Rating: 4.00 (1 ratings)
First published 2005
David McCullough examines the crucial twelve months when American independence hung by a thread. He focuses on George Washington, an untested commander facing his first major military campaign. The author draws from American and British archives to tell the story of the Continental Army's diverse soldiers: farmers, teachers, craftsmen, and teenagers who became warriors. McCullough also portrays British General William Howe and his professional redcoats, who viewed their colonial opponents with disdain. The narrative reveals how Washington's forces endured their darkest moments while the entire revolutionary cause teetered on collapse. Through detailed research, McCullough shows how ordinary Americans and their inexperienced leader managed to keep the fight for independence alive. The book demonstrates the slim margin between success and failure that determined whether the Declaration of Independence would become reality or remain mere words.
Genres: biography, history, military-history, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: against-all-odds, underdog
Setting: America, Britain
Period: 1776
386 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster