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1776

by David McCullough

4.06 · Rating Details · 109,144 Ratings · 5,349 Reviews

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 ...more

Paperback, US / Canada, 386 pages

Published July 4th 2006 by Simon & Schuster (first published 2005)

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Community Reviews

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Jun 14, 2015 Diane rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, nonfiction, audiobooks, war, americana

There are several reasons why I think this book is important, and it has a lot to do with the state of our schools. You've probably heard that public education in America is becoming more of a shambles each decade. I work at a college and often feel like I'm on the front lines of this battle. While we have a number of good students, we also have a fair number 18- and 19-year-olds who simply aren't prepared for higher education and who, if the economy weren't so degree-oriented, probably wouldn't ...more

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Jan 11, 2014 Jason Koivu rated it really liked it

Shelves: history

In 1776 David McCullough captures the importance of that year's quintessential struggle for our country.

By focusing on this single year, as opposed to the entire war, McCullough is able to dissect more minutely the individual battles, turning points, specific leaders, and the result is one of the most humanistic depictions of George Washington I've ever read. Here he becomes more than mythic god of the American past, but rather a living, breathing, flawed man.

Telescoping in on actions like The ...more

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Feb 07, 2008 Nate Cooley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-read-in-2007

David McCullough has again exceeded all expectations in his latest book, "1776." Like most historical narratives, the reader often knows the ending well in advance. In "1776", every reader had to have expected that McCullough would close his book describing Washington's daring yet gallant crossing of the Delaware and the Continental Army's subsequent triumph at Trenton. Nevertheless, as I approached the end of the book I found myself anxiously awaiting that moment ... I literally read-on with ba David McCullough has again exceeded all expectations in his latest book, "1776." Like most historical narratives, the reader often knows the ending well in advance. In "1776", every reader had to have expected that McCullough would close his book describing Washington's daring yet gallant crossing of the Delaware and the Continental Army's subsequent triumph at Trenton. Nevertheless, as I approached the end of the book I found myself anxiously awaiting that moment ... I literally read-on with bated breath.

David McCullough does a masterful job of describing with ease the events as they unfolded chronologically. Though as he does so, he more importantly provides acute analysis into the psyches of the main players. As much as this book was a narrative about the Continental Army from Bunker Hill, to Dorchester Heights, to Long Island and the Battle of Brooklyn, down through New Jersey and ulitmately victory at Trenton, the book could have as easily been a biography of sorts about His Excellency, George Washington.

McCullough's portrait of Washington is not unlike others that have been popularly written. Expectedly, the book portrays our first president as a man of faith and stellar, quasi-consecrated leadership. At the same time though, McCullough is careful not to deify the General and provides keen insights into Washington's probable feelings of self-doubt and diffidence, especially after the nearly catastrophic and ego-piercing defeats at Brooklyn and Fort Washington. Furthermore, McCullough exposes the fact that those close to Washington, General Charles Lee and Joseph Reed, lost much confidence in the General after the Continental Army's retreat across the Hudson and down through New Jersey.

With all of this provided as a backdrop though, a true picture of George Washington - his character, his dominion, his authority - is brought into sharp focus through McCullough's description of the Army's treacherous but euphoric victory over the Hessians at Trenton. I could literally picture Washington's animation and feel his exuberance when in the face of a potential call to retreat, he exclaimed to those under his command, "It's a fine fox chase, my boys!" One can only imagine the scene of chaos that filled the streets on that early winter morning; yet it is easy to picture General Washington sitting atop his horse, jubilantly inciting his troops to action. At the same time, because of McCullough's adroit description of the sometimes lackadaisical and even distracted British Commander, William Howe, one can only imagine Howe's consternation when learning of the defeat of the hired Hessian helpers.

Having mentioned Commander Howe, I also appreciated McCullough's determination in devoting a large portion of the book to characterizing British personalities and actions. Too few authors of the Revolutionary Period spend enough time measuring what was going through the minds of the British, the "enemy" at the time. Considering the fact that many living in the colonies during this period considered themselves loyal subjects of the King, it seems logical that a book describing the events of 1776 would adequately delve into British sentiment regarding the "rebels'" declaration of independence and the skirmishes and all-out war that followed. After all, the foot soldiers in the Continental Army were closely related, literally, to loyalists throughout the colonies.

