John Hubbard's Reviews > 1776

The weakest McCullough I have read.

1776 was a year filled with many mistakes for George Washington. He has simplistic ideas of the methods of General Howe. Washington triumphs with perseverance, the thesis of McCullough book. I have a much better narrative feel for the early campaigns of the Revolutionary war. I think the book strongest positive may be the emphasis on the lack of communicative options between not only Washington’s army and the Continental Congress but also just between Washington and the branches of his army or Howe and his assistants. The Battle of Brooklyn is perhaps the most symbolic of this. A handful of lookouts are taken within a fight because they don’t think the approaching may be the enemy. The branch in Brooklyn knows not of their compatriots’ loss, and they are attacked unaware. Washington and the main group don’t know about the loss until they approach the site, too late to have brought reinforcements and suddenly so close they are in danger.