It was a sad moment when this book ended. I enjoyed this selection more than any of the 20 other selections I have listened to. The author paints a picture of our American heros in a way that I never learned in a history class. Their strengths, their weaknesses, their ambitions, their victories, their total failures, their struggles......... The author/narrator has a very pleasing voice although he might have sped up the narration just a little bit.

If you have any interest in the characters and battles leading to the formation of the United States this is a great listen.

The book is great -- a concise look at the war during the year 1776 with enough before and after to understand the context of that momentous 365 days. The story is filled with clear descriptions of the battles, tactics and emotions that were experienced by those involved (who wrote letters and diary entries often). The reader (the author) is good and the story will entertain you. I especially enjoyed looking at some of the online sources of Revolutionary War maps while I listened -- you can see the tactics on paper as they are being described. If you like stories about war, our forefathers, or history in general, buy it and listen.

David McCullough is a national treasure. His passion for this subject is obvious. If you are not up to speed on the founding of this nation, I highly recommend 1776 as a starting point. The material is not scholarly, yet accurate and precise. This is very easy to listen to, informative, and quite entertaining. If you like McCullough, you'll want to hear this.

Well researched and presented, this story of one of the greatest Americans, gives us a glimpse of the man as he was, with warts and blemishes. It is also interesting to relearn how the revolution was not supported by all Americans and how nearly we lost it all if not for Washington's steadfastness and some good luck.

Reading this book made me realize how little I knew about the details of the struggle that created our nation. While the book is long, it doesn't feel like it as McCullough works his way through the days of 1776 with a compelling mixture of historical fact and details about characters both large and small.

The main downside to this book in my mind is that there is no follow-up titles to cover the years 1778, 1779, and beyond with a similir level of detail and intrigue.

I really enjoyed how the author brought the story of a most critical year in the revolution to his audience. The reading quietly portrayed the author's enthusiasm for the subject.

McCullough has done it again! His talent of making the 18th century live in our hearts and minds is truly a gift. From the very first chapter, where we see the regal splendor of King George, you can swee the world of our forefathers. Splendid reading and/or listening.

An interesting "read" about the birth of our country. The weak part of the book is the narration by the author.

I listened to this book with high expectations. Unfortunatetly I was very disappointed. David McCullough reminds me of a grandfather plodding through his reading. The book seems to be 90% excerpts from letters whose language though interesting can be a chore to decipher. It is somewhat hard to keep track of whether he is talking about the British side or American side because all of the names are so common - Lee, Clinton, Green, Reed. There is little explanation as to the role of the Continental Congress in the proceedings. A lot of the writing seems repetitive. Though an interesting topic, I was pretty bored throughout.

Made the dreaded drive to and from work go by quickly