1776 by David McCullough Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of 1776
Book Review: 1776
Summary: 5 Stars
McCullough makes history live! His portrayal of the personalities of the founding fathers is riveting...Book Review: 1776 Indeed
Summary: 4 Stars
David McCullough's book is a very readable account of the military campaigns of that fateful year in American history. He describes rebel soldiers dressed in rags and British soldiers looking sharp and well-rested. British generals are seen as capable but arrogant, not even bothering to learn about General Washington or solicit intelligence about the rebel plans. The portraits of the commanding American generals; Washington, Green, Knox and Lee are also persuasive. In particular, McCullough does a real service to Washington making him come alive as a person; capable of errors of judgment and impulsive behavior but much more frequently a man of natural command, great heart and perseverance.
Unlike McCullough's massive biographies of Adams and Truman, this book is limited in scope. It doesn't deal with the Revolutionary war just the battles from the fateful year. It also doesn't deal with the political issues raging during 1776. McCullough mentions how King George had pushed the notion that the Americans were fighting for independence before that was accepted by the Americans and then mentions almost in passing the Declaration of Independence signed months later. What happened in those months to shift opinion from fighting within the British system for British rights towards fighting for a completely distinct set of rights as American citizens? This is outside the scope of the book. But for me, why choose 1776 as the year to track the military battles if it is not because of the significance of the break between the colonies and Britain? While there were stirring, important battles, I'm not convinced after reading the book that any of them marked a true turning point in the war. The Americans and British didn't sign a treaty until 1783, seven years later.
The other issue that gets raised in passing but never dealt with directly is that of the social context. One question I had was whether loyalists became British troop or whether the soldiers all came from Britain. Along those same lines, how did the colonialists breakdown in terms of their loyalties? Were New Englanders more devoted to the rebel cause? Virginia? Was it not a question of colonies but of status that determined one's loyalties? How did that aspect of the struggle play out? Both in terms of Boston and New York, McCullough mentions significant number of loyalists. In Boston many of them returned by ship with the British army. In New York, while the rebels were fortifying the town, many of the citizens were loyalists. So the British when they took it over, were surrounded by sympathizers. How did the civilian population so naturally torn by their sympathies to both sides, play into the military campaigns?
Finally, I was looking for a book that defined the year more broadly than just by its military actions but by the political and social events that transformed the American cause from one of a rebellion against onerous taxation to one of fighting for liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I think McCullough missed an opportunity by not delving deeper into the political and social currents of that fateful year that did so much to forge our American identity.
Book Review: 1776 book
Summary: 5 Stars
came quickly after ordering, was in good shape for a used book. would buy from this seller again.Book Review: 1776 by McCullough
Summary: 4 Stars
I don't usually find histories of battles particularly interesting, but in the hands of MuCullough the Battles in Boston, New York and New Jersey come alive in this snapshot of the American colonists before they realized they wanted to become a separate nation. How did these book-sellers, readers of ancient battles, farmers, and merchants transform themselves into an army and a Continental Congress? What drove them?
McCullough is an adept at painting contrasts between the colonial army's inexperience with the professionalism of the Redcoats; the leadership and character of General Washington and his inner circle of Greene, Knox and Reed with the leadership of King George III, General Howe and his brother, Admiral Howe; the character of the New Englanders with that of the New Yorkers. You read and you ask yourself again---how did the colonials manage, Washington keep the faith and endure, and such a rag tag army ever win? You can't help but feel awe. You also might feel bored at times, though, with the jumping around from details about a character's backgrounds to details about various Parliamentary activities. (The former entertains and the latter dulls). A bit of an edit of this material would have helped as well as a map of the colonies and the major battles. (I had to refer to an historical atlas at one point for help). Other than these two slight criticisms, though, 1776 is a compelling read and look at early America. I would recommend reading this after Captain Ahab's Wife for a grounding in colonial thinking.
Book Review: 1776 defines a seminal year.
Summary: 5 Stars
There is a good reason that 1776 by David McCullough rose to the number one national best seller and won a Pulitzer Prize. It is a clear and concise chronicle of the events taking place during 1776 to found and shape a new nation. McCullogh's documentation brings to light the hearts and minds of the soldier by including accounts from diaries, journal entries and letters of the men who fought in the Revolution. 1776 by David McCullogh is the quintessential work covering the day-to-day events of the early American forces as they followed General George Washington into battle. Many of those conflicts were losses for the rebels and 1776 clearly paints the horrors and sufferings during those conflicts with detail, and the Patriot's exuberance over their victories.