Summer Reading Series: Non-Fiction
1776 by David McCullough
This book brings to life the pivotal year of the American Revolution with impressive detail and compelling storytelling.
Focusing primarily on George Washington and the Continental Army, McCullough captures the uncertainty, courage, and resilience that defined the struggle for independence.
McCullough chronicles not just Washington’s military campaigns, but the deep philosophical and practical divisions among colonists themselves – roughly one-third supported independence, one-third remained loyal to Britain, and one-third were undecided or indifferent.
Most importantly, 1776 shows how leadership during crisis requires both conviction and flexibility, as Washington repeatedly had to adapt his strategies while maintaining his core principles.
The book reminds us that the democratic ideals we take for granted were forged through messy compromise, painful setbacks, and the willingness of ordinary people to persist through uncertainty— serving as a reminder that deep divisions, however intense, are not unprecedented and offering hope that the divisions we experience today need not be permanent.
-Susan