I very, very rarely finish non-fiction books - I start many, with good intentions, but am always getting distracted by my fiction TBR pile. It is a testament to the quality of writing in 1776 then, that I read it nearly as quickly as I would a decent crime thriller. The subject of the book is, unsurprisingly, the year 1776 - starting in January with the aftermath of the Battle of Bunker Hill and ending with the Revolutionary Army's surprising win in the Battle of Trenton at the end of the year. McCullough very much focuses on the characters and tells an incredibly human story.

David McCullough - 1776 A história dos homens que lutaram na guerra pela independência dos Estados Unidos

Um livro curioso. Se procura nele uma abordagem da história da guerra da independência dos Estados Unidos, não é o livro mais adequado. Melhor, é um livro não recomendado. Tal como o título sugere diz respeito apenas aos acontecimentos ocorridos em 1776. A guerra pela independência iniciou-se em 1764 como reacção às tributações implementadas pelos britânicos e terminou em 1786 com a assinatura em Paris e o reconhecimento da independência pelas partes. O ano de 1776 foi o ano da declaração da independência, o ano do panfleto de Thomas Paine “Common Sense”, o ano que George Washington assumiu a chefia do exército continental, e a 01 de janeiro, já de 1777, o ano em o sentido do domínio militar virou.
Dito isto é óbvio que ficam fora do âmbito deste texto toda a informação relevante para construção da sociedade americana. A América atravessa nos dias de hoje uma clivagem da sua sociedade que me parece ter-se iniciado nesses tempos através de contradições que os séculos em comum não aplanaram e que com a crise desencadeada pelo neoliberalismo só se vieram agudizar. Pretendia eu compreender o que tinha levado essas 13 colónias a unirem-se num congresso em Philadelphia, quais os compromissos que os tinham unido e que elementos de nacionalidade tinham fabricado. Queria saber se uma guerra desencadeada por milícias tinha deliberadamente transposto para a constituição os espirito dessas mesma milícias, um espirito plasmado na segunda emenda constitucional e que faz dela uma nação com mais armas civis que população.
Queria ir à génese da nacionalidade para encontrar os fermentos que eclodiram durante a guerra civil, persistem na segregação social e são aos dias de hoje a génese de um populismo que extravasa no planeta.
Era isto que procurava, e como é óbvio, para isto não é este o livro mais adequado. Diz o autor e a editora que este é um livro restrito aos acontecimentos de 1776, mas mesmo no que a este respeita, um livro que o aborda pela história e vivência dos seus intervenientes, e que o faz numa perspectiva romanceada.
Ora quanto a este último aspecto, não sei bem o que significa. Se admito que não haja ficção no “timeline” dos acontecimentos, já a sua descrição, em particular, no que respeita ao sentir desses personagens e suas emoções, tenho, fiquei com muitas dúvidas.
Já em tempos tinha lido um outro de livro de história, “A Dança das Fúrias. A Europa na Eclosão da 1ª GM” de Michel S. Neiberg, uma abordagem semelhante, mas muito mais competente, pois as emoções e sentimentos aí retratados foram apresentados de forma convincente, enquanto os aqui recensados fico dúvidas se não traduzem mais o sentir do autor que a sua compreensão da realidade de então.
Este livro propunha-se ser um retrato dos homens que intervieram nesse conflito e foram os protagonistas. E este é um objectivo falhado pelo autor. Os intervenientes nas batalhas de Boston, Brooklyn, Baía de Kips, Forte Washington, Forte Lee, Tenton e Princeton, nomeadamente George Washington, Joseph Reed, Nathanael Greene, Henry Knox, Charles Lee, os britânicos William Howe, Henry Clinton, Charles Cornwallis e o líder das tropas mercenárias, o Barão Wilhelm von Knyphausen, o comandante dos Hessianos" são retratos ao longo do texto, mas de forma pouco objectiva, e em alguns casos com algumas insinuações que seriam dispensáveis. Se este era o objectivo deste texto, o retrato desses homens e a sua época, falhou-o tanto na descrição das personagens como o mundo que cada um deles personalizava. Contudo, e apesar destas apreciações mais negativas, devo reconhecer que na segunda metade em que o texto se dedica mais à descrição dos factos e das suas consequências, melhora substancialmente, e daí a classificação que lhe dou, um quatro mesmo no meio, nem para cima nem para baixo.

