Customer Reviews

1776: The Illustrated Edition

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Originally published in 2005, 1776 by David McCullough was an enjoyable read. This new illustrated version is sure to add new life to an already successful book. Since there are two issues here, the original text and then the illustrated revision, I'm going to review the two issues separately.

Let me begin by saying, quite simply, I enjoyed the book. This book serves as somewhat of an overview of what is perhaps the most critical year of the last millenium. Some may dissagree with that and may make legitimate cases for other years of historical significance, but that is for another discussion.

McCullough recounts the major events of the year and gives good narrative of each event. However, just as the Revolutionary War was somewhat slow to get starting, so too is this book. The accounts are all meticulously accurate in the historical sense and McCullough has certainly succeeded in amassing the information critical to a basic knowledge of what events transpired in bringing forth American independence.

The deeper the reader gets into the book, as with the war itself, the more complex it becomes and I found myself soon rivited to every detail and this one becomes, what many might refer to as a real "page turner". By the time the reader reaches the final pages, the year 1776 is drawing to a close, and sadly, so does the book. Perhaps in this way, McCullough has served to stimulate the interest of readers first learning of the events and will cause them to take their research of America's founding to the next level.

I usually have a pretty good idea of what I want to say in reviewing a book, but this one has left me a bit perplexed. It is a good book, which I did enjoy reading, but perhaps it is due to what I have read of McCullough's work before that left me somewhat dissappointed. I expected more from this book, but I suppose asking a two time Pulitzer winner to replicate prior efforts may be asking too much.

Now, for the illustrated portion of 1776. I first discovered this extraordinary new concept in a book I found for my grandkids called Piratology, where the book contained insert pages with folders which contained maps and other pirate related treasures. The book was a huge hit with the pirate infatuated boys. Here, the folders contain a variety of facsimiles such as documents, letters, maps, etc. This version also contains some beautiful photographs and is a gorgeous binding that looks extraordinary on the book shelf.

I only gave McCullough's original 1776 four stars, but this illustrated version is a definite upgrade and pushes this volume to top honors.

At first I thought it was a gimmicky idea (a gimmicky idea that worked easily enough on little ol' me) to release something like this, but the plain fact is this is an interesting book that makes me feel like I used to as a kid when I'd read those neat pop-up books that were filled with compartments and extras to be found, taken out and read. This is both an augmentation of the author's bestseller 1776 (which I wasn't overly impressed with, truth be told) and an excellent, even superior, stand alone work. I loved reading through the facsimiles of letters, seeing the maps, sketches, houses, portraits and scenes of places significant to the tale of the great year of our country's true start. I enjoyed this book a lot and think it was a novel idea that worked well. It's fun to get through, fact-filled, and rewardingly educational. What a neat idea!

It's wildly off the mark to call this book "defective," or David McCullough a "biased historian." The focus here is just far more on the military aspects of The Revolutionary War. This focus lent itself to far more coverage of Washington than Jefferson or Franklin. Other books have covered the political climate and events of that time in spades.

Seeing as "1776: The Illustrated Edition" is not about the political side of America's founding, it seems reasonable (and, I thought, beneficial to the book) to keep the focus narrower, and the depth greater. David McCullough's account of 1776 is no more biased than the writer of a Civil War book who chose to focus on the South, and thus did not give in-depth insights into the role of Ulysses S. Grant in the war.

I would imagine the fact that the previous reviewer has written a book on Benjamin Franklin might be a reason for the preference on seeing Franklin covered in all books about the war. It might also point to the reason for such undue scorn directed at the gorgeous illustrated version of an insightful, enjoyable (and successful) book like "1776."

Just got this book for Christmas. It is sheer historical awesomeness.

One of the most annoying things about reading history books is that your impressions of historical figures always gets filtered through the historian's viewpoint. Will Durant will have a different opinion on Washington than McCullough, who definitely has a different opinion on Washington than politcal-science majors writing history books like Zinn and Loewen.

The solution, of course, is referring to the primary documents, but actually finding copies of primary documents is quite hard, if what you're looking for is not something like the Declaration of Independence.