In illustrating the overall British ethos, especially that of the King's Army, McCullough repeatedly denotes periods during the war where the Continental Army was and should have been on the cusp of ruin but for the seemingly high-minded haughtiness of the British leaders; most notably the aforementioned Commander Howe. Howe is painted as a somewhat apathetic and listless commander, severely lacking the killer instinct possessed by so many other leaders of the time on both sides. McCullough interestingly notes the stark difference between Commander William Howe and both his brother, Admiral Lord Richard Howe, and General Henry Clinton. Had General Clinton's thinking been adopted, the Continental Army probably never would have reached Dorchester Heights in the dead of night and thus would probably never have made it out of Boston.

In "1776", David McCullough has closely matched the superiority "John Adams" and his numerous other historical works. David McCullough truly is a "master of the art of narrative history." Like both of the late Stephen Ambrose and the late David Halberstam, David McCullough has become, in my mind, a national treasure. ...more

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Sep 09, 2015 Will Byrnes rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

This is an interesting book that describes in personal detail the battles of the early revolution. We see George and company in Boston, New York City, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. McCullough paints portraits of the military leaders of those campaigns, Howe primarily, and Clinton for the Brits, Greene, Knox, GW and a handful of others for the Yanks. He shows us some of GW’s correspondence and we learn of his disaffection for New Englanders. The troops were a rag tag bunch and George was constantl ...more

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Jan 02, 2015 Kellie rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2005-reads, non-fiction, my-library

I decided to read this book because it is on the best seller list and there are about 350 people who have reserved the book on line at the library. I am STILL baffled as to how many people have read and want to read this book. The book is about the Revolutionary war in the year 1776. It is well written. I feel like I missed a lot of school. I don’t remember anything about the Revolutionary war. I didn’t realize how much was fought in New York City and Long Island. I didn’t realize how long it la ...more

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Mar 15, 2015 Ashley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, award-winners, historical, scholarship, 1700s-1800s, war, americana, manly-men-and-their-manparts

This isn't the book I wanted to read, or was expecting to read, but it was good nonetheless.

What I was expecting:

1. A book about the first full year of the American Revolution (this part was accurate).
2. Insight into the causes of the Revolution (absent almost completely).
3. Portrayals of the way the two sides saw each other, and why (somewhat present).
4. Stuff about George Washington and the other founding fathers (there was some stuff on George Washington, mostly in his role as commander in ch This isn't the book I wanted to read, or was expecting to read, but it was good nonetheless.

What I was expecting:

1. A book about the first full year of the American Revolution (this part was accurate).
2. Insight into the causes of the Revolution (absent almost completely).
3. Portrayals of the way the two sides saw each other, and why (somewhat present).
4. Stuff about George Washington and the other founding fathers (there was some stuff on George Washington, mostly in his role as commander in chief of the first continental army, but there was almost nothing on his personal life or anything outside his new role).
5. Explanations of battles (this is basically all the book consisted of).
6. Lots about the writing of the Declaration of Independence (there was NONE OF THIS).

So you can see I was probably setting myself up for failure, but luckily halfway through I forced myself to adjust my expectations and get over it. I ended up enjoying the book for what it was, and not what I wanted it to be.

What this book actually was:

1. A book about the full first year of the Revolution, during which time the US army almost lost the war, but managed through perseverance and some luck to turn things around.
2. Insight into each individual battle of the war during the period of January 1776-January 1777 and how each one set the tone for the war to come.
3. Portrayals of the strategies employed by both sides, and reasonably conclusions for why the did so.
4. A focus on George Washington and his main generals in the war, including Nathanael Greene and Henry Knox, as well as soldiers int he war and other people who McCullough was able to track down primary sources for. The book is told almost exclusively through finding and piecing together different primary sources from the day (letters, journals, proclamations, articles, essays, etc.) It is very much in their own words and there is very little outside analysis on McCullough's part, aside from the decisions he made in putting the whole thing together.
5. Lots and lots of battles, including detailed descriptions of the living conditions of both sides of soldiers, including the pros and cons of the British being so regulated and traditional, and the Americans being so disorganized, inexperienced, but enthusiastic.
6. In large part, this book actually works to de-mythologize and unromanticize everything you learned in elementary school about the Revolution, and focuses on how the first year of the war influenced the rest of it.

