1776 by David McCullough
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Book Reviews of 1776
Book Review: Great Place to Start
Summary: 4 Stars
This may not be the definitive book about the Revolutionary War, but it is a great place to start learning more about American History. It's meant to be a companion book to the biography "John Adams" and it serves its purpose well.
I like history, and I love the way that David McCullough conveys history not as a set of dates, places, and events, but as stories. He brings each historical figure to life and has a unique way of teaching history that I think most readers will enjoy.
Do yourself a favor and pick up "John Adams" too and read them both.
Book Review: A Tremendous Job of Researching
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a heckuva well researched book. In terms of content, it can't be beat. The writing tends to be a bit uneven at times, with sentences that seem to lack flow and rhythm, but McCullough is first and foremost a historian and not a stylist.
Overall, 1776 deserves high praise.
Book Review: Celebrated Author Mails in Effort...News at 11
Summary: 3 Stars
Wonderfully researched by McCullough's staff and various librarians all over America and the UK. This book is worth purchasing used if only for the bibliography, which covers more than 20 pages. Alas, Pulitzer Prize & National Book Award winning author, David McCullough delivers by far the weakest presentation of material I've yet to read by him. Truman and John Adams are towering works and Mornings on Horseback is an excellent read. I've not read any of his other books.
1776 is a short, quick, unchallenging read about a particular aspect of an extraordinarily important period in American history. McCullough does not concern himself beyond the most perfunctatorial mentioning of anything besides the struggle between the American army under General George Washington and the British army it opposed in Boston, in and around New York City and in New Jersey. From rousing victory without bloodshed to crushing and repeated defeats to tide-turning and decisive victory.
McCullough's presentation is dutiful and repetitive. Only General Washington is delineated with any particular effort. Other important personages are presented with an offhanded chattiness just barely this side of cuteness. The miserableness of the American army is incessantly referred to, as is the commonness of it's soldiers. McCullough seems to have an almost perverse insistance that American freedom was bought with the blood of the most vulgar wretches imaginable; the lowest of the low. Duly noted. Wars are rarely fought by the rich and there was nothing profoundly patriotic or "American" about the peasantry of nation taking up arms to defend it's land. What's your point, Mr. McCullough?
This is McCullough's only effort and describing battle tactics and events that I'm aware of and he does not equip himself well. He fails to convey with any clarity the lay of the land, intended tactics or actual troop movements. He describes land only very generally, general orders vaguely and troop movements hurridly. To read the seige of Boston & battles of New York and New Jersey, I would recommend using the internet for area maps, specific orders and other helpful clarifying information. It may well be McCullough's strength lay much more in biography (Adams, Truman, T. Roosevelt, Brave Companions subjects) and topical history (Brooklyn Bridge, Johnstown Flood and Panama Canal) than in the minutae of military history.
McCullough's tone is relaxed and chatty to a fault. I like my history as easily digestable as the next guy but there is a fine line between popular history and a downright commercial presentation deliberately designed to capitalize on the author's popularity. For all of the research, there is very little hard history here. Furthermore, it has been my experience that Revolutionary War history, both militarily and politically, is best understood by reading biographies of the principal participants, particularly Washington, Andrew Hamilton, Adams, Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson because a well written biography inevitably places the subject in the larger context of their time. This is not a necessary read as the same information can be had with a reading any one of the several excellent biographies of Washington availiable in conjuction with a familiarity with the numerous websited that delineate in excruciating detail the actual events of the battles outlined in this book.
Book Review: Big name, weak book
Summary: 3 Stars
I think McCullough's living on his reputation with this one. A good bit of information, but not a lot of sense of history or the events or the people. Whoever wrote this for him didn't do a great job. I read this after Ellis' American Creation and the contrast was shattering.Book Review: Great book!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was surprised to know what really happened in 1776. It was a great year with many challenges. I enjoyed reading this book.