This version of 1776 actually has replicas of a huge number of primary documents, ranging from maps (crude maps drawn by Washington, and precise maps drawn by the British) to Dunlap broadsides containing the actual speech given by King George III to Parliament which declared the colonies in rebellion. In October, 1775.

So instead of getting a historian's impression of King George, or hearing idly about the "Madness of King George", you get to see that he had a relatively reasonable, if not entirely well thought out, plan for dealing with the rebellion and trying to bring the colonies back into the Empire as painlessly as possible. And you also see that his opinion of his Coersive Acts were rather detached from the reality with which they were received. And it's a replica, not a reprint -- while obviously fake, it does kind of make one feel like one is sitting in a Philadelphia Tavern somewhere, reading the news from England.

While this version is noticeably abridged from the original 1776, it is nothing short of awesome.

This edition (1776: The Illustrated Edition) of the history includes facsimiles of the documents used to write the history. With the standard edition you simply have McCullough's word that the British had a better map of Boston than the Americans had. In this edition you can see the map for yourself. The same experience is repeated throughout the book, giving the reader a chance to experience the process of creating an historical narrative. I would have given this book 5 stars except that it is an abridgment and I don't like having books abridged.

This book is absolutely breathtaking in its depth and scope of the year 1776 of the American Revolution. I have an entire lawyer's bookcase devoted to the American Revolution but not one of those books can come close to David McCullough's 1776 An Illustrated Edition. To be able to hold copies of letters, maps and documents from actual participants in the Revolution in your hand is a thrill. This is a "must have" for anyone with even the most passing interest in the American Revolution.

As for the negative reviewer, someone should tell him that he is not the supreme literary dictator of the world. The aspects of the war that McCullough choses to cover he does with fantastic expertise.

Don't let this great book get by you.

1776: The Illustrated Edition makes for delightful perusing! Included are beautiful period artwork, facsimiles of historic maps,newspapers, letters and especially the vellum envelopes which open to reveal historical documents [such as George's correspondence with Martha]. It is a veritable feast for the senses, being able to see these reproductions of historical documents, perusing them at one's leisure, and of course handling them [though mere reproductions, it does provide immense enjoyment to a history buff].

It is a beautiful set that adds depth to an already famous book [note: the text is abridged here] and will make a wonderful gift this holiday season.

This book is written by a good historical writer, but the research and documentation in the envelop pouches through-out the book are just terrific. The re-creation of these maps, letters, and documents make the book feel like you went up into the attic and found a treasure chest! I have bought two for my husband, an American history professor, and one for an American history buff. Many hours will be spent with this book!

This is an absolutely beautiful book and it's chocked full of "original-looking" wonderful documents and maps that are separate from the book. (The documents are enclosed in protective sleeves between the pages of the book.) You can take them out and hold them or spread the large ones out on a table to look at them. As a historian and an American patriot, I can tell you that if you love history, you'll get many hours of enjoyment from this HUGE book - and learn a lot about our nation's AMAZING beginning too!

I shopped bookstores for this item and got the best price right here on Amazon at the time I bought it.

It's been four years since I read "1776" and all of the recent interest in our founding documents (Declaration, Federalist Papers and Constitution) inspired me to re-read the book - then I discovered the illustrated edition. How perfect.

I have always been fascinated by the British attitude that the Revolutionary War was initiated on fairly petty grounds. McCullough covers this point here and in 'John Adams' as well.

"Mobs, all of them mobs."

I think there is a similar disconnect between our "ruling class" and the common people of the United States today. When the Speaker of the House refers to peaceably assembled citizens as mobs (as well as other less ingratiating terms), and the President claims to be unaware the the goings-on of the commoners, I am reminded how out of touch leaders can become.

The second time through this fateful year, when everything hung in the balance, was even better than the first.

The illustrated version enhances and expands on the original. Many more beautiful illustrations and wonderful hand-written replications added hours of enjoyment. This book is like a trip to a dozen small museums.