I would definitely be interested in reading more books by this author, especially his one on John Adams, which I have a feeling is the one I should have been reading in the first place, given what I wanted from this one. Mostly, though, it just made me want to read more books about this time in history, because it made me realize that aside from those common romanticizations most Americans hold about the Revolutionary war, I know almost nothing concrete about it, a situation I really need to rectify as soon as possible. ...more

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Aug 21, 2007 Diane added it

Recommends it for: Helen Keller

There wasn't a shelf for "Books I tried to read, and then failed at." So this one wound up on the "Read" shelf, even though that's a lie - I only suffered through about a 1/3 of it. 1776 bored the living shit out of me. I'm sure this makes me a bad person, moves me out of the running for the next Genius Award, reveals me as an uncultured, unsophisticated reader of comic books and advice columnists, etc etc. Don't care. This book reminded me of a trip I took to Gettysburg when I was in 3rd grade ...more

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Sep 04, 2015 Duane rated it really liked it

Shelves: rated-books, reviewed-books, non-fiction, 2015-book-challenge, audio-books, 21st-century

I listened to this on audio-book, although I do have a hard back copy in my library. David McCollough's distinct voice, which makes his speeches so enjoyable, also makes him the perfect candidate to read his own books. His is the recognizable voice from the 90's as the narrator of Ken Burns PBS classic "The Civil War". The only McCullough book I've read is his Pulitzer Prize winning biography, John Adams.

1776 is not quite on the level with John Adams, but it's very good, very enlightening, abou I listened to this on audio-book, although I do have a hard back copy in my library. David McCollough's distinct voice, which makes his speeches so enjoyable, also makes him the perfect candidate to read his own books. His is the recognizable voice from the 90's as the narrator of Ken Burns PBS classic "The Civil War". The only McCullough book I've read is his Pulitzer Prize winning biography, John Adams.

1776 is not quite on the level with John Adams, but it's very good, very enlightening, about a part of history that most of us just received the highlights of during high school history class. Of course the main highlight of the year was the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th. But this book focuses on the military campaign of George Washington and the Continental Army. For the most part 1776 wasn't a very good year for either. It did see the British Army and it's naval fleet evacuate Boston after Washington, in a brilliant one night manoeuvre, move his army and artillery onto Dorchester Heights, making the British retreat necessary. Washington then moved the army to New York to defend there, but the British Fleet returned, and with superior forces, total naval domination of the harbor and rivers, they routed the Continental's in a series of battles, finally capturing Ft. Washington. What was significant though about this episode was the fact that the British could have ended the war right then if they had pushed their advantage. But in another brilliant night manoeuvre, Washington stole quietly across the river with his army and escaped.

Washington moved his army to New Jersey to be in a position to defend the Capitol, Philadelphia. They camped on the west side of the Delaware River while the British occupied the east side which included Trenton and Princeton. This set the stage for the famous night crossing of the Delaware by boat, and the successful attack and taking of Trenton the next morning. They followed up the next day by taking Princeton, probably saving the army and the country from defeat.

The war would last another five years before Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in 1881. The treaty of Paris was signed in 1883 officially bringing peace. A lot happened in those years, but this book focused on 1776 and the events I've mentioned here. Again I'll say that I think my appreciation of the book was enhanced by listening instead of reading.

