of 1775 in the beginning). The last pages race through some key events and spoilers leading up to the British surrender, which leaves me with a feeling that the book had reached its intended word count and then the author tried to finish it quickly.

That said, it's obvious that the presented material had extensive research. There are many quoted letters to present opinions in (mostly) the words of first account witnesses. The author does take some liberties to add or comment on words or phrases, though it is in an aide to the modern reader unfamiliar with phrases or abbreviations of the time.

On the whole, it's a good book. But I do not think this is a great book.

Incredible the amount of detail author David McCullough is able to muster to flesh out this very compelling story of the struggle of 1776. I learned a lot, and developed a much deeper appreciation for some of the key battles and skirmishes of the American Revolution. From a literary perspective, the story wanes between pages of slightly too much detail to moments of sheer tension and enlightenment. McCullough tells a very human story, focusing on the known facts surrounding key characters, like Nathanael Greene, Charles Lee, Henry Clinton, Charles Cornwallis, William Howe, and George Washington. Highly recommend it for anyone interested in the period.

The American rebels' victory over Britain seems so inevitable now, 200+ years in the future and after years of mildly patriotic schooling. This book makes it brutally clear that not only was the American victory NOT inevitable, it in fact was a goddamn miracle that the cause lasted beyond the first year.

From the beginning of the war to the appointment of General Washington as the Commander in Chief, through Washington's defeats and limited victories I was unable to put this book down. “1776” made Washington more real than he has ever seemed to me. Taking the legend of Washington and showing his humanity, his weaknesses and his strengths, made me realize how great a man he truly was. To see a leader so connected to a cause that he never gives up, even when all odds are against him and retreat and surrender seem to be his only options.

We all know how this story ends, but I am amazed at how little we truly know of the beginning and middle. A must read for anyone in leadership, as well as anyone interested in American or Military History. I now see why it was on the Chief of Staff of the Army's reading list.

Enjoy!

What I learned from this book: After the Declaration of Independence was signed, a NEW DAY OF FREEDOM REIGNED. Uh anyway, it was well-written I guess but pretty bro-ed out on Bromerica.

This book is a very informative look at a single year in American history. I liked learning about the British and Loyalist point of view as well as the problems Washington had in keeping the army together. The portraits, letters and the maps also add to the experience.