Nicole's Reviews > 1776

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was easy to read, written in a simple and direct way. McCullough writes beautifully, and the book is pleasant to read through. There were a few passages that dragged a little, but there were also many times when I found myself having read 50-100 pages unable to tear myself away. I also enjoyed the frequent quotations of letters, speeches and other words from 1776. Many famous lines were put into context, and I was introduced to many other equally-inspiring and admirable words that I hadn't previously heard.

I gained a fresh appreciation for Washington, Knox, Greene, and our first soldiers. Of Washington, McCullough writes:

"He was not a brilliant strategist or tactician, not a gifted orator, not an intellectual...But experience had been his great teacher from boyhood, and in this his greatest test, he learned steadily from experience. Above all, Washington never forgot what was at stake and he never gave up." (p. 293)

If you're interested in American history, then this book should definitely be on your to-read shelf.

"From the last week of August to the last week of December, the year 1776 had been as dark a time as those devoted to the American cause had ever known--indeed, as dark a time as any in the history of the country. And suddenly, miraculously it seemed, that had changed because of a small band of determined men and their leader." (p. 291)