...more

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Feb 07, 2016 Jim rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, books-read-2016

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 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. ...more

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Feb 11, 2008 Tim Cook rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical

This book was fascinating and compelling, told in an informative style that makes the reader feel present at the events themselves (as is characteristic of McCullough). As a longtime Civil War enthusiast, I found I knew very little regarding the American Revolution, so this book proved to be a treasure trove of interesting facts. The realism with which Washington is described, in both strengths and weaknesses, is a welcome contrast to the near-reverence seen in other texts. "1776" allows us to s ...more

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Apr 23, 2010 Stephen rated it really liked it

Shelves: history-usa, easton-press, signed-first-or-limited-edition, audiobook, non-fiction, the-way-we-war

4.5 stars. David McCullough does it again. This is an excellent, entertaining and engaging description of one of the "pivotal" years in American History. Beginning with the early American victory at the "Siege of Boston," McCullough details the disastrous results for the Americans at a series of battles to follow (most notably the Battle of Long Island and the taking of Fort Washington and Fort Lee).

McCullough makes it clear that the American cause was on the point of collapse when, in December ...more

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May 27, 2015 Lyn rated it liked it

Pulitzer prize winner and well deserving.

This chronicles Washington's army from just after Bunker Hill to the dramatic crossing of the Delaware and his Christmas attack of the Hessians at Trenton. Well researched and superbly written, very entertaining. McCullough paints a vivid portrait of legendary time.

description

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Jan 05, 2012 Kerrie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, from-library, revolutionary-war, non-fiction

I'm at a loss to find the right superlative, but this has to be one of the most enthralling, engrossing, and entertaining histories I've ever had the pleasure to experience.

This is my first McCullough book, so perhaps this is the norm. Boy, I sure hope so.

As with a few other books on the Revolutionary War that I've read recently, I keep asking myself, "Why didn't we learn about our nation's founding with books like this??? It sure would have made it more interesting.

McCullough covers this single ...more

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May 25, 2016 Eric rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-reading-challenge, audio-books, non-fiction

Being a fan of the TV series TURN: Washington's Spies, I had a particular interest in this book. Also, David McCullough is a magnificent author. I listened to the audio book and McCullough also read the book in which he also is quite talented.

The year 1776 was a very pivotal year in the American Revolution. On July 4th every year, we celebrate the Declaration of Independence. It was also year that did not go particularly well for General George Washington. The year 1776 marked the year Great Bri Being a fan of the TV series TURN: Washington's Spies, I had a particular interest in this book. Also, David McCullough is a magnificent author. I listened to the audio book and McCullough also read the book in which he also is quite talented.

The year 1776 was a very pivotal year in the American Revolution. On July 4th every year, we celebrate the Declaration of Independence. It was also year that did not go particularly well for General George Washington. The year 1776 marked the year Great Britain assembled the greatest invasion force in its history and even the 18th century with 400 ships entering the harbor around Long Island. King George wanted to put an end to the unrest in the American Colonies. The British almost accomplished that mission.

In the early days of the Revolutionary War, generals on both sides didn't have any idea the strength of the enemy and therefore made decisions on inadequate information. Washington was an information-based general and wanted make decisions on what he knew. That turned out to be very little. After major defeats at New York in the summer 1776, Washington withdrew his forces to regroup. The Continental Army was out-manned, out-gunned and lacked the experience in battle engagements the British Army possessed.

After reading and watching many fictionalized accounts of the Revolutionary War, the more factual information doesn't carry the drama and is not quite as interesting. Even McCullough's meticulous research and presentation waned a little for me. I think this had to do with the book being about a time period rather than a particular individual. A good part of the historical record is captured through private correspondence between various people of the time. McCullough does pay substantial tribute to George Washington. This tribute is inspiring. Washington was not a highly trained soldier, or strategist or a particularly articulate man. Yet he believed in America's freedom and was an unwavering stalwart in leading the army to win for that cause.

The book 1776 is an interesting and inspiring account of the tremendous perseverance, heroism and just plain luck (or call it what you want) of America's road to independence. ...more

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Feb 03, 2016 Chris rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio, history-american, 2016

Trust David McCullough to make a story you have heard many times still thrilling.

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Jan 26, 2016 Jan C rated it really liked it

Shelves: revolution, 2016

Oh, why did I put this book down for so long? I forgot what a wonderful writer David McCullough is. Especially in these last few pages he was making the revolution come alive to me.

