1776

The hard cover book, which I had prior, is worthy of six stars. It is possibly the best book of its kind in regards to The American Revolution. So, as to why I would only give the audiobook three stars, the author clearly appeased his ego by being the primary reader of the book. It amazes me that a man as brilliant and utterly perceptive as David McCullough would not have the self realization that his voice is dry and bland and serves ultimately a disservice to this strong work. I guess ego gets the best of us.

In the last year, besides 1776, I've bought audiobooks, 'The Light We Cannot See (Novel)' by Anthony Doerr, 'The Witches: Salem (1692)' by Stacy Shciff, 'The Guns Of August', 'Waterloo: The History Of Four Days And Three Battles by Bernard Cornwell, 'Washington's Spies' by Alexander Rose and found the third party professional readers to typically have velvety voices and capable of performing splendid pronunciations. These types of great readers are out there; yet, David McCullough either cheaped out or refuses to embrace the reality of the craftsmanship that professional readers bring to a manuscript. In any event, it makes me weary of buying other audiobooks by him for which he inexplicably is the reader as well.

Now, despite my harsh criticism, I will say that anybody who buys this book will be satisfied. As you get lost in the period, you will not fixate on the dryness of the David's old grandpa voice. The work as a whole is ultimately worthy of your patronage. I am simply making a statement that the author, a best selling author at that, ought to have added a voice equal to the majesty of his work. I knew this in advance and loved the book enough to ignore it and am still reasonably satisfied. But satisfactory is but a C one must remember. And this book in this format is a C+ or B-. I rounded down to sharpen my point.

Although the American Revolutionary War lasted 8 long years, from 1775 to 1783, the iconic year of that war was 1776. Historian and writer David McCullough masterfully tells the story of 3 notable military engagements that year. 1776 began with the Continental Army dug in for the defense of New York City against an expected attack by the British. The previous summer, in the Battle of Bunker Hill in Boston, the British had suffered heavy casualties. The upshot was, this time, in their planned attack on New York City, the British were not going to take half measures. They showed up with the largest armada they had ever assembled, and with ground forces that far outnumbered the Americans dug in for the city's defense. Worse, in the weeks and months that followed their landing in New York, the British skillfully outwitted and outflanked American forces.

It became clear to Commander-in-Chief George Washington that his forces didn't stand a chance. Seeing the looming catastrophe, Washington organized and successfully executed a brilliant escape for the American forces, thereby saving them from crushing defeat and enabling them to fight another day. And so they fled, eventually working their way down New Jersey and then across the Delaware River to Pennsylvania. Outnumbered, outgunned and humiliated, troop morale suffered. The morale of American colonists also suffered.

So 1776 was a big fat bust for the Americans, until literally the final week of the year, when General Washington planned a night crossing over the icy Delaware River back into New Jersey from Pennsylvania for an attack on feared Hessian forces encamped in Trenton. Caught by surprise, the Hessians were quickly routed. Two-thirds of the 1,500-man Hessian contingent were captured. A week later the Americans built on this success by defeating the British ten miles away in Princeton. These two engagements were pivotable. They restored troop morale and the morale of American citizens throughout the colonies. Enlistments in the Continental Army surged.

Although the war would drag on for six more years, the battles of Trenton and Princeton, the first in the closing days of 1776 and the latter in the first days of 1777, were pivotal.

This is a wonderful book, read by the author himself.

An excellent historic account using original information. McCullough does an amazing job telling the story of General Washington's struggles to build and hold together an ill-trained and ill-equipped Continental Army in the face of the most powerful army in the world at the time. This book brings to light the almost unimaginable plight of the men involved; the officers, soldiers, and politicians. The book also does an excellent job of describing the feelings of the British and Hessen soldiers and leaders, the Loyalists, and even the British politicians and king.

What I would have liked to have seen in this book was was more details about the actions in Canada and the South. Also lacking, and extremely important, was the heavy emphasis George Washington placed on Divine Providence and his unwavering faith in God. This is, more than anything, where George Washington found his strength and courage, and he was very outspoken about this fact.

