This book was fascinating and compelling, told in an informative style that makes the reader feel present at the events themselves (as is characteristic of McCullough). As a longtime Civil War enthusiast, I found I knew very little regarding the American Revolution, so this book proved to be a treasure trove of interesting facts. The realism with which Washington is described, in both strengths and weaknesses, is a welcome contrast to the near-reverence seen in other texts. "1776" allows us to see a man of much indecision, of undesired fame, and of questionable military ability. But we the readers are also struck by the image of this same man, riding his horse into battle alongside his half-naked, untrained, starving "soldiers", and singlehandedly inspiring them to fight and die for our freedom. And the events of that fateful year take on even more significance when one realizes that, as McCullough points out, Washington and his contemporaries were essentially committing high treason.