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The Shield (Season 3): A+ »

1776 is the latest from historian David McCullough that tells the story of the Revolutionary War but stays within the confines of that particular year and focuses heavily on Washington and his army. I tend to enjoy history books with wider spectrums so the specificity felt limiting to me. I've also read about this period before and have found the politics of the forming of our nation just as interesting if not more so than the fighting. I guess that's what McCullough's other book, John Adams is for.

That said, it's pretty amazing that Washington pulled out a victory here and this book really makes that clear. It was quite the come from behind victory. I also enjoyed that a big part of this book takes place in colonial Brooklyn and Long Island. In fact, Nathaneal Greene, the namesake of my old neighborhood, Ft. Greene, was a major player in the war and appears a great deal here.

Posted at August 9, 2005 09:04 PM

Listening to a book read to you, is great way to pass a long ride in a short time. David McCullough has a great voice for orating. The hours flew by as I imagined I was really on the battlefield or trudging through the awfull winter. The discription of the horrors of the war seemed too realistic.

Posted by: Dad Barrett at August 21, 2005 07:13 PM