The musical was better!

No, I’m kidding (although I am one of 23 people on this planet to actually likes the B’way show. No excuse for the other planets). I want David McCullough to be my grandfather, sit near a fireplace, smoke a pipe and tell me stories. I don’t care about what—just talk.

I like his not-so-stuffy writing style. I always have. In “1776” he continues making historical figures and events accessible and even entertaining. His research is (as far as I know) impeccable. And thar’ be the problem mates’. His narrative is contained to the one year—and, yes, it was an incredible one—where the reader is plopped into a time vortex that needs a huge amount of back story (i.e. explain just about everything). It all seems like an appendix to his masterpiece “John Adams.” There was a wagon load of notes left over from that one so bind them all into another. I am being unfair, I realize. If you don’t compare it to “Adams,” it is better than your average book on the American Revolution . . . a lot better. Detailed when it needs to be, anecdotal enough to make characters human, succinct summarizations of complex events (often happening simultaneously) and easy on the old noggin.

I am also one of only nine people (among all the planets) who thinks the Broadway Show “Ben Franklin in Paris” was kinda cool. Oh, mock me if you want. I am secure enough to take it.

Colonial farmers were just built different. 100% increase in my appreciation for our fighting forefathers achieved.

"1776" is a work of staggering simplicity and monumental achievement. This text gives one the appropriate sense of grandeur and history that the year 1776 richly deserves. Yet at the same time it brings such sweeping history into minute detail and humanity, making the reader realize that these giants of history were fully human, and like us, at times amazingly inspired and sometimes flawed.
Mr. McCullough is not only a wonderful historian, but he is also a very gifted writer and the prose leaps off the page. The readers mind easily finds accessible the scenarios which are described in the text. McCullough's masterly and vivid style is no small feat.
Mr. McCullough has said that "history is about people. ..time and human nature." and "1776" captures the essence of all of those qualities. Holding the book together is a well rounded and honest portrayal of George Washington, and McCullough's ability to find little know nuggets of personal history flesh out even further this well known father of our nation.
After reading this text, one realizes that this first year of our nation was nothing short of a miracle. McCullough does something in this book that is difficult to do. He does justice to a miracle.
This should be on the bookshelf of any serious student of America. Not only for its historical record, but also because it gives the reader an even greater appreciation for the beacon of freedom in the world that is America!

I started this because I needed a nonfiction book for my morning reading, and at the time, I was reading a novel set during the American Revolution. Since my knowledge about the American Revolution was pretty much at a Schoolhouse Rock level, I learned a lot from reading this book. His final lines perfectly sum up the overall feel of the book.

Especially for those who had been with Washington and who knew what a close call it was at the beginning—how often circumstance, storms, contrary winds, the oddities of strength of individual character had made the difference—the outcome seemed little short of a miracle.

McCullough's research included previous scholarship on the war, letters, diaries, newspaper articles and other documents of the time. I'm astounded by the amount of reading he must have done to write this book—his bibliography is 24 pages long. He brought it all together into a fascinating narrative of the year, focusing on Washington and his inner circle. My favorite part was the account of Henry Knox, bookseller turned soldier, and his men's heroics and stamina in retrieving artillery from Ticonderoga in time for the Americans to take Dorchester Heights.
This book sparked an interest in learning more about this time period and in reading more books by McCullough. As a novice to this kind of writing, I found it to be accessible and extremely interesting.

Review of the audiobook narrated by the author.

McCullough does a masterful job of setting the historical stage, introducing us to the characters and telling a comprehensive tale of the events of 1776, both in his own voice and (thanks to letters he researched) in the voice of many involved in the conflict. He gives us just enough of the names and places without getting bogged down in the minutia and sounding like a textbook. Focusing on this crucial year he is able to give us a taste of the bigger American Revolutionary War with an average length book.

The detailed blow by blow of events during 1776 paints a stark picture in relation to the well known eventual outcome of the Revolutionary War. Seeing just how close the British were to winning the war on more than one occasion makes for an extraordinary tale that no one would believe if it wasn't actually history. The book focuses on George Washington as he played an important role in most of the events which are chronicled, which I liked because I don't know enough about our first President.

The is the second book I've listened to by McCullough, both narrated by the author. He's a capable narrator and of course knows the material, but I feel that a great narrator would do better justice to the text. He doesn't ruin the experience at all though, and it won't stop me from listening to any others he narrates as I can certainly appreciate his dedication to his own work.

