1776

Summertime always seems to bring out the patriot in people. I’m no different, so I usually try to do something to remind me of the importance of the Independence Day season. I just finished reading 1776, by David McCullough, a narrative of the events that happened in the American colonies/states during that year.

Everyone needs to read this book.  I understand that war histories aren’t everyone’s thing, as my wife reminds me, but this book is so much more than a history of some war that happened a long time ago.  It is about the birth of a nation in the midst of terrible and trying conditions.  It is about the faith and perseverance that the first Americans had to keep going in the face of seeming impossible odds.  And it is an eye-opener to how events really went down that decided the future of this country.

I’ve always thought any book that examines Washington’s life and decisions, if only in part, would be worth a read.  1776 does that, but it also shows us how without so many others and their decisions – officers and soldiers alike, the outcome of the war could have been very different.  You will view Nathanael Green, Henry Knox, and others in new light and with much appreciation for what they did to assist Washington.  And I view the common soldiers with new respect after reading about the conditions that they had to fight through and the courage that many of them had to stay with the army.

Possibly my favorite thing about the book is how McCullough makes note of events that happened during the war that could not be explained.  There were a number of occasions when fogs and storms appeared just when the American needed them.  Many people at the time attributed this to Providence, and I would agree wholeheartedly that that is exaclty what is was.  For those who believe that the founding of this country was made possible by diving intervention, as I do, there are parts of this history that are truly amazing.

It really is a great read that will have you appreciating our great country.  And what better time to read it.

Tags: American Revolution, David McCullough, 1776, Independence Day, George Washington