Michael's Reviews > 1776

I passed this book many times whenever I was at a book store and never really gave it more than a glance. Now having read the book I've come to realize how each time I passed this book was a mistake. This is the first (but definitely not the last) David McCullough book I have read, but after reading this book it's easy to see why he is a two time Pulitzer Prize winner.

McCullough spent years researching the material for this book and it pays off tenfold. McCullough shows us both sides of the war so we can see what was going through the minds of both the arrogant red coats to the unorganized colonial militia. The passages he includes from letters written by soldiers, whether famous or just a common man help illustrate what was truly happening in camp and on the front lines. These little bits of insight make 1776 more than just another history book, and McCullough weaves them into his narrative so seamlessly that 1776 reads like a compelling work of fiction.

With 1776 McCullough gives us the perfect portrayal of America during one of the most critical years of the revolutionary war. For those thinking they have learned everything there is to know about the Revolutionary War, should think again and pick up this book immediately. It is not a long book by any means but when you are done you will wish that McCullough had written about the entire war in as much detail as he did for the year of 1776.