1776 #bookreview

Bibliographic Info

From WorldCat
Title: 1776
Author: David G McCullough; Recorded Books, LLC.
Publisher: Prince Frederick, Md. : Recorded Books ; [Prince Frederick, Md.] : [Distributed by] OneClick Digital, 2011, ℗2005.
Edition/Format: eAudiobook : English : Unabridged
Material Type: Audio book, etc., Sound recording, Internet resource
Document Type: Internet Resource, Computer File, Sound Recording
All Authors / Contributors: David G McCullough; Recorded Books, LLC.
ISBN: 9781449869854 1449869858
OCLC Number: 867115097
Performer(s): Narrated by the author.
Subjects: United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783.

Background

Honestly, who hasn't read 1776 by David McCullough? More than that, who hasn't read something by the great biographer? You know, he also wrote about John Adams and The American Spirit... Well, me; sadly, shockingly even! (Although I did watch the John Adams miniseries with Paul Giamatti on Amazon Prime. It is excellent and I heartily recommend it.) This has been on my reading list for far too long and as I browsed my public library's Hoopla offerings, I saw 1776 and decided to check it out and give it a listen.

As Liaison to the History department, I feel I should at least be familiar with the accessible popular biographies of authors like Chernow & McCullough, even if they are somewhat looked down on by serious academics. At least they provide a baseline of general knowledge that can be improved. But alas, there's only a limited number of hours in the day.

Review

It took a while for me to get into this audio title. I like to read history books on the page (physical or digital) so I can dwell on the details. I found myself wanting to dig into certain phrases when the narrator, David McCullough himself, kept moving on. That is no fault of the writer, it is a personal preference of the reader. Still, it is something of which to beware.

On the subject of the audiobook. While McCullough absolutely did a marvelous job of researching and writing, I did not particularly like his reading of the text. It also threw me when some random lady read random chapters. I assume this is because McCullough read the book initially, and then for the unabridged portions someone else took over. Her voice wasn't bad, it was just a jarring transition at times.

1776 covers the first year of the American Revolution (duh, it's in the title). David McCullough includes details from the highest ranks to the lowest. Eventually, though, he focuses more on General Washingon's tactical decisions which allow the Americans to survive that first year of the war when their cause could have been squashed if the British had made different decisions.

I heartily endorse this book for anyone interested in Early American History. It is eminently accessible and audiobooks are a really convenient medium.

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