Of course, it did help that it had gotten to where Washington crosses the Delaware and routs the drunken Hessians by Trenton. (Per McCullough, the Hessians weren't really drunk. Just another urban legend, I guess.) I had friends who lived in Yardley, PA, right by Washington's Crossing, which, I presume, is the then Mc ...more

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May 30, 2008 Mark rated it it was amazing

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 r 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.
...more

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Oct 13, 2014 Patrick Gibson rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: history aficionados

Shelves: history, truth_sort-of, snorgasm

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 ...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Thomas rated it it was ok

"1776" details the events of George Washington and his officers from the summer of 1775 through January of 1777. The book is written in what I find to be a nauseating and anti-intellectual best-seller style, heavy on quotes and light on insight.

The entire book relies on "unnecessary" quotations from "source material," and 95% of the book is comprised of "adjectives" describing "sensorium." If you want descriptions of how the Potomac smelled one morning, or how Washington's buttons on a coat "shi ...more

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Apr 25, 2010 Mike rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: history, military

Fireworks and the Declaration of Independence are the only 2 things we normally associate with 1776. I thought I had a good outline of the war. Was I wrong, this book reveals so much that is skipped over in most history classes and books. Read this incredible story to find out the real story of that fateful year. How close we came to being crushed by the dominant military power in the world. What increased admiration I have for the men who fought through to end that year in victory when all seem ...more

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Dec 23, 2008 Dave Russell rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

McCullough is not a very good prose writer. Faulkner would have trouble parsing some of his sentences. Also, he's apparently never heard of parallel construction. However, he knows how to cull facts and construct a compelling story. He starts off with King George III giving a speech full of arrogance and bluster that only a British monarch could muster--or possibly a professional wrestler. He ends the book with King George III giving a speech with a more chastened tone. In between Washington tak ...more

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Jan 20, 2016 Dave rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history, nonfiction, war

This is another marvelously written book (the third one I've read) by David McCullough. McCullough is one of our best living historians, the winner of two National Book Awards and two Pulitzer Prizes. He knows how to tell a gripping story. His characters come alive, he adds key quotations, and the narrative flows at the right pace. His research is impeccable with many important primary sources. I believe he gets the history right!
"1776" is the story of this early year of the Revolutionary War an ...more

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Mar 08, 2011 Joy H. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, selection-of-library-bk-group

I never thought I'd enjoy a book about war and its battles, but this book, _1776_, drew me in as did McCullough's _John Adams_). McCullough makes it all so real again.

The last page of the book says it all:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
p.294 - "The year 1776... a year of all-too-few victories, of sustained suffering, disease, hunger, desertion, cowardice, disillusionment, defeat, terrible discouragement, and fear... [After all that:] ...the outcome seemed little short of a miracle." ...more

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Apr 22, 2008 Suzi rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: doreen nidey

Backwards, men, to victory! This is a thoroughly readable history of how George Washington and his rag tag band of semi-soldiers finally wore down the British. Oh, the British were as we are now--huge navy, army, and hired help (Blackwater for us--Hessians for them). And except for a couple of brilliant moves (like capturing a bunch of huge canon from Ft. Ticonderoga and moving them cross country, through the mud and slime, to Boston), and one morning the British woke up and found an entire line ...more

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Jul 23, 2009 Tahleen rated it liked it

Shelves: history

I liked this book. Not the most riveting I've ever read, but McCullough did a great job with the narrative of the war in the title year. It was actually all stuff I never knew about, or had vaguely heard about (like the crossing of the Delaware). I didn't learn about the actual warfare in school, only the stuff going on in Philadelphia. The book also gives a great character profile of George Washington, Nathaniel Greene, and Henry Knox, among other major players of the revolution, as well as the ...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Steve rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction, historical

McCullough's abundant citations from contemporaneous accounts of soldiers and leaders during the fateful year 1776 humanizes this chronicle of the disastrous campaign that nearly lost the revolutionary war. For readers that today look back and assume the war's conclusion was foregone, it is jarring to note how close defeat was, and how ineffectual the leadership of General George Washington was during most of the first year. And yet, it is hard not to see the Hand of Providence at work during ti ...more

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Nov 27, 2007 Jim is currently reading it

Shelves: real-ass-shit

This book is a detailed account of the American Revloutionary War as told by cronicles of the real people who lived through it. The only thing it didn't really mention a whole lot was the pivotal role Vin Diesel played when taking the guns from Ft. Greyskull. Or the part where George Washington jumps the Delaware River on his wacky big front wheel bike.

