David McCullough
1776 (2005)
Author: David McCullough
Genre: Nonfiction (Historical)
Book Summary:
Beginning with the siege of the British-held Boston and ending at the victories at Trenton and Princeton, McCullough takes his readers through the tragedies and triumphs of the Continental Army in the year 1776. As the year progresses, the war is not going well for George Washington nor his rag-tag army. Their loses and defeats, their ineptitude and lack of discipline, their cowardice and lack of leadership are all contrasted with their grand moments of genius, bravery, and sheer gumption. At the center of the story is General George Washington's personal struggle. Feeling inadequate to the task of commanding the army, his torment is exquisite as again and again he must call for retreat. It is not until the the battles at Trenton and Princeton that he is able to redeem himself for the string of defeats that lead the army to the Delaware River. On the other hand, the tactics, struggles, and strife within the British leadership is also presented. And it is King George III that opens and closes the book by calling for war with the American Rebels.
Geographical Setting: Boston, New York, & New Jersey
Time Period: 1776
Appeal Characteristics:
Filled with quotes from letters, journals, and printed articles this book takes the reader into the life and struggles of the people fighting in America during 1776. By using so many quotes, McCullough allows the reader to catch glimpses of the thoughts and fears that drove the leaders of both sides of the conflict. He has a talent for bringing characters alive by describing them through their own correspondence as well as how others saw and understood them. This is especially true of his portrayal of George Washington. While McCullough writes in a very readable style and includes enough foreshadowing to really keep the reader turning the pages, the large number of quotes does slow down the pace some. But, to counter-balance this, the book is nicely divided into sections within the longer chapters that allow the reader to read just one more little section, and then another, and another. For those not completely familiar with the events of 1776, this is a wonderful book to fill in any holes in understanding or memory. However, some confusion may arise if one is not familiar with what led up to the siege at Boston. But for an in-depth look at what was going on during the fateful year of 1776 in America, this is an excellent read. SPOILER: While all may seem hopeless as the Continental Army is forced to retreat, and retreat, and retreat, and while you may suppose that all of the troops will leave for home when their enlistment expires, this is not the case. The American spirit, that we like to believe inspired the colonists to declare independence in the first place, is strong enough in the troops to carry them forward and achieve victory at Trenton and Princeton.
Read-alikes: If the reader liked the author of this book, then a good suggestion would be the biography, John Adams by David McCullough. This novel describes the life of a major figure of the Revolution. If you, like many Americans, haven't studied the American Revolution since high school, you might not be entirely clear on all the details that come before and after 1776. So it might behoove you to check out A.J. Langguth's Patriots: The Men who Started the American Revolution. This book will put the events of 1776 in the context of the entire American Revolution. Depending on what you enjoyed about 1776 there are several options for further study into American History. One being Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer, which focuses more in-depth on, amazingly enough, Washington's crossing of the Delaware River. And if 1776 peaked your interest in George Washington in general, you might try His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis, another Pulitzer Prize winning author, or Washington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution by Terry Golway. For a historical fiction take of the events of the American Revolution, a good read might be Jeff Shaara's two-volume epic entitled Rise to Rebellion and The Glorious Cause. These books, like 1776 look at the events of the war through the eyes of the various characters in the drama. If you like the readability of 1776 but would like to learn about a different time period, feel free to try any of McCullough's other books, including: Truman, The Johnstown Flood, or The Great Bridge. Also, you might try some of Stephen Ambrose's books, written with a similar feel and based upon extensive research. For an American read there is Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West. Or if you have an interest in World War II, he has also written numerous books on that topic, including D-Day: June 6, 1944. If the reader liked the detail about army life, then a suggestion would be The First American Army: The Untold Story of George Washington and the Men Behind America's First Fight for Freedom by Bruce Chadwick. This book uses letters and diaries to help tell the story of what army life was like during the Revolution.
Red Flags: American patriotism while not overly flaunted, definitely makes a stand at the end of the book.
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