Hudson Fitzgerald's Reviews > 1776

** spoiler alert ** 1776 by David McCullough is a nonfiction book about the military events involved in the American Revolution during the year 1776. The book follows the Continental Army’s fight against the British army, and more specifically on George Washington. The big difference between this book and other history books is its focus on the militaristic side of the Revolution rather than the Founding Fathers and their congressional meeting. The book begins by describing the important figures of the revolution, such as King George III and General George Washington, as well as supporting military figures like Nathanael Greene and William Howe. The story goes on to describe the efforts of both sides to win the war, and ends with the beginning of a nation as the Declaration of Independence is signed.
I really enjoyed the book, and while it is not a fun book but it is certainly interesting. The great thing about the accounts of the book is the accuracy and depth. Instead of just telling what happened where, the book tells about the events leading up to certain battles and the consequences of them. The detailed descriptions kept me reading, even during the parts not involved in the actual war. Even though we all know the end when the colonists win the revolution, the storytelling keeps you interested. Reading about a battle or a skirmish makes me think that the colonials might just lose, and the next battle seems to turn the tables. It is an incredible story of a very close war that ended in a great country founded on freedom and democracy.
Although the book was an interesting spin on the American Revolution, it is not for people who are not into military accounts or factual records. At some points the book can be slow or bland, but eventually it goes back to more interesting topics. Another thing that I did not like too much was the amount of depth. It may seem confusing that depth is a bad quality, but in this case the incredible detail sometimes took away from the main part of the story. Sometimes it was too focused on a person’s life or family instead of the events in the war.
I decided to gives the book three stars. I would have rated it higher, but I’m not really into the in depth factual aspects of the book. I was interested in the retelling of the story of the American Revolution, but the detail was too much for me. I appreciate the structured telling and the great way the people involved were presented. Overall, the good outweighed the bad, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in history or anyone who just wants a fascinating read.