1776 by David McCullough
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Book Reviews of 1776
Book Review: A great hook to reintroduce you to the War for Independence
Summary: 4 Stars
I'd read some Revolutionary War books before, but after hearing all the hype of 1776 I thought I'd give it a read. It was such a refreshing and new take on a war fought so long ago in a time so very different from our own. The author explains the roots of the war so the reader has a full knowledge of what spurned the movement for independence. I had never realized how reluctant yet dedicated a leader Washington was. I earned a new respect for this character that most now only associate with a $1 bill. The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars was that it ended too abruptly and left me wanting more! Thankfully, I found some other great books to see me through until the end.
Rarely does a book live up to all the hype but this one clearly does.
Book Review: 1776
Summary: 4 Stars
A very readable history, of THE famous year, that makes George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams,, Benjamin Franklin, and so many others very human and fascinating. As soon as I scarfed it down, I sent it to my Seabee son serving in Iraq, a proud patrio. He accidentally showed it to his roomie who can't put it down. So my son is waiting patiently to see it. He's riding convoy security outside the wire, so you may understand why I'm happy to send him anything distracting for the few down hours he has. This does the trick beautifully!! This is a page turner that details amazing feats of battle, ingenuity, desperation, and triumph in the face of overwhelming odds, disease, and pitiful conditions. I'm left feeling that we modern, watered-down Americans need to all discover our past. I feel so rich having done so.
Trouble is, now I want to know what happened the other five years of the war--how exactly DID Washington and the foreparents turn that impossible feat around?? I can't believe my son in one war has turned me on to the war that makes us all willing to risk precious lives to defend the freedoms won in it. I'm ashamed it took so long~
Book Review: A masterful history from a master historian.
Summary: 5 Stars
There is little I can add that other reviewers haven't already said, so I'll keep my comments brief. "1776" is a focused history, primarily of the events of that year, but more specifically of George Washington's leadership of the ragtag Continental Army through the most critical phase of the battle for independence. Other personages like Nathanael Greene and Henry Knox figure very prominently, as do British commanders like the brothers Howe (general William and admiral Richard).
The narrative picks up in the summer of 1775, just after Bunker Hill, with the appointment of Washington to lead the American army, such as it was in those days. It then traces through the siege of Boston and the capture of Dorchester Heights, through the catastrophic New York campaign and retreat through New Jersey, and culminates with the American victories at Trenton and Princeton. The story ends there rather abruptly. From beginning to end the tale is told from both the American and British perspective, from the highest commanders to the lowest foot soldiers.
Through it all, Washington is without a doubt the central personality on display. The strength of his character and resolve shine through in the face of myriad adversities, the failures of his ragamuffin troops, and his own occasional military ineptitude. McCullough strikes a trustworthy historical balance between the adulation afforded Washington in his times of success, to the doubts of those same admirers in his times of failure. Drawing heavily on primary sources in the form of preserved letters and diaries, both from Washington and those who surrounded him, McCullough paints an accurate and realistic portrait of the one man who, more than any other, can rightly be credited with saving the cause of American independence, by the grace of God.
My only criticism, and it is a minor one, is that I would have preferred that McCullough expand the end of the narrative to provide a synopsis of the remaining war years. Of course, this was evidently beyond the scope of what the author intended, so I'll have to look elsewhere for that portion of the history. What McCullough gave us, however, was brilliantly done, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know what REALLY happened during that crucial year.
Book Review: Just a joy to read
Summary: 5 Stars
As an undergraduate History student you would not think I would want to read historical books in my free time. I had a professor suggest this book to me and it took two years after for me to finally pick it up but I am so glad I did. It has instantly become one of my favorite books and I have already bought more of David McCullough books and look forward to reading all of them.Book Review: Essential and timely reading for every American.
Summary: 4 Stars
Being a student of medicine and not American history, 1776 reawakened the collegiate interest that I had in American Revolutionary History in years past. While I am not knowledgable enough to be critical of previously reviewed shortcomings in detail and anacronism, I did develop a richness of appreciation for the story told, and further, developed a distinct understanding of the reasons why our current Administration decided to redeploy the First Union Jack, a standard from this period, on all of its Navy vessels since September 11, 2001. The probability of our fledgling Nation's rag-tag militias' ability to overcome a professional British Army is analogous to our current day probability of overcoming the barbarity and threat of Islamo-fascism and its global extent...a very tough uphill battle indeed, and in some minds, undo-able without divine providential assistance. 1776 should be read with the risk to our current-day liberties in mind. Few tell the story as well as McCullough, both in text and in the audiobook. I consider myself privileged, as a doctor of medicine, to have been a student of Dr. Benjamin Rush Jr., the great great great grandson of Dr. Rush, the Declaration signer. As if that were not enough, I recently discovered, while reading 1776, that my closest college friend, a Richard Henry Lee of NJ, just happens to be the great great great grand nephew of Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, another Declaration signer. I find the level of detail utilized by McCullough to be more than adequate for the purposes of alerting 21st century Americans to the fierce fight had in 1776, and how similar will be that fight to the fight we have before us to save our great Nation from Islamic barbarism.