This is a re-read for me. C S Lewis says that you cannot understand a book if you have only read it once. I plan to re-read some books which have impacted me or that I enjoyed. McCullough’s book is not an account of the whole revolutionary war, which went on until 1786 – but focuses on the year 1776 – the year of the declaration of Independence but also a year of defeats for George Washington. I was astounded at how many battles Washington lost – and not just lost but was on the verge of annihilation. If the British knew just how close they were to wiping Washington’s rag tag army off the map…. ! And yet the British Commander, General Howe at least twice did not pursue and inexplicably stopped his army when Washington was at his most vulnerable. However, one of the characteristics of Washington was that he persevered – he won some small but important skirmishes and he had an amazing effect on his men. This is a great read and SO informative. As a Brit, I learned so much. McCullough expertly and skillfully lays out why 1776 was such a vital year for this war.