Final verdict: 5 star story, 4 star narration, 4.5 stars overall

While this history of that integral year in American history was interesting, I have to be honest: if I had been actually reading this book, I never would have made it through; there was way too much military maneuvering for me to be enthralled, although I had the distinct impression (not for the first time) that the end result of the American Revolution was a miracle. But with David McCullough reading his book, I was able to stay with it and finish with a happy sigh.

Of course, I have to say that the moment that has stayed with me was the description of a retreat (I no longer remember which one) that occurred because a fortuitous fog that settled over the patriots and allowed them to escape the notice of the British. This made me smile because it reminded me of The Iliad, and I imagined the "grey-eyed goddess" having a word with Zeus, asking him to cut the Americans a break. All in all, though, a fine book for morning commute listening.

When I started this book, I realized the scope of time was very limited compared to the whole revolutionary war. So I put it aside and read "The American Revolution: A Visual History" which was dense with information and told the whole story. Then I went back to McCullough's book, and was able to understand much more, and put the year 1776 in context of the larger war.

The stories in "1776" portrayed important events of that year, and also the personal characters of many historical figures, including, of course, George Washington -- both his failings and his successes.

Why didn't I know all this in school? History is much more fascinating than school would have you believe.

McCullough is a very good story-teller. He didn't doctor the tale up with fancy language; he just told the story straight. An easy and fascinating read. I also loved McCullough's "John Adams" (which I gave 5 stars) and am looking forward to more David McCullough books.

Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.
-tGeneral George Washington

I’m ashamed to say that, despite even the meager teaching I received in grade and high school, my knowledge of the Revolutionary War period is still rather slim. I know the notable names, the dates, and general locations certain battles were fought, but know nothing of the details, the inspirations, or the specifics regarding motivating factors. The true political landscape of the time completely escapes me, much to my detriment. It’s something I’ve made a goal to remedy, believing that understanding and acknowledging the generation of the founding fathers and their undertaking in forging this nation, to be both honoring of them and their efforts, and necessary to create within me a new appreciation and gratitude for the freedoms I currently practice with relative autonomy.

As has been said many times on news networks, radio, various websites, and in many forms of print, America seems to be more divided than ever; that we are now on the edge of losing our great nation to division, dissension, partisan politics, and general unrest. With the rise of social media platforms, our new, almost ubiquitous connectedness, and constant 24-hour news cycle, the doom and gloom pessimism that some find it a joy to spread is now allowed to permeate society in entirely new ways, taking its toll on morale, uniting naysayers alike, and forging bastions of negativity when, in all truthfulness, it’s the last thing we need in the face of such separation.

Within this strife there is a tendency to want to return to a simpler time, a utopian time; a time when all Americans were united in cause and vision, when the nation stood together for the greater hope of all who shared the same ideals. The stories of the revolutionary period always seem to be dredged up when political pundits of various parties wish to restore something that was ‘lost’, or when a jingoistic interpretation of history will serve as the perfect springboard to justify whatever action needs approved at the time. Unfortunately, despite the great desire for this magical point in history in which this perfect peace existed, it did not, and has never actually been a reality.

It really bothers me when I hear people dismiss the past as a 'simpler time', usually when referring to how 'terrible' things are currently. The real nails-on-the-chalkboard lines for me are “It’s the worst it’s ever been,” and “It’s never been this bad,” and “[insert virtue here] is such a rare quality these days.” It’s always punctuated with the words these days, as if virtue was prevalent in days past. As if the preceding periods of human history have been filled with simple conflicts, virtuous leaders and selfless lay-people, and the liar, the thief, the murderer, and the despot were all inventions of this generation.

It's important to note that only a third of the population of the colonies had any interest in independence. The majority was either loyal to King George or waiting to see who won before deciding allegiance. When Britain was forced to retreat during the Siege of Boston they took over 1,000 loyalists with them to England. Regular people, simply seeking to live their lives fled their homes and everything they knew, looking to escape the effects and outcomes of 'the glorious cause'. What some now look at as a simple mission for liberty and freedom was much more complicated in nature, with views and opinions all over the spectrum. While the ideals of the revolutionary period may, in fact, be rooted in the idea of equality and liberty for all people, the specifics are far more varied and prone to the ugliness of human frailty.

As I mention in my n  Mayflowern review, despite the rose-colored glasses that many Americans attempt to view history with, or through which politicians attempt to focus our gaze, there was no utopian period in which freedoms were exercised in a perfect vacuum of personal liberty. The very colonization of Plymouth, along with the subsequent century leading to the Revolutionary War, was filled with war, religious dispute, and political turmoil, just as the century which followed it would produce the trappings which led to the Civil War.