Read this David McCullough novel when it first came out. Enjoy his works immensely!!

I enjoyed immensely McCullough's John Adams, even though it took me a month or so to read, so look forward to 1776. I was not disappointed.
The book is a short one, and covers a topic I thought I knew well. Surely this material has been plowed through so thoroughly, there is nothing new to unearth? I was wrong. The book read with a raw novelty, as though I was reading about events for the first time, the shadows of which are often Disney-fied for social studies and history classes.
I learned how rag tag Washington's insurgents were (I use this term deliberately since the parallels between his militia and those operating against an occupying superpower of our time have eerie parallels). It was clear the struggle could have gone either way, and in New York and New Jersey, those fighting for secession from England were not at all popularly supported. The miseries of war and the relatively abstract differences that separated the crown from her subjects as well as the cruelties shown toward the Tories makes one question whether the apotheosis of this insurgency we are all force-fed in school and once a year each July 4th is really justified.
I learned much about Benjamin Rush, one of the very few signers of the Declaration of Independence yet to see the reality of war firsthand. ' It was now for the first-time war appeared to me in its awful plentitude of horrors. I want words to describe the anguish of my soul, excited by the cries and groans and convulsions of the men who lay by my side.'" -287
The war killed 25,000 Americans (1% of the population).
"The war was a longer, far more arduous, and more painful struggle that later generations would understand or sufficiently appreciate. But the time it ended, it had taken the lives of an estimated 25,000 Americans, or roughly 1 percent of the population. In percentage of lives lost, it was most costly war in American history, except for the Civil War." (page 294)
Considering the Canadians, where many Tories fled or were exiled, now have universal health insurance and a higher standard of living than we, what was all this violence all about? McCullough did not mean this to be a pacifist tract, but for those of us who question the wisdom and morality of the use of violence to impose our will on others, the book adds graphic evidence that undercuts the cartoon-like nonsense we were taught in school.

This is one of those books I have always felt like I ought to have already read. The Revolutionary War was one of my main obsessions grade school through high school. I loved John Adams by this author. Politics, history, 1776...really, I should have loved this book.
The problem was, I never could get into it. I started it again and again. I never felt the urge to read further.
Finally, I gave up and got it on Audio book. Smart move! David McCullough was a great reader and the story became much more interesting once I got past the first chapter. It was extremely interesting because the book doesn't look at the political or philosophical motivation behind the Declaration of Independence so much as the course of the war. Even as a history nut, I learned a ton about the Founders and generals and the timing of things. It was fascinating to see Washington portrayed as a man who messed up frequently and didn't always like the people he worked with, but who kept going anyway.
Overall, a good book, well worth the read. Good timing with the 4th of July coming up too, huh?

This was my first venture into Dad history, and listen, this didn't win a Pulitzer for nothing. McCullough is skilled at finding and collating fascinating historical details while keeping the storytelling lively. While over time I wasn't that interested in the point-by-point recount of various battles in and around the Northeast, I learned a thing or two about Washington and the Continental Army and early American history.

McCullough deserves kudos for making a comprehensive story of one long-ago year's unfolding drama fresh and compelling. The myriad military personalities come to life and the details of the trials and victories of this ragtag rebel army made this memorable as well as fascinating to read.
I'll be reading more of McCullough's work.

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

I mean, what can you say? It's David McCullough! And 1776 is a marvelous book. Raw, honest, but believing. I split this one between hardback and audiobook, the latter of which McCullough himself narrates, which is just wonderful. He's well known and well loved for a reason.

In another great book, McCullough addresses a foundational event in American history, full of insight and teachable moments to appease interested readers. He seeks to focus on a key part of the Revolutionary War, twelve months that not only shaped the event in a way that tipped the scales in favour of the colonies, but also encapsulated the most intriguing battles and manoeuvring on both sides. Illustrating both sides of the story, McCullough offers less of a 'hoorah America' and more a chess match approach to the overall history that saw the birth of America and the Declaration of Independence devised by the Continental Congress. Highlighting the roles of the two Georges (Washington and King George III) and General Howe, along with a handful of essential actors, McCullough fleshes out some of the story behind the tension and shows how both sides were not prepared for anything save a full-on victory. McCullough argues that Washington wore two distinctive hats: the quasi first King of America and military leader whose passion for independence fuelled his personal fire. While by no means a politically-minded individual or one with military savvy, Washington did all he could to guide colonial troops against their British oppressors, seeking freedom. Told in such a way that a layperson could easily see the historical progression of 1776, McCullough brings the story to life and helps any curious reader (Americans especially) understand why that year is so important in America's history, besides the obvious. A must-read addition to the historical Crown Jewels on offer by one of America's premier historians.

