Sign in with Facebook
Kellie's Reviews > 1776
1776
by
by
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 lasted. I remember some of the names but vaguely and I didn’t know their importance. One of the main issues in this book is disease and how it really devastated a lot of the American troops. Mostly because they were filthy and didn’t clean themselves. The British troops were healthly. They were a well disciplined well established army and navy. They knew how to care for themselves and avoid disease. One of the interesting aspects of the book is the strategy of the leaders. William Howe and George Washington. Their successes and failures. My interpretation is the British were winners. The Americans had small successes here and there. I think the author gave to much credit for the battle at the end in New Jersey. Howe had left and went to NY. The Americans did win the battle but only a portion of the British were there. I did learn a lot reading this book, but I struggled to get through it. It didn’t really excite me or peak my interest.
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
1776.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
Finished Reading
September 7, 2008
– Shelved
September 7, 2008
– Shelved as:
2005-reads
September 7, 2008
– Shelved as:
non-fiction
January 2, 2015
– Shelved as:
my-library
Comments Showing 1-14 of 14 (14 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Andrew
(new)
Apr 19, 2011 07:28PM
I have not yet read this but I read McCullough's "John Adams". I think that the Americans did not win the war so much as they out-waited the British, who could not afford to keep all those troops here for much longer without the crown going bankrupt.
reply
|
flag
Andrew I agree that this book was excellent but I have to say John Adams was so much better as a simply enjoyable read. However, gett g out of NYC the way he did was brilliant on Washington's part.
I am STILL baffled how anyone can decide that the British won the war. I think I get your point, however.
Seeing as how the war didn't end until 1781, five years after the book cuts off, it's probably not reasonable to declare a winner based on the information presented within the pages. That being said, while Trenton was a small victory in terms of numbers, ground gained, etc, it was a huge mental boost for an army that needed something to rally around. It's pretty well accepted that without some sort of decisive victory before 1777 rolled around, enough troops would have left Washington's army to render it ineffective.
I agree. I learned a lot, but it just didn't excite me.
I learned a lot, too, but I also really enjoyed learning what was going on I the minds of some of these people. What was life really like back then and how did people really feel about the war? I thought it was just splendid!
I respect Kellie and her opinions! I stopped reading a Dale Carnegie book just long enough to say so, I hope no one thinks that's rude.Love,
-J.
J. Better go back to your Dale Carnegie... Rude.
Great point about feeling you missed out on school. I have read multiple books on the Revolution. I was not taught 99.9% of it. I only remember the Boston Tea Party. Great read.
Good to know Hank. Now I don't feel so bad
I think you are missing the irony McCullough is using to convey the difference in appearance, health, and preparedness with the eventual outcome of the war. Plus, the author's main argument is that Tenton is the turning point of the war. Disease is not the focal point of this narrative, just an accessory to put into the perspective the incredulous victory in New Jersey.
I'm one of those people who love learning about the Revolutionary War, so I really enjoyed this book. I've actually listened to it in audio format, read by McCullough, twice as well as reading it.
The Americans won the war thanks to the help of French men led by Marquis de La Faillette. And in this time France had a strong army.
And the Spanish and the Dutch. But the sacrifices of American are what led the Anglophobe nations to assist, certainly not any desire to promote a “Democracy within a Republic” form of government.