Regardless of the rhetorical efforts to the contrary, history reveals that the America we know today was, in fact, born of, and has continued to press onward despite, hardship, not its absence.

It is constant trial that forces us, as individuals, and as a nation, to always reexamine our path, and challenge ourselves to redirect accordingly in order to maintain our moral compass, and to attain higher achievement. Not merely achievement in the economic sense, but in the moral, in the legal, in the scientific, in education, and in provision. Without hardship we have only comfort, and the only traits born of comfort are indifference, distance, and apathy. Struggle provides discomfort, discomfort forces evaluation, evaluation, hopefully, leads to action and self-improvement rather than sloth.

If anything can truly be called American, and stand as a pillar upon which the nation itself sets its ideals, is that idea of a resilient spirit in the midst of challenge; to be accepting of challenge, and to embrace dissension and difficulties as growing pains incurred while working toward a higher aim. Holding one's self to a greater standard is essential in a democratic system, particularly when working to ensure that ideal is provided to all people, even our enemies. That conviction and perseverance has been required of Americans many times before, and nowhere was it more important than when we weren't yet what we are now.

1776, by David McCullough, is the encapsulated biography of the most dangerous and most pivotal year of the revolution that resulted in the creation of our country. Written as a companion piece to his book, John Adams, it traces the steps of George Washington and the Continental Army from the Siege of Boston, in January, to the crossing of the Delaware River and ensuing attack at Trenton, the day after Christmas. While the Continental Congress argued as to how to respond to the growing political crisis, Washington, and several thousand volunteer troops, were all that stood between the colonies and the might of the 18th century's strongest empire.

The reflection upon my situation and that of this army produces an uneasy hour when all around me are wrapped in sleep. Few people know the predicament we are in.

-tGeneral George Washington, January 14th, 1776

In reading 1776, I was hoping for a detailed introduction to the events surrounding the historical moment when the thirteen colonies became a unified presence. What I received instead was much less detailed, though far more inspiring. As a whole, the book doesn't present any of the specifics regarding the catalysts that resulted in revolution, but is more of a character study of those involved in the key battles involving what constituted the continental army at the time. It serves as a 'ground-level' portrayal of events, with McCullough utilizing excerpts from letters and missives to breathe life into the names and situations. It's impressive just how many he's able to pull from, and not just the names we know, but also those of the common soldier (on both sides of the conflict), and the distant citizen.

George Washington is the book's central figure, with the narrative resulting from actions he would take, or would indirectly feel the effects from. There is so much mythology surrounding the founding fathers and their contributions to American freedom that the history is practically legend; the specifics lost in the popular acceptance of misty caricature and vague principal. Washington has become a mythic figure, his human traits lost amidst his accomplishment. McCullough does not allow his weaknesses and mistakes to go unnoticed, and goes so far as to highlight them.

Writing to Lund Washington on September 30, Washington was even more candid about his miseries. “Such is my situation that if I were to wish the bitterest curse to an enemy on this side of the grave, I should put him in my stead with my feelings.” […] “In confidence I tell you that I never was in such an unhappy, divided state since I was born.”

In doing so, McCullough decries the deity-like stature the man has obtained, reducing him to the human being that he truly was, and in the process, making the achievement of his enduring leadership the true testament of greatness it really was. He was no military genius, no brilliant tactician. Washington was at least partly responsible for a string of failures that devastated his soldiers during the middle of the year. Having succeeded in driving the British out during the Siege of Boston in January, he and his army were promptly trounced in every successive major engagement, until December, when his army was at its lowest point, both in morale and in number, when desperation forced his hand and he decided to attack.

The problem was not that there were too few American soldiers in the thirteen states. There were plenty, but the states were reluctant to send the troops they had to help fight the war, preferring to keep them close to home, and especially as the war was not going well. In August, Washington had an army of 20,000. In the three months since, he had lost four battles – at Brooklyn, Kips Bay, White Plains, and Fort Washington – then gave up Fort Lee without a fight. His army now was divided as it had not been in August and, just as young Lieutenant Monroe had speculated, he had only about 3,500 troops under his personal command – that was all.

Washington's plan to march to and cross the Delaware, on Christmas night, in a blizzard, to attack a force of superior numbers with superior training, in a last-ditch attempt to seize a much-needed victory, was arguably the turning point of the entire war.

The question, that begs to be asked, is why, after all those defeats, after a year of constant retreat, after consistently disease-ridden conditions, in the middle of the worst weather possible, did those 3,000 men follow him into what very well could have amounted to a suicide mission? Why did men follow him for nine miles after the crossing, without shoes, without proper clothing, or equipment? Why did men continue to march to Trenton even though two of them froze to death in the process?