Having navigated through two previous McCullough tomes (Truman and John Adams biographies) I am well-versed with the style and format on offer. It was not long ago that I tackled the Adams biography, where I think some of the germinating ideas for this book might have come. I was thoroughly interesting in learning more about this year after it received a cursory discussion in the Adams biography. While I had hoped for more political analysis, the book focusses primarily on the military campaign and Washington's tactics to outsmart and out manoeuvre the British troops. That said, it offers wonderful insight into the military campaigns that brought about independence for the thirteen colonies. McCullough masterfully weaves the story from George III's parliamentary proclamation through to the twelve months of monumental fighting that brought independence from an idea to reality. With a cast of characters that help fill out the story left untold in many history books, McCullough pulls on the heartstrings of many Americans and surely instils some pride in the annual July 4th celebrations.

Kudos, Dr. McCullough for such a powerful piece of work, told so succinctly and yet thoroughly. I see you have a bunch more to entertain and educate me as time goes on.

I have read several of David McCullough's books including John Adams and it is easy to see why he is called "America's storyteller". As the title suggests this novel focuses on the pivotal year of 1776. It is the story of both the British and the Americans, the events that took place and the major players in these events.

On the British side there is King George III, General William Howe, General Henry Clinton, General Charles Cornwallis, and others. At the time Britain was probably the mightiest nation. They had one of the greatest armies and navies. In America there were many who were loyal to the King. As if this was not enough Britain employed Hessian mercenaries. An overwhelming and mighty force.

On the American side there was George Washington and the militia of New England. There was a struggle to get other states to send troops. America had no army. The men Washington was to lead were boys, farmers, school teachers, shop keepers. Two of the men who Washington came to depend on the most, Nathaniel Greene and Henry Knox, only military knowledge came from what they read in books. The author puts a human face to the names from history. I sometimes had to pause in amazement that War of Independence survived the year of 1776. The militia only signed on for short enlistments and when these were up they would return to their farms and their families. They had no uniforms, often not even shoes, suffered from lack of food and shelter, and were poorly armed. There were desertions. In the latter half of the year they lost four consecutive major battles and gave up a fort without a fight. Yet Washington, who had never led an army in battle, persevered.

I live close to where Washington crossed the Delaware. Every year they hold a reenactment. There are plenty of signs around indicating points of interest from the Revolutionary War. One of these is a place Nathaniel Greene headquartered in Buckingham, PA. I actually lived in Buckingham at one time and remember this historical site. I may even have heard that it was here that plans were laid out for the attack on Trenton. It triggered a memory. But I didn't recall all who took part in these planning meetings. Washington, Greene, Knox, Sullivan, Benjamin Rush. Having finished reading this book it will be a little harder to not stop and pause for a moment the next time I see one of these historical site signs.

The march of time cannot be halted, its pace even faster now with our society today. It can be scarily easy to forget the past, the invaluable gift that is history and what it can teach us about ourselves and where we've yet to go. Reading this book made me more appreciative and aware of the sacrifices our forefathers made. David McCullough wrote a taut, nerve-wracking, inspiring account of the first fraught year of a fledgling revolution, of seemingly insurmountable odds, which through Providence and chance, were surmounted on the last day of 1776, and brought about the turning of the tide.

McCullough's quoted as saying that "history is the story of people" and he brings to vivid life the lesser known (to me) Founding Fathers, such as Knox and Greene, who were Washington's right-hand men, as well as the British players like Howe and Cornwallis. McCullough also explains succinctly and with dramatic flair the sequence of battles throughout the year, and the reasonings behind both camps' military strategies. It was thrilling to follow the Continental Army's journey from New York, to New Jersey, to Delaware, to Pennsylvania, and of the expeditions to British Canada, the battle in the Carolinas etc. As a Bostonian, it is extra impactful to read about the experiences of the Continental Army during the Siege of Boston, since I know what stands in those neighborhoods today.

When it comes to McCullough, I don't even care what he writes about, I will read it, I highly recommend you do the same.