David McCullough has the dubious distinction of reaching a larger audience than any other working historian. This may have something to do with the fact that he appears regularly on television and other media. It also may have to do with the fact that he writes very entertaining and engaging histories, not the the typical dry-as-dust academic fare that is standard in history graduate programs.
His current work "1776" is primarily a short military history of the Continental Army that begins in the summer of 1775 and ends in early 1777. Other important events of this time period, such as the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, are not discussed. But as far as military histories go this one is excellent. McCullough's writing skills are reminiscent of Charles Dickens (a writer whom he is said to admire) and his talent for visual descriptions are superb (McCullough is also a painter).
McCullough's narrative skills are immediately obvious in the opening scene of the book when he describes King George III's arrival at Westminster to open Parliament. The king, who had never traveled to Scotland or Ireland let alone America, was noted more for marital fidelity (he sired 15 children) and his interests in music and art, rather than as a military leader. Yet he gave a rousing and heartfelt speech to Parliament urging the immediate suppression of the American rebellion. This speech was necessary because almost a third of the members were against waging war.
Meanwhile, back in Boston, the other George arrives on the scene to mobilize an army. Washington's purpose was to mobilize the Yankees to evict the British troops from the city. He found his new recruits to be very inexperienced and undisciplined - not only did they not wash their clothes and dig latrines, they had the pesky habit of electing their officers. Washington, a Virginian who owned slaves and a 54,000 acre plantation at Mount Vernon, shared the view of many of the quasi-aristocrats of that era that New Englanders were "dirty and nasty" people.
There were, however, two officers that he held in high esteem: Nathanial Greene and Henry Knox. McCullough's telling of Knox's expedition of hauling 120,000 pounds of cannon and mortar from Fort Ticonderoga to Dorchester Heights above Boston was eye-opening. This display of force was instrumental in forcing the British to retreat from Boston and to reposition in New York.
As the war moved to New York, Washington committed a series of blunders that almost doomed the revolution. Washington's decision to defend New York resulted in "utter catastophe." He not only lost four successive battles, he also lost over 16,000 troops out of an initial 20,000. When he was forced to retreat into Pennsylvania most Americans considered the war lost. However, on Christmas night 1776, he recrossed the Delaware with an army of 2.400 and defeated the Hessians at Trenton. A week later he had another victory at Princeton creating a renewed hope for the revolution.
It was not only the climax of the book, it was the turning point of the American Revolution. McCullough does not disabuse anyone of the legend that the Americans outfoxed the British and that henceforth everyone was enthusiastic about the revolution. On the contrary, the war lasted until 1789 and many remained skeptical about severing ties with the Crown. McCullough ends the book on a high and noble note which illustrates why he is one of our favorite popular historians.
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Popular Highlights in this book
War had come on April 19, with the first blood shed at Lexington and Concord near Boston, then savagely on June 17 at Breed’s Hill and Bunker Hill.Highlighted by 1,410 Kindle readers- Seeing things as they were, and not as he would wish them to be, was one of his salient strengths.Highlighted by 1,407 Kindle readers
- These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.Highlighted by 1,379 Kindle readers
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Leadership Perspective for the Millennial Age
EXCELLENT BOOK! Here are my take-aways. Detailed comments include context in the attached photos.First leadership take-away: Leadership Despair. Project execution requires loyalty and faithfulness… yet, some troops didn’t care, or worse they purposely screwed it up or poisoned the water by sowing discord amongst troops. General Washington could encourage people, but he could not control their attitude. Washington turned to a home improvement project where he had control. This was how he kept sane knowing full well the sovereignty of our country was at stake.Second leadership take-away: Leadership styles must be tailored for certain group types. Examples:• Lead from the front --- required for inexperienced groups (perhaps for millennials)… in a business, or for the Revolutionary War!• Manage capabilities (lead from behind as a driver) --- needed for groups who are self-reliant and are able to manage technically, but the business or mission strategy needs full time leadership especially when stakeholder connections are important.• Be an advisor --- needed when the business or mission has a leader and could be performing well (or not), and the expertise of a seasoned consultant is needed for greater impact.A leader that encourages a team from the front, is a leader that imparts a vision while standing should-to-shoulder during the fight. Washington rallied his troops for the sake of their country.In today’s work environment, the work ethic is characterized by electronics and button-pushing. In this book, the younger generation lacked the warrior ethos or the drive to soldier it alone. General Washington recognized ineptitude as a result of people “unused to restraint”. The Continental Army seemed to be a dysfunctional group of farmers. Somehow, fighting for freedom may have been an ideal, but seemingly not a strong determination. In the words of Washington, a special kind of leadership was required. As he stated, “A people unused to restraint must be led, they will not be drove.”While Washington was criticized for his leadership failures, this book helps the reader to understand Washington may have been the best leader. Maximum success was achieved for the farmer soldiers of the Continental Army.
Top reviews from other countries
" La mayor Maestría, Dominarse a Si Mismo ". Leonardo da Vinci
Gran libro.
Reviewed in Mexico on April 27, 2024
Aditya Ganjoo
Highly engaging and honest but abrupt
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A year in the life of a revolution
Reviewed in Germany on August 11, 2020