It was because of Washington's ability as a leader. He utterly convinced them of the possibility of victory through the sheer portrayal of his convictions.

The sight of Washington set an example of courage such as he had never seen, wrote one young officer afterward. “I shall never forget what I felt…when I saw him brave all the dangers of the field and his important life hanging as it were by a single hair with a thousand deaths flying around him. Believe me, I thought not of myself”.

It's these personal narratives and character traits upon which McCullough spends his time developing for the reader, rather than the simple outlining of dates and locations. He gives voice to the individuals who participated, who lived through the experience, allowing us too see through their eyes and connect with them on a very human level. Individuals like Henry Knox, a 25-year old bookseller with no military training, who was instrumental in winning the Siege of Boston when he suggested, and was subsequently placed in charge of, a daring trip to fetch cannon from a distant fort; and "Molly" Corbin, who fought alongside her husband in the defense of Fort Washington. When her husband was killed in battle, she took his place, loading and firing artillery.

One of those I found the most interesting was Nathaniel Green, 33, and the Continental Army's most capable tactician, who dedicated himself to personal improvement through rigorous study, and of which McCullough writes: "Having ample means to buy whatever books he needed, he acquired a number of costly military treatises few could afford. It was a day and age that saw no reason why one could not learn whatever was required - learn virtually anything - by the close study of books, and he was a prime example of such faith." I found that to be tremendously inspiring, believing even more so that people are capable of such in the digital age.

Having spent so much time with primary documents, collating their descriptions of people, places, the mood, and even weather, he keeps 1776 from feeling like a long-forgotten year populated by mythic stereotypes. Some may not like McCullough's approach on this, preferring the objective or distant view of academic history. I do admit that I like historic details, as well as organic specifics, and 1776 falls closer to the latter, though doesn't exclude anything of relevance. The scenario is painted for the reader from life; the emotion of the people is the canvas on which this great drama is hung.

It's the frailty of these people, the frailty of Washington that makes their courage all the more notable.

Lest you think 1776 is a book devoted to hero-worship of the American cause, McCullough does includes a portrait of the dissenting British viewpoint, not just from their military, but also the opinions of loyalists in the colonies. This provides a necessary counter to all the American flag-waving and provides a sharp dose of reality. The multi-faceted aspects of the war took their toll on more than just the soldiers.

“I found I could not stay in Boston and trust my person with a set of lawless rebels whose actions have disgraced human nature and who have treated all the King’s loyal subjects that have fallen in their hands with great cruelty and for no other crime than for their loyalty to the best of Kings and a peaceable submission to the best constituted government on earth.

They are certainly damning in their description of the situation.

I don’t believe there ever was a people in any age or part of the world that enjoyed so much liberty as the people of America did under the mild indulgent government (God bless it) of England and never was a people under a worser state of tyranny than we are at present.”

McCullough writes regarding the American standard of living in 1776:

In fact, the Americans of 1776 enjoyed a higher standard of living than any people in the world. Their material wealth was considerably less than it would become in time, still it was a great deal more than others had elsewhere. How people with so much, living on their own land, would ever choose to rebel against the ruler God has put over them and thereby bring down such devastation upon themselves was for the invaders incomprehensible.

Perhaps we can add the insatiable desire for more to the list of American qualities.

There is a fine and terrible balance to be obtained in maintaining freedom on a principle of equality by taking away that same freedom from others. As Joseph Reed, a delegate to the Continental Congress, wrote to his wife: ”To attempt to introduce discipline and subordination into a new army must always be a work of much difficulty,” [...] “but where the principles of democracy so universally prevail, where so great an equality and so thorough a leveling spirit predominates, either no discipline can be established, or he who attempts it must become odious and detestable, a position which no one will choose.”

”…we must bear up against them, and make the best of mankind as they are, since we cannot have them as we wish.”

1776 is a good book, and serves its purpose well. I can see why some would refer to it as ‘pop history’ since its focus is on the drama, the emotion, and the energy of the period, rather than just maps, charts, dates, and movement of armies. In regards to his approach to understanding history, McCullough says, “History is not about dates and quotes and obscure provisos. History is about life, about change, about consequences, cause and effect. It’s about the mystery of human nature, the mystery of time. […]and it isn’t just about politics and the military and social issues, which is almost always the way it’s taught. It’s about music, and poetry, and drama, and science, and medicine, and money, and love.”