I had bought this last summer and placed it aside, still shrink wrapped. Opened it this morning and found the condition to be "FAIR", NOT -- "Used Very Good Condition." The CDs are very scratched up and the case looks like it sat in a car because it is very faded and very worn.

BEWARE THIS BOOKSELLER -- THEY DO NOT HONESTLY ADVERTISE THE CONDITION OF THEIR PRODUCTS.

excellent

The narrative abridgmeent of 1776 by David McCullough, read by the author, is terrifc. My 15-year old son suggested we listen to it on a road trip after he got sick of listening to Emmien, and 1776 lasted us for 2 or 3 days as we meandered through the Colorado Rockies and the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. It is a terrific story, very well told, and full of suspense for both of us--even though I suppsoedly learned all about the American Revolution about 30 years ago in school! A good book to listen to with teenagers, or other adults.

Patrick O'Connor, St. Paul, MN

I love this recording. David McCullough has always been a favorite and I am trying to learn as much as I can right now about the Founding Fathers. This is exceptional.

If you like American history this is David McCullough`s Best Book. Also try John Adams, by the same author.

Its a great OVERVIEW of the year. Offers a little British perspective which was enlightening.

History gets rewritten every ten years or so because of the change of opinion as to why people do what they do. Cheap history gets rewritten as if it were contemporary, and the characters appear transparent because thy have been transformed into people like those we see on popular television. Hence, the popular Broadway production "Hamilton" is great entertainment, but cheap history. Even in many academic circles, it is cheap history that is acclaimed because originality is celebrated more than fidelity.
McCullough has the gift of writing popular history without making it cheap. His gathering of contemporary perspectives and details are reflected in this account of the seminal year 1776. It is a story many of us know well, yet the Author brings much to the table in terms of back story, multiple perspectives, and individual experience(s) that add up to a coherent panorama.
His selection is judicious. Detail is given to the siege of Boston and what led to the British withdrawal. The significance of the Battle of Bunker Hill is made plain in the narrative as the experience haunted the British as one they did not wish to repeat, and this accounts for their reluctance to "break out" of Boston. The neglect on both sides of Dorchester Heights for most of the siege, despite individuals on both sides who recognized their importance, is an issue McCullough illuminates. Washington's own process of making decisions, allowing his desire to act to be overruled by his war counsel on more than one occasion, is another perspective on the history that the Author provides, along with the achievements of Nathaniel Greene, Henry Knox, and many others whose roles were essential to the victory at Boston. Equal attention is given to the circumstances leading to the loss of New York, what many regard as the failures of Washington as commander, and the fortunes that allowed the withdrawal rather than the destruction of Washington's army. The string of defeats that followed, White Plains, etc., are not given detailed description, in part because they would have been redundant (or perhaps not researched to the same extent), and because these were not turning points as were those that McCullough narrates in greater detail. The third great focus in the book is Washington's surprise victories at Trenton and Princeton, again given with attention to detail (and salvaging to some extent the reputation of the Hessians and their commander).
What emerges in the course of this book is a host of actors, but the one who emerges as most significant is, unsurprisingly, General Washington. Many are given their due, but the sober appraisal of Washington's actions, attitude, and of the impression he made on contemporaries helps us understand why he came to called "Father of His Country." McCullough narrates without prejudice and allows the facts and witnesses paint the picture. The fact that hostile witnesses are included makes the picture so much more credible.
I very much enjoyed the author's voice, so even, clear, and unobtrusive, allowing the detail and the narrative to take center stage. Furthermore, there is a certain authority in an author's reading of his own works so that the interpretation and nuance given to lines reflect the author's own intention rather than a reader's second hand interpretations, though these may be worthwhile in themselves. In reading his own work, McCullough is following the in tradition of Charles Dickens and Samuel Clemens who routinely gave public readings of their own works. I have seldom enjoyed an audiobook as much as this one.