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.
At the center of the drama, with Washington, are two American patriots, who, at first, knew no more of war than what they had read in books- Nathaniel Green, a Quaker who was made a general at thirty-three, and Henry Knox, a twenty-five-year-old bookseller who had the preposterous idea of hauling the guns of Fort Ticonderoga overland to Boston in the dead of winter.
But it is the American commander-in-chief who stands foremost- Washington, who had never before led an army in battle. 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.
Loved
- The history (obviously). I thought I knew a fair amount about the Revolutionary War after taking AP U.S. History and American Heritage in college. But reading this made me realize I knew next to nothing about these people, the battles, and the victories. I loved this book because it gave a detailed, but summarizing overview of the main battles in the war, the two armies, and the main leaders. All of the sudden Nathaniel Green, Henry Knox, and even George Washington became real people with anxieties, fears, strengths, and nerve instead of just being words on a page in a history book.
- The battles. Again, I had heard of Fort Ticonderoga and some of the battles in this war, but I had no idea of the events surrounding them. These battles are fascinating and I really enjoyed understanding what led to each battle, the events during the battle itself, the leaders who came up with crazy impossible plans, and most importantly, the no-name soldiers who became heroes because of their obscure, but extremely significant acts of bravery and selflessness. I wish we knew more of these soldiers who defined these battles and all the courageous sacrifices they made, but many of them we've never heard of and forget about in our day-to-day lives.
- George Washington. Obviously, I've always loved the Father of our country for all that he did for this nation. But reading this book helped me understand him as a relatable person, rather than a hero. I didn't realize how insecure Washington was about our plans and how he, more than anyone, realized the desperation and impossibility of America winning the war. Yet he fought anyway. Despite all the odds facing him, against every critic and opposition, no matter the devastating setback, Washington carried on through sheer determination, will, nerve, and pluck. I admire this man so much not just because of the glorious things he did, but because he believed in our cause and fought for it despite everything and everyone claiming it was impossible.
- The miracles. This book is not religious at all, but reading it I couldn't help seeing how miraculous the American victory was. I felt like some of the events that led to winning battles were so unexpected and so decidedly helpful to the American cause, that I can't help thinking they were miracles helping these men. Even if you aren't religious, you will be struck by the fortune of the men in some of these hopeless circumstances and how one storm or one nightly fog changed everything for our young nation.
Didn't Love
- This book was interesting and I loved learning the facts, but it was extremely dry. I chose to listen to the audiobook, which David McCullough himself narrates. It was a cool experience to listen to the author narrate, but it was very dry and honestly a little boring at times. It might have been better to read it because it might have been a little more engaging.
- This book was also so detail-oriented, that at times we were so focused on the uniform of the army or the conditions of the barracks, that I couldn't remember what battle we were even fighting or what was going on in the bigger picture. However, I am glad we had the details because it helped me understand much more about the conditions of the war, but at times it felt a little tedious.
Content
Content
- Language:
- I don't recall any language, but it's possible there are some uses of "damn," and "hell."
- Sexual content:
- References to soldiers having trysts with local women or visiting bawdy taverns.
- Violence:
- We get quite a bit of war violence. I won't try to name every event, but we get detailed descriptions of battles, which include many soldiers getting bombed, stabbed, decapitated, crushed, drowned, beaten, and blown apart. Blood is not described, but we do get descriptions of body parts and carnage. These descriptions are objective in writing, but disturbing since they are real accounts.
- I don't recall any language, but it's possible there are some uses of "damn," and "hell."
- References to soldiers having trysts with local women or visiting bawdy taverns.
- We get quite a bit of war violence. I won't try to name every event, but we get detailed descriptions of battles, which include many soldiers getting bombed, stabbed, decapitated, crushed, drowned, beaten, and blown apart. Blood is not described, but we do get descriptions of body parts and carnage. These descriptions are objective in writing, but disturbing since they are real accounts.
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