David McCullough
Ah, the day of Satan and here I am reading about American independence. I should say, however, that my review here might be tainted by the fact that the last book about the Revolution that I read was a Shaara work. This book, unlike the previous, is purely nonfiction, making it seem more distant than the novel, though it has its benefits (mostly believability).
All told, though, this book was a bit of a letdown. I expected a soaring, gripping narrative that could unite all Americans under a badge of patriotism. After all, the book is a bestseller and its author highly regarded. The book was not bad by any means, and I appreciated the lack of super-patriotic fluff. Its main flaw was that it was so hard to get into. I didn't really get interested until the seige of New York had begun, as the Americans were retreating from Brooklyn.
Also, the book seems to be somewhat incomplete. It focuses mainly on the military aspect of the year, with only passing references to the Declaration of Independence, undoubtedly one of the most pivotal events of the year, second or third maybe to the battle of New York and the crossing of the Delaware. Even the Christmas crossing is dealt with in passing. All told, the narrative seems to lack a theme, other than "it was the year that was."
I didn't sense many connections between sections, and while the flow was good within sections, the transitions between American and British points of view were completely scattered and often left me very confused. In fact, it took me a good 30 pages or so to realize that the book itself began in 1775 (although I'm still not clear). McCullough does a good job of tying in accounts of people who were present at the events, but unfortunately he occasionally takes the practice a bit too far when including absolutely unnecessary information that leaves the reader questioning its greater importance.
All told, though, this book was a bit of a letdown. I expected a soaring, gripping narrative that could unite all Americans under a badge of patriotism. After all, the book is a bestseller and its author highly regarded. The book was not bad by any means, and I appreciated the lack of super-patriotic fluff. Its main flaw was that it was so hard to get into. I didn't really get interested until the seige of New York had begun, as the Americans were retreating from Brooklyn.
Also, the book seems to be somewhat incomplete. It focuses mainly on the military aspect of the year, with only passing references to the Declaration of Independence, undoubtedly one of the most pivotal events of the year, second or third maybe to the battle of New York and the crossing of the Delaware. Even the Christmas crossing is dealt with in passing. All told, the narrative seems to lack a theme, other than "it was the year that was."
I didn't sense many connections between sections, and while the flow was good within sections, the transitions between American and British points of view were completely scattered and often left me very confused. In fact, it took me a good 30 pages or so to realize that the book itself began in 1775 (although I'm still not clear). McCullough does a good job of tying in accounts of people who were present at the events, but unfortunately he occasionally takes the practice a bit too far when including absolutely unnecessary information that leaves the reader questioning its greater importance.
Things like this draw attention away from the main narrative, and though the book is a good work for those interested in a very general understanding of the military events of the year, it comes off as quite disjointed and limited in scope. It begins and ends too suddenly, even for a book confined to the events of a single year. I was hoping for more from the celebrated author.
Grade: B
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