While some may frown on his approach, preferring a more objective and distant approach, I find myself appreciating his style. McCullough brings the history to life in an approachable way. I would certainly recommend the book though would do so with the caveat that this isn't going to give you any great insight into the period as a whole, but rather the events of 1776, and the people involved.

What's missing is how these events affect the grand scheme; how did Trenton play a role in the next year? How did Britain respond to the success of the rebel attacks? Why did the conflict carry on for another seven years? There is nothing of that in this book, which isn't entirely terrible since inquiring minds will seek out additional materials on the period, though it left me with the overall impression of experiencing a great part of a whole without knowing any of the lasting effects. It would be akin to reading the The Iliad, but only the parts in which Hector bravely leads the Trojans to push the invading Greeks back to the sea only to watch them counter-attack successfully, but then ignoring the rest of the story.

I would call the end of the book a bit frustrating, since it's so abrupt. It's as if McCullough's editor told him he needed to finish the book on a specific page, reducing the rest of the war to a few paragraphs. I understand his intent was not to write a broad history of the war, though an extended epilogue to see the ultimate outcome of some of the major names would have been a fine addition. It's a small nitpick to an overall very satisfying and engaging work.

With all that said, I would certainly recommend it. As a companion piece to John Adams, it's a wonderful augmentation to the political history. It's a human look at what was a very complicated and frightening period of our nation's history. To look on it now, two-hundred years later, with all its drama, tragedy, loss, and triumph, it truly is history as theater. It is an epic told on the stage of days, etched into time by the work-ethic of our ancestors. Against incredible odds, against the greatest military force in the world, a committed group of remarkable individuals was able to achieve something truly remarkable, greater than any one of them, that was equal only, perhaps, to the lot of them.

It really is a wonder they succeeded.

Thankfully, they did.

“The year 1776, celebrated as the birth year of the nation and for the signing of the Declaration of Independence, was for those who carried the fight for independence forward a year of all-too-few victories, of sustained suffering, disease, hunger, desertion, cowardice, disillusionment, defeat, terrible discouragement, and fear, as they would never forget, but also of phenomenal courage and bedrock devotion to country, and that, too they would never forget.”

Listened to this 13 hours strait! The author’s story telling is phenomenal. This book looks at the year 1776, which was America’s founding but also darkest hour. George Washington’s leadership was used by our almighty God to fight off the tyranny of England and establish the greatest country on God’s green earth. This book gave me so much more appreciation for our country in a time of revisionist history. I was never taught by this in public schools and it’s a shame.

I highly recommend this book.

The American Revolution is yet another period about which I know embarrassingly little. And on reflection David McCullough’s book was probably not the best place to start. It’s well written, 70 pages of notes and bibliography say it’s well researched, and although it feels quite biased, his portrayal of Washington is very human and flawed. But McCullough provides absolutely no context, spends almost no time on the reasons for the war, and there are no maps (I’m not including the reproductions of contemporary maps which, while lovely, are unreadable).

In summary this was really enjoyable, but I think I would have enjoyed it so much more if I’d had a basic understanding of the period. It's certainly left me with a hunger for more...

Just never could get into it. Seems like he did research but missed the spirit/heart of the times. I’ll stick to books closer to the founding dates but keep this on my shelf for future reference.

I bought this book a few years ago, meaning to get around to reading it. Since I just saw the play “Hamilton”, I figured this was as good a time as any to delve into this time period.

David McCullough does a masterful job of recreating the era of the Revolutionary War and the reasons for it. He takes the reader quickly through 1775, 1776 and parts of 1777 and all the skirmishes that played out in our quest for independence. He shows us the war through both the American and the British viewpoints, which makes it even more interesting. Through all of the war that he described, the Americans were out manned, out gunned, even out clothed. Yet somehow, we persevered, at Trenton and at Princeton.
These victories energized the country, and with the eventual help of France and The Netherlands, after 6 long years, the war ended in 1783.

But no one could know this in 1776, and it took a courageous, yet humble man like George Washington to lead this fledgling country through the throes of its birth.
The book is beautifully written, filled with quotes from the people who lived through the turmoil.

If I have a ding on the book, it’s the maps that are included in the book. They date back to that era, and were supposedly done by a British cartographer. They are barely legible and just about incomprehensible. Better maps would have been much appreciated.

That said, this is a great book and a wonderful history read.
I’ll leave you with the author’s final words:

“Especially for those who had been with Washington and who knew what a close call it was at the beginning - how often circumstance, storms, contrary winds, the oddities or strengths of individual character had made the difference - the outcome seemed little short of a miracle.”

Let’s not take our country, our democracy, our freedom for granted.

A definite recommend!