Pensees: 1776

I am in the middle of reading 1776 myself. It is a great book. From what I’ve found so far, the beginning goes a little slower, but it picks up speed as you go along. McCullough is a great writer. Another great book he has written is a biography of Theodore Roosevelt.

I have read his works on Adams and Truman and just finished 1776 on the plane. I agree with your take—the book is basically a chronological arrangement of interesting anecdotes about the year. It is strictly limited to military movements, with little in the way of analysis, commentary, or broader historical context. I enjoyed the read, but found it lacking. Of course, it is begging for a sequel (1777). There are a host of books out lately on years: 1915, 1066, AD500…it is an interesting phenomenon.

I’m apparently missing something here. You read the book—enjoyed it—and it left you wanting more. So what is the problem? It sounds to me like McCullough did a nice job of whetting your appetite for early American history!:-)) By the way, if you are looking for a more in-depth study of the Revolutionary War, you could always pick up Douglas Southall Freeman’s “George Washington.” [The abridged version is decent; the original 7-volume work is fantastic.] Of course, then you would need a very long “relaxing retreat” in which to read. :-))

Bob,

I agree completely. I read 1776 back in June, and as enjoyable as it was I felt frustrated with McCullough for not starting with 1775 and for not having 1777 ready by July! He certainly did make me want more. I just finished his book on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, The Great Bridge. Although tedious at times it was a good read, and sheds light on the spirit of that age that preceded the Fundamentalist-Modernist controversy of the early 20th century.