Characters: n/a
Writing: A-
Plot: n/a
Pacing: A
Poignancy: A
If you aren't familiar with David McCullough, one thing is important to know before reading one of his pop-history works: McCullough isn't writing for academics, history buffs or researchers. A book like 1776 is the written equivalent of a History Channel special. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with that. If you want an intense study of the Revolutionary War, certainly look elsewhere. If you just want to read a book — an entertaining book, even — and finish it knowing a bit more about history, than 1776 is just right for you. In fact, it's perfect.
Admittedly, I'm pretty ignorant of most historical periods past the fall of Rome. The last time I studied anything related to the American Revolution was exactly a decade ago. My judgment of 1776 is based purely on its merits as a book, not as a historical analysis — but since it was given to me by a Revolutionary War reenactor and Thomas Jefferson impersonator, and has received fairly universal praise for its Pulitzer Prize winning author, I'm going to assume that its accuracy is beyond me to question. This is a highly focused examination of one year in America's history that rarely strays from the side of General Washington, his generals and the British men facing him in battle. Don't even expect to learn how the American Revolution ended, because 1776 — as its title implies — cuts off after the pivotal battles of Trenton and Princeton, long before the end of the war. The Declaration of Independence is barely mentioned, the Continental Congress operates in the background, and the reasons for the war's beginning are only alluded to. Is it somewhat odd for a non-fiction work to only barely scratch the surface of its subject? Certainly it's a bold move, but the rewards are great. I do wish that McCullough had continued all the way to the Siege of Yorktown and the end of the war, but only because he knows how to tell this story so well.
After all, there's a reason for the surge of pop history books becoming bestsellers in the last decade: most people don't want to bury themselves in a long, unrewarding academic tome. Few people can absorb such large volumes of information, and histories are easily bogged down by the dozen branches their subject matter takes. If the experience of reading such a book isn't rewarding, there's even less chance of remembering the history you wanted to study in the first place. In this respect, 1776 succeeds magnificently: it reads like a novel, and a good one. Few books this year have compelled me to turn the page as this one has; a doubly remarkable achievement considering I already knew the ending. The suffering and setbacks faced by the American soldiers is real and fully-explored; McCullough injects suspense and tension into the events simply by layering his sources for maximum effect. There were times when I thought to myself: "Wow. I really want to know what happens. And I'm reading this on Independence Day, so..."
That's about the best praise I could think of for a book like this, but 1776 isn't soft on the historical details either. McCullough offers little commentary of his own, though his assessments of the "character's'" thoughts, strategies and worries is always timely, useful and reasonable. By sticking close to his source material, McCullough keeps the information grounded and even manages to create some historical atmosphere. Indeed, the ultimate reason that 1776 is so readable both as a book and a history is McCullough's prose, which is clear, strong and enjoyable. This is a man with a sure command over the English language, and he uses it to his full advantage, creating a historical narrative that earned its place at the top of best-seller lists.
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