Esteemed historian David McCullough covers the military side of the momentous year of 1776 with characteristic insight and a gripping narrative, adding new scholarship and a fresh perspective to the beginning of the American Revolution. It was a turbulent and confusing time. As British and American politicians struggled to reach a compromise, events on the ground escalated until war was inevitable. McCullough writes vividly about the dismal conditions that troops on both sides had to endure, including an unusually harsh winter, and the role that luck and the whims of the weather played in helping the colonial forces hold off the world’s greatest army. He also effectively explores the importance of motivation and troop morale–a tie was as good as a win to the Americans, while anything short of overwhelming victory was disheartening to the British, who expected a swift end to the war. The redcoat retreat from Boston, for example, was particularly humiliating for the British, while the minor American victory at Trenton was magnified despite its limited strategic importance.
Some of the strongest passages in 1776 are the revealing and well-rounded portraits of the Georges on both sides of the Atlantic. King George III, so often portrayed as a bumbling, arrogant fool, is given a more thoughtful treatment by McCullough, who shows that the king considered the colonists to be petulant subjects without legitimate grievances–an attitude that led him to underestimate the will and capabilities of the Americans. At times he seems shocked that war was even necessary. The great Washington lives up to his considerable reputation in these pages, and McCullough relies on private correspondence to balance the man and the myth, revealing how deeply concerned Washington was about the Americans’ chances for victory, despite his public optimism. Perhaps more than any other man, he realized how fortunate they were to merely survive the year, and he willingly lays the responsibility for their good fortune in the hands of God rather than his own. Enthralling and superbly written, 1776 is the work of a master historian. –Shawn Carkonen
The Other 1776
With his riveting, enlightening accounts of subjects from Johnstown Flood to John Adams, David McCullough has become the historian that Americans look to most to tell us our own story. In his Amazon.com interview, McCullough explains why he turned in his new book from the political battles of the Revolution to the battles on the ground, and he marvels at some of his favorite young citizen soldiers who fought alongside the remarkable General Washington.  John Adams |
 Truman |
 Mornings on Horseback |
 The Path Between the Seas |
 The Great Bridge |
 The Johnstown Flood |
More Reading on the Revolution
 The Great Improvisation by Stacy Schiff |
 Washington’s Crossing by David Hackett Fischer |
 His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis |
 Washington’s General by Terry Golway |
 Iron Tears by Stanley Weintraub |
 Victory at Yorktown by Richard M. Ketchum |
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars A MUST FOR EVERY AMERICAN!
David McCullough is at his best in 1776. His narrative is extremely skilled, precise, and eloquent. He is not only a great historian, he is a master of the literary arts. He is able to bring to life a most critical time in American history with compelling narrative befitting the greatest literary masters. This book reads like a grand and epic novel! This should be required reading for every high school student in America!
5 Stars Rocky Start for USA
McCullough writes another great history of America and its difficult first year in the Revolutionary War. It is difficult for me to get interested in reading about history, but McCullough sparks my interests with this book. He doesn’t depart from the use of references and depictions from people that serve no real purpose in the story except that they wrote a journal entry on the historical moment, but he knows the limits and doesn’t stray too much from the actual story. I think that is key to keeping the reader interested. Don’t stray from the story too much to make a point. By limiting this book to the first year of the Revolutionary War, McCullough has also allowed himself the ability to keep the flow of time connected. Instead of having to cover the whole war by jumping from major battle to major battle, 1776 has a flow that connects actions together. I still feel like I am missing a lot of the war though. I would love to see him continue as a series, year by year, through the war. I also found that I had trouble spatially keeping track of where things were happing. There were maps included in the book but I had problems finding any of the events on them. I wonder if the illustrated edition would have helped me out.
5 Stars historical writing at its best
I was somewhat skeptical when I started the book: How can you
possibly tell a complete story by writing about a single year
in this formative period in world history? Yet, McCullough pulls
it off in splendid manner. The book is filled with great characters,
stories of near disasters, and spectacular successes. McCullough
is not afraid to assign credit and blame where it is due, regardless
of side. In particular, the book is not a hagiography of George
Washington, and one appreciates the man the better for it.
In short, a history book that rivals many a fiction book in terms
of narative. And if, like me, you don’t remember your history all
that well, you may actually find yourself reading through the night
to find out what happens next.
5 Stars True passion in American history
What can you say about David McCullough,…A true historian
and author which shows the passion he has in American history in
all his work. I look forward to his other books and hopefully other
great mini series as that of “John Adams”…
5 Stars AMAZING BOOK
It’s like reading a docu-drama! Wonderfully written! Info that you don’t often read in text books. Lots of quotes! Reads a little like a novel! LOVED IT!
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