9/22/2006 - Reading 1776, by David McCullough

On the BART train 5:30 on Friday afternoon. Reader was so wrapped up in the book, I felt bad, though not too bad, about interrupting him. He acknowledged that it was at times "thick," but that he wasn't reading it to memorize dates and names, and that he was enjoying it. He also pointed out that, if you want a complete view of the Revolutionary War, you would need to do additional reading, as 1776 encompasses just that, 1776.

From Bookmarks Magazine
McCullough’s reputation for telling a riveting story stands out in his latest work. The encounters that he examines and details he includes cut to the heart of what made 1776 a pivotal year in world history. His portrait of King George, although brief, goes beyond the superficial sketch of a clueless monarch that many historians usually offer. The author occasionally shows a frustrated and privately doubting Washington somewhat at odds with accepted mythology, but nonetheless burnishes the general’s heroic stature. Using Washington to drive the narrative may give some readers an unrealistically narrow view of the Revolution, but critics agree: this is history at its best. Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.