I never thought I'd enjoy a book about war and its battles, but this book, _1776_, drew me in as did McCullough's _John Adams_). McCullough makes it all so real again.
The last page of the book says it all: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ p.294 - "The year 1776... a year of all-too-few victories, of sustained suffering, disease, hunger, desertion, cowardice, disillusionment, defeat, terrible discouragement, and fear... [After all that:] ...the outcome seemed little short of a miracle." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yes, as I read the book, I kept thinking what a miracle it was that the Americans finally defeated the British. The book makes one realize the terrible sacrifices that were made by the Americans in the cause of liberty. "The war"... (which ended in 1783) "...had taken the lives of an estimated 25,000 Americans, or roughly 1 percent of the population." It's hard to imagine persevering through all that suffering, especially when the odds of winning were often so low.
Much credit is given to George Washington for his persevering attitude. On page 271, it says: "Out of adversity he seemed to draw greater energy and determination." Nathanael Greene wrote that GW "never appeared to so much advantage as in the hour of distress." Abigail Adams wrote (quoting English poet, Edward Young): "Affliction is the good man's shining time." (p.291)
I never thought I'd enjoy a book about war and its battles, but this book, _1776_, drew me in as did McCullough's _John Adams_). McCullough makes it all so real again.
The last page of the book says it all:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
p.294 - "The year 1776... a year of all-too-few victories, of sustained suffering, disease, hunger, desertion, cowardice, disillusionment, defeat, terrible discouragement, and fear... [After all that:] ...the outcome seemed little short of a miracle."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, as I read the book, I kept thinking what a miracle it was that the Americans finally defeated the British. The book makes one realize the terrible sacrifices that were made by the Americans in the cause of liberty. "The war"... (which ended in 1783) "...had taken the lives of an estimated 25,000 Americans, or roughly 1 percent of the population." It's hard to imagine persevering through all that suffering, especially when the odds of winning were often so low.
Much credit is given to George Washington for his persevering attitude. On page 271, it says: "Out of adversity he seemed to draw greater energy and determination." Nathanael Greene wrote that GW "never appeared to so much advantage as in the hour of distress." Abigail Adams wrote (quoting English poet, Edward Young): "Affliction is the good man's shining time." (p.291)