[.ca] 1776 (ISBN 0786276231)

1776 and all that...:
David McCullough is fast becoming the most popular historian of Americana in the country. His books are the sort that run counter to publishing conventional wisdom - he regularly puts out large, thick 'tomes' on figures, places or events that might not be the best known in American history, yet because of his good research, eye for discernment and engaging writing style, the reading public continues to purchase and read the texts, eagerly waiting for more. Therefore, how could McCullough's text on 1776 not be a success? Divided into three major sections, the story of the year 1776 is perhaps different in this retelling than typical story because McCullough confines himself to this one, fateful year, and does the telling without a great deal of back-interpretation that casts a better glow. When things look bleak, they are bleak - indeed, if one did not know the subsequent history, one might think at the end of this text that the American forces were destined to lose. In some ways, this year could be entitled 'The Tale of Two Georges', and in his presentation of both Washington and King George, McCullough is careful to separate fact from later legendary accretions. The king was not the villain of later American schoolchildren's lore, and George Washington, while heroic, was still a human being faced with uncertain times and fallible decisions. However, it is in other characters that McCullough's talents really shine. One such figure is Nathanael Greene, the youngest general in the American army (McCullough said in an interview with Charlie Rose that Greene is perhaps his favourite character in this book). The course of the narrative takes the reader back and forth from England to America, and looks both at the political and military issues in both places. Key political leaders in Britain and America, as well as direct players in the field in the American cities and countryside, are combined with grace and skill. The central event of the year, certainly from the American standpoint, is the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence, itself really a letter to King George enumerating grievances and making statements of intention. McCullough does not dwell on this event and its particulars as much as he describes the events of the people in reaction to this declaration - that spirits were high and heady, but that the inexorable march of military events kept the residents of the colonies-now-a-country occupied with more urgent matters than celebration. McCullough's text is supplemented by colour plates, pictures, and maps showing the portraits of the principal figures, the cities and colony layouts. This is a wonderful book, with particular events well selected and well connected (every history is necessarily a piece of selective reconstruction). It gives a real sense of the situation for the whole of the people in this most fateful of years for the new American nation.

1776: the number of quotations per chapter!:
I was very disappoined with this book. Having recently completed the two extremely readable and very informative historical fictions dealing with the War of Indepenance by Jeff Shaara (Rise to Rebellion and The Glorious Cause), I was looking forward to 1776. Boy was I let down. My biggest problem with this book is the sheer amount of quotations- virtually every paragraph has at least one, other paragraphs consist solely of quotes. This has the effcect of grinding the narative to a painful halt. Don't bother with this book. You will learn more by reading the Shaara novels. And will enjoy them so much more than the bore titled 1776.

Squeaks out 5 stars:
I am a reader who likes stories. I like my history books to be yarns, filled with the pertinent details. The problem is that many history books are composed of boring lists of facts and dates. 1776 is not. This is a book that keeps suspenseful, relevant and interesting throughout. I was originally going to give 4 stars, but that is because of my prejudice towards history books. This book far surpasses the norm for the genre, and should be read by everyone interested in early American history. Incidentally, the recruitment problems encountered by the American army are explained in another book, Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States." This book portrays the war of independence as a war to further the economic interests of the ruling class. The poor had little to no interest in independence, and thus Washington and his army found themselves perpetually short of men. Read 1776 if you like history

Crucial Year, Superb History!:
The reader of "1776" is introduced to an excellent narrative of a most crucial year in the history of America and the world. Beginning with the lead up events of 1775, this book focuses on the Continental Army, while not neglecting other issues in this early year of the Revolution. Much of this story deals with George Washington and other leaders of the Army. Starting outside of Boston, we join the Army as it watches the evacuation of that city, endure its defeats around New York, and rejoice in its victories at Trenton and Princeton. The importance of the Declaration of Independence is examined without disrupting the flow of the story. A masterful story teller, David McCullough displays his skills as he intertwines the tales of generals with those of enlisted men. He performs his magic as he draws on the memoirs of common soldiers without converting "1776" into a popular history. I turned to "1776" as part of my preparation for a lecture on George Washington. I found it to be very helpful, as well as entertaining. Even had I not been researching Washington, I would have enjoyed this book.

A Masterpiece:
A superbly written and researched book. McCullough chooses to focus on just the one year, 1776, and the critical events leading up to the most significant event in that period of American history. George Washington is clearly the centerpiece of the story but McCullough does a great job of describing other key figures such as Knox and Greene. I could not recommend a finer read in American History.