The Spirit Of Seventy-six: The Story Of The American Revolution As Told By Participants (Paperback)

~ Henry Steele Commager (Author), Richard B. Morris (Author) "WE MUST begin somewhere and, notwithstanding John Adams' insistence that the Revolution was in the hearts and minds of men and began with the first..." (more)
Key Phrases: drawed bisd, fire cake, marine committee, New York, Great Britain, John Adams (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The title here pretty much says it all. The text draws from countless original sources to tell the story of our country's founding. This 1975 volume is a wonderful resource.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

For readers who like their history straight from the sources, The Spirit of 'Seventy-Six is the best they can find on the Revolution. Anyone with an interest in the roots of American history and national character has much to learn from it. -- New York Herald Tribune, C. Vann Woodward

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Product Details

• Paperback: 1440 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (January 21, 1968)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306806207
• ISBN-13: 978-0306806209
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,263,664 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Primary Source Material, June 15, 2001

By	Kevin F. Kiley - See all my reviews

Compendiums of primary source material are of infinite value to those who wish to seriously study any period of history. The authors of this immense work have done us all a great service in presenting a colorful, accurate, and representative picture of the American Revolution by those who were there. As a primary source, this book is invaluable.

It isn't a book I would pick to read for pleasure on a cold, rainy night in front of the fireplace. In my opinion, it is more of a reference work that will give immense aid to researchers, historians, reenactors and hobbyists/enthusiasts of the period. Conversely, this serious work is not a dull encyclopedia, but a collection of recollections from those who fought to establish the country we call the United States. This book is both highly recommended and is a must to be on the bookshelf of any serious student of the period.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, September 25, 2002

By	Frederick L. Merritt Jr. (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A great book ! I spent the better part of this year reading this book. But the beauty is that does not pose a problem because the writings included in this work are all relatively short. Make no mistake this is a very long work but well worth the effort. Especially since it is a collection of an incredible number of very short works.

The collected works are as the title states contemporary accounts. It is a real treat to read what the contenders had to say about each other. Also the reader may think that the style will be difficult. Not at all.

All in all I would most heartily recommend this work for either the student who would like a resource or anyone interested in The Revolution.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vibrant and powerful!, August 8, 2001

By	Scott A. Beeson (2 hours east of San Diego) - See all my reviews

This is a fantastic work. The best thing about history is to find original source material and read what the actual people were thinking and saying. This book is better than most since it is mainly made up of letters and documents that illustrate how amazing our freedom is.We take so much for granted today and I believe that every American should read this book and realize just how close we came to losing everything. Heroes are really men and women that sacrifice everything for what they believe in. This book is about our first heroes. Our founding fathers and mothers were so exceptional. I get emotional every time I open this book and read about Lafayette, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Greene, Hale, Henry, and Franklin.Please read this book and experience the story of our freedom from the people that won it.