The Miracle of 1776
I just finished David McCullough's magnificent book, 1776. Like the equally magnificent book he did on John Adams, McCullough uses letters and reports of battle to do a military history of the battles of that important year. Starting in late 1775 with the siege of Boston, he continues through the Battle of Brooklyn, the retreat from New York and ends with the remarkable crossing of the Delaware and the battles of Trenton and Princeton. We hear of the Hessians and the British and their finely tuned war machines. We are reminded that the American "army" was anything but. It barely made it through the year. Finishing reading the book on Memorial Day was a perfect way to give thanks for the country we have today in the United States.

A number of insights came out of it for me. First, I am impressed by how many people kept such wonderful diaries and wrote such interesting letters. We know so much about the war and the events surrounding it thanks to everyone from Washington down to the Fife player. What great insights.

Second, I was reminded that at times winning wars is as much about luck as it is about good planning. Over and over Washington made mistakes in that year. He was just fortunate - or blessed - by the fact that the British made just as many strategic mistakes. Had they not, the story would have been much different. What made Washington different- and the eventual winner was that he was one of those truly unique people who did more that learn from his mistakes. He grew from them and never, never lost the ability to believe in what he was fighting for.

Third, I was saddened to be reminded that wars produce many moments that are less than heroic. There were atrocities performed by the Hessians. There were acts of pure hatred for the Americans by the British. There were acts of ransacking and criminality on all sides. War is always war.

It is a book well worth the read. It will be out in paperback later in June.