1776 by David McCullough

 1776 by David McCullough-386 pages

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America’s beloved and distinguished historian presents, in a book of breathtaking excitement, drama, and narrative force, the stirring story of the year of our nation’s birth, 1776, interweaving, on both sides of the Atlantic, the actions and decisions that led Great Britain to undertake a war against her rebellious colonial subjects and that placed America’s survival in the hands of George Washington.

In this masterful book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence—when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper.

Based on extensive research in both American and British archives, 1776 is a powerful drama written with extraordinary narrative vitality. It is the story of Americans in the ranks, men of every shape, size, and color; farmers, schoolteachers, shoemakers, no-accounts, and mere boys turned soldiers. And it is the story of the King’s men, the British commander, William Howe, and his highly disciplined redcoats who looked on their rebel foes with contempt and fought with a valor too little known.

Written as a companion work to his celebrated biography of John Adams, David McCullough’s 1776 is another landmark in the literature of American history.

Thoughts: This has been on my TBR for quite some time and I decided to finally read it for this month's challenge. I like that McCullough begins in late 1775 with the British perspective and the events in the British Parliament that lead to the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. I learned some things about King George III (he had 15 children!) and his attitude toward the American colonies and the conflict that he viewed as a rebellion. I also learned that some British MPs (Members of Parliament) were more sympathetic towards the American colonists and wanted to try more conciliatory measures, but were ultimately outnumbered. This is a nuanced, even account of the first year or so of the American Revolutionary War and especially of Washington and his Continental Army. It was very bleak for Washington and the army for most of 1776. Even though the Declaration was signed on July 4, it was not looking good for the Americans for most of the year. The tides finally turned in late December, 1776 at the Battle of Trenton where the Continental Army surprised approx. 1,500 Hessians and routed them inflicting 1,100 casualties (111 dead or wounded, 900 captured). Up until that point it had been defeat after defeat. In early 1777, the Continental Army won another victory at the Battle of Princeton. If not for these two victories (especially Trenton), the American Revolutionary War may have ended quite differently. This was a really good read and I learned some things.