1776

David McCullough is easily one of the best writers to grace the history genre. This book should be required reading for all American students. Modern politicians on both sides of the aisle should look to this book for inspiration for what ACTUAL patriotism and sacrifice resembles.

EXCELLENT BOOK! Here are my take-aways. Detailed comments include context in the attached photos.First leadership take-away: Leadership Despair. Project execution requires loyalty and faithfulness… yet, some troops didn’t care, or worse they purposely screwed it up or poisoned the water by sowing discord amongst troops. General Washington could encourage people, but he could not control their attitude. Washington turned to a home improvement project where he had control. This was how he kept sane knowing full well the sovereignty of our country was at stake.Second leadership take-away: Leadership styles must be tailored for certain group types. Examples:• Lead from the front --- required for inexperienced groups (perhaps for millennials)… in a business, or for the Revolutionary War!• Manage capabilities (lead from behind as a driver) --- needed for groups who are self-reliant and are able to manage technically, but the business or mission strategy needs full time leadership especially when stakeholder connections are important.• Be an advisor --- needed when the business or mission has a leader and could be performing well (or not), and the expertise of a seasoned consultant is needed for greater impact.A leader that encourages a team from the front, is a leader that imparts a vision while standing should-to-shoulder during the fight. Washington rallied his troops for the sake of their country.In today’s work environment, the work ethic is characterized by electronics and button-pushing. In this book, the younger generation lacked the warrior ethos or the drive to soldier it alone. General Washington recognized ineptitude as a result of people “unused to restraint”. The Continental Army seemed to be a dysfunctional group of farmers. Somehow, fighting for freedom may have been an ideal, but seemingly not a strong determination. In the words of Washington, a special kind of leadership was required. As he stated, “A people unused to restraint must be led, they will not be drove.”While Washington was criticized for his leadership failures, this book helps the reader to understand Washington may have been the best leader. Maximum success was achieved for the farmer soldiers of the Continental Army.

Helpful to read our country’s history and the army that suffered much to guarantee we could become a country and start our democracy. There is much in here that should be taught to every American. Americans talk too much about their rights and not enough about our responsibilities.

I have only elementary knowledge of American history. This is shameful, really, as in high school and university I took at least two courses on American history and did quite well in them as memory serves. Still, somehow I have forgotten much that I ought to know. Popular history, books written about periods of the past but written in a narrative fashion rather than as dry history, have proven useful in refreshing my memory. Nathaniel Philbrick's Mayflower reminded me of the first days of the American colonies, and I have followed that with David McCullough's 1776 which tells the story of what is easily the most pivotal, important year in America's long and storied history.Though it takes place during the war for independence, and though it concerns that conflict, 1776 is not a history of the war. Rather, it deals with a small slice of the wider campaign. Yet this year, being so pivotal, mirrors the course of the war, for it began with defeat and retreat, but ended with great victories. Though the American forces managed to avoid full-scale battles, they showed their commitment to the ideals of independence through a series of smaller but still important battles.The book begins in England near the close of 1775. George III, King of England, stands before Parliament and declares the colonies to be in rebellion. "I need not dwell upon the fatal effects of such a plan. The object is too important, the spirit of the British nation too high, the resources with which God hath blessed her too numerous, to give up so many colonies which she has planted with great industry, nursed with great tenderness, encouraged with many commercial advantages, and protected and defended at much expense of blood and treasure." And so he committed his forces to furthering the conflict and to crushing the opposition.The closing pages of the book relay King George's words at the opening of the next year's Parliament. "Nothing could have afforded me so much satisfaction as to have been able to inform you ... that my unhappy people [in America], recovered from their delusion, had delivered themselves from the oppression of their leaders and returned to their duty. But so daring and desperate is the spirit of those leaders, whose object has always been dominion and power, that they have now openly renounced all allegiance to the Crown, and all political connection with this country ... and have presumed to set up their rebellious confederacies for independent states. If their treason be suffered to take root, much mischief must grow from it." The war was not over and there would be much blood still to shed.Because of the narrow scope of the book, the narrative does not extend to the close of the war. Do the Americans win the war, or are they driven further and further west until they have to admit defeat? Do the British eventually cut their losses and give up on their colony, or do they own them still? And what happened to George Washington? Did the legend of the man extend past 1776 or were his best days already behind him? While these answers are obvious, I almost wished that the book had continued, at least to summarize the remaining years of the war. But, of course, this would defeat the purpose of writing a book with the limited objective of covering a single year.1776 is popular history at its best. It is easy to read, yet filled with information. It tells the story of an important period of time in a way that is accessible to those who may not wish to read a scholarly treatment of the same material. It is long enough to be thorough, but short enough to avoid being overwhelming. It is good to see both Mayflower and 1776 on the bestseller lists at the same time. Both deserve the honor; both are worthy of a spot in your library.

I was hoping this book would be a revealing overview of the American War of Independence. In some ways, it is that, painting a detailed picture of Washington in particularly, as well as some of the other generals.However, it really focuses on a number of key battles and spends a lot of time discussing the tactics. Firstly at the battle of Boston but secodnly spending a long time on battle of Long Island and ultimately the capture of Manhatten. The book certainly doesn't cover Washington in glory. Unfortunately the Decleration of Independence and its signees get almost no coverage.This is primairly a book on military history, rather than a wider geolpoltilical or politial tale.

The world knows the year, 1776. Americans know and revere the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. In this captivating book, MCCullough reminds readers of American history, that important as they were, the founding fathers were politicians first, leaders, second. Their decision to declare independence from Great Britain in 1776 was crucial, but that year was pivotal on the battlefield.McCullough emphasises the contribution on the battlefield, for without victory there, the declaration of independence would be just a mocked document down the path of history. Yet, the initial battles were not easy, and many of the men who fought for America were either too young or too old. America was also in dire shortage of guns and ammunition. Britain had a large professional army, complemented by the feared Hessian troops.In the second half of the year 1776, George Washington, Nathanael Green, and Henry Knox became the unlikely heroes of all time. They had their share of defeat and humiliation - one of Washington's generals (Lee) was captured and taken prisoner by the British. Losses at the Battle of Brooklyn and the surrender of Fort Washington were low points told with a dash of the thrill of war and the shame of men new to warfare, but McCullough produced stunning accounts of the reversal of fortunes at Trenton and Princeton that makes this book so interesting. McCullough produced the shock of stunning reversals of fortune that readers may feel the battle heat as if she had been right there at the frontline.

The books is written as a historical novel and is entirely focused on a series of events in 1776. No broader setting is given (a thorough introduction on the histories leading up to 1776 would be nice). The book in my view lacks true and comprehensive historical frame and is more an entertaining writing on the way the 'Americans' under the lead of George Washington went through hardships etc. Definitely biased.As for the physical quality of the book: not great, my version in the end fell apart.

Avid fan of McCullough having read all his other books except The Johnstown Flood. Every other book was a version published by Simon & Schuster. This book however is the Penguin version and, in order to make the book smaller, has a much much smaller typeface.My recommendation would be not to buy this version but to look around for a Simon & Schuster version.Content will no doubt be worthy of 5 stars, Presentation however only worth 1 star. Hence on balance 3 stars.

As a lover of history I found this book to be very informative. I never knew that so much happened in 1776. For the American's to get such a victory with only a small militia must have been a sheer miracle.This book is a keeper.