1776

1776 is the first book that I have read by David McCullough in spite of the fact that we own three of his books and he is one of my husband's favorites. The book is a historical account of the year 1776 in America at the start of the American Revolution.

Although the book is non-fiction, I gained a better perspective on the people involved in this conflict because Mr. McCullough took the time to develop the characters that remain so flat on the pages of a textbook. Nathaniel Greene was an especially interesting man; he was a devoted husband who had been raised in a respected Quaker family and who was self-educated in many areas, including warfare, by reading books. Just another proof that you can learn to do anything if you have the proper reading materials!

Many of the notions that I previously held about the war were proven to be false by reading this book. The country was not overwhelmingly united in the war effort, the army was ill-prepared and George Washington was not the perfect decision-maker that he is generally portrayed as, which, for me personally, just makes him more interesting.

The book is a worthwhile read if you are interested in the American Revolution and I also recommend it for older homeschoolers who are studying the 1700's as I believe it will add depth and understanding to their study of the time period.

Happy reading!