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Sep 26, 2014 John Boettcher rated it it was ok

If you want something so dense, so boring, and so un-enlightening, then THIS is your book. Does McCullough write specifically for people that have insomnia? The dictionary was more enthralling than this tome.

I would Wikipedia the Revolutionary War if that is your thing. You can get the highlights without loosing consciousness 9 times.

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Nov 12, 2015 Karla rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, revolution-american, audiobook, audiobook-readers-that-rock, history

A wonderful & amazing chronicle of the make-or-break year in the American Revolution. David McCullough's like a cozy Grandpa Historian: you just wanna sit in a circle and listen to all his stories, which is exactly the experience I had listening to the audiobook.

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Feb 08, 2016 Natalie rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical, united-states, favorite-authors, 2016

I'm always a little bit sad when people say they don't enjoy history.

Usually I try to convince them that history is amazing by sending them to David McCullough. He has this way of bringing the past to life. I mean, I know how the Revolutionary War ends, but I was on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what happens next. The only complaint I have is that this book only covered 1776 and not the rest of the war. I needed more!

I ended up giving it 4 stars, because I was comparing it to McCullough' ...more

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About David McCullough

David McCullough has been widely acclaimed as a “master of the art of narrative history,” “a matchless writer.” He is twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize, twice winner of the National Book Award, and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.

(update: His most recent book is The Wright Brothers, published on May 5th 2015 by Simon & Schuster.)

Mr. McCullou David McCullough has been widely acclaimed as a “master of the art of narrative history,” “a matchless writer.” He is twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize, twice winner of the National Book Award, and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.

(update: His most recent book is The Wright Brothers, published on May 5th 2015 by Simon & Schuster.)

Mr. McCullough’s most recent book, The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, the #1 New York Times bestseller, has been called “dazzling…history to be savored.” His work 1776 has been acclaimed “a classic,” while John Adams, published in 2001, remains one of the most praised and widely read American biographies of all time.

In the words of the citation accompanying his honorary degree from Yale, “As an historian, he paints with words, giving us pictures of the American people that live, breathe, and above all, confront the fundamental issues of courage, achievement, and moral character.”

Mr. McCullough’s other books include The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, The Path Between the Seas, Mornings on Horseback, Brave Companions, and Truman. His work has been translated and published around the world, and, as may be said of few writers, none of his books has ever been out of print.
David McCullough has also won the Francis Parkman Prize twice, and for his work overall he has been honored by the National Book Foundation Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award, the National Humanities Medal, and the Gold Medal for Biography given by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and has received fifty-two honorary degrees. In 2013, in his honor, the city of Pittsburgh, his hometown, renamed its landmark 16th Street Bridge over the Allegheny River the David McCullough Bridge. More recently, in September 2014, he was named an Officer of the Legion of Honor by decree of the President of the Republic of France.

In a crowded, productive career, he has been an editor, teacher, lecturer, and familiar presence on public television—as host of Smithsonian World, The American Experience, and narrator of numerous documentaries including Ken Burns’s The Civil War. His is also the narrator’s voice in the movie Seabiscuit. John Adams, the seven-part mini-series on HBO produced by Tom Hanks, was one of the most acclaimed and talked about television events of recent years.

A gifted speaker, Mr. McCullough has lectured in all parts of the country and abroad, as well as at the White House. He is also one of the few private citizens to speak before a joint session of Congress.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1933, Mr. McCullough was educated there and at Yale, where he graduated with honors in English Literature. He is an avid reader, traveler, and has enjoyed a lifelong interest in art and architecture. He is also a devoted painter. Mr. McCullough and his wife Rosalee Barnes McCullough have five children and nineteen grandchildren.
Mr. McCullough’s new book on the Wright Brothers will be published May 5, 2015. ...more

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“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.” — 18 likes

“It was a day and age that saw no reason why one could not learn whatever was required - learn vitally anything - by the close study of books.” — 8 likes

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