1777

The Year of the Hangman

By: John S. Pancake

Narrated by: Robert Thaler

Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

"A revisionist view of the Revolution's most crucial year...it explodes many of the myths surrounding Burgoyne's Canadian expedition and Howe's Pennsylvania campaign. There is a wealth of fascinating detail in this book, including information on arms and supplies, rations for women camp followers, and even the numbers of carts (30-odd) carrying Burgoyne's luggage." (History Book Club Newsletter)

©1997 The University of Alabama Press (P)2016 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A revisionist view of the Revolution's most crucial year... it explodes many of the myths surrounding Burgoyne's Canadian expedition and Howe's Pennsylvania campaign. There is a wealth of fascinating detail in this book." (History Book Club Newsletter)

"Smooth and easy reading, enlivened by anecdotes (with which the author has a sure touch) and based on extensive research." ( Journal of American History)

"A timely addition to the literature of the War of Independence, useful both to scholars and to general readers." ( American Historical Review)

Sophisticated overview

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

actually I would not hesitate to recommend this book to colleges not just friends as it is a very careful and sophisticated telling of the background,causes and strategies of the great Northern campaign of the War for Independence. I have studied this subject thoroughly in graduate school and find this book one of the most complete in its depiction of the politics,personality and military strategies of this period.

What was one of the most memorable moments of 1777?

There were several but what comes clearly to mind were the battles of Trenton and Princeton as the momentum of the War reversed rather dramatically at these junctures

What about Robert Thaler’s performance did you like?

this fellow was so clear,incisive and so sophisticated that even the most complex historical narrative was rendered engaging and easily understandable. great voice and passion and sense of character in my opinion

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I might say it was hypnotic so that it went by much quicker than I was aware of

Any additional comments?

The writer does repeat himself at times as all historians are want to do and he does rationalize events from his perspective a tad too much. But his diligence and originality are fundamental and his passion for the period is obvious and shows respect and real weight. This has to have been one of the best history pieces I have heard or read in years.

good but with exceptions

If you could sum up 1777 in three words, what would they be?

stylized history adventure

What was one of the most memorable moments of 1777?

Daniel Morgan's fighting spirit at Freeman's Farm

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the scene about the cabal that challenged Washington and how well Washington rose above them

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Hard driving true story

Any additional comments?

I had some problems with the writer. At times he stylized the language to reflect that period and this was a bit much. They did speak differently back then so maybe I am wrong. The narrator handled the style very well but real characters were quoted too often in the book by the writer and sometimes this interrupted the flow of the action.

some objections

Would you listen to 1777 again? Why?

yes but avoid chapter 2, its a boring chapter. Chap 1 is alright but this book doesn't get hot until Chap 3 or therebouts

Who was your favorite character and why?

George Wash. I mean come on, the guy was a hero

What does Robert Thaler bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I knocked him down a star because he read chapter 2 way too formally. I hated that chapter and I hate when history books are written in that style. The rest of the book cooks though and the narrator guy gets good after chapter 2, glad I kept listening I guess

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no. It would make a good graduate book in a college somewhere, guys who dig battle scenes would like it and lots of queer details too

Any additional comments?

you have to adjust to the style like you have to in most history books. I prefer romance and horror stuff

friends recommended it

What made the experience of listening to 1777 the most enjoyable?

haven't finished yet...am digging battle scenes and Washington -
kick ass.

What was one of the most memorable moments of 1777?

Old man Ben Franklin hustling French women, hard to believe, not sure I was buying in,... this was probably made up

Which character – as performed by Robert Thaler – was your favorite?

the English guy, Howe. The reader doesn't go with brit dialect but he nails attitude. Howe comes off pretty full of himself, lots of attitude Funny..what was up with Burgoiyne? a total loser.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no. but was entertaining, the reader is cool

Any additional comments?

some of the writing felt made up like he was taking quotes too seriously,.... had trouble following the writer in the first part, then it really cooked, I have 2 chapters to go..- its fun and weird,

ENJOYED IT

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

my girlfriends told me about this. we are in a Soap fan club . Its super cool to hear Robert's voice again.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

no a clue

What about Robert Thaler’s performance did you like?

all of it. We loved Robert on "Santa Barbara" . that was a while ago. He has a sexy voice.We are going to tell Robin Wright about this, she and Robbie were lovers on that show.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

George Washington was a hero. Wow.

he crossed the river in the middle of the night.

Any additional comments?

the audiobook was educational but hard for me to understand sometimes

. I was so happy to listen to Robert Thaler, he was a star back then. Does he read romance stuff too?

Superb

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I was surprised how good this one turned out to be. It was required in our grad school seminar recently and most of my friends in class enjoyed it thoroughly. Yes it is a discussion of history but often it sounds like dramatic historical fiction and packs a punch. Certainly the audio made the text itself sing and it was far more easy to understand the parts of the book that might have been over done a bit or just very sophisticated.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I found the character of Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne to be quite fascinating. How does a man with limited qualifications maneuver himself into a position of considerable power and then command the Northern Invasion of America from Canada? An eccentric, a gambler by instinct and a true product of the British Imperial system of that time.

Which character – as performed by Robert Thaler – was your favorite?

I would say the character of the Narrator. He keeps many of the historical characters reigned in during the book which was sensible and this let me make up my own mind about who these people may have been and he does not use a British accent for the English characters, only sparingly at times with good effect. But the Narrator character is very sophisticated and driven and I liked him the most.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Burgoyne and Howe the 2 British Generals were quite funny at times, their arrogance was amusing. Washington's sense of irony and restraint ended up being quite funny. His recruitment of soldiers after the victory at Trenton when the Continentals were running out of men was moving and sad. The entire early campaign was frightening as it felt like the War was lost by the Americans on many separate occasions.

Any additional comments?

Its just me but I think almost every history piece is a bit over written and this book was no exception to that. One of the early chapters could have been cut and towards the end the author who was otherwise very excellent, repeats himself, but all and all this was a very original and sometimes moving account of the early days of the Revolution,- challenging, a fine choice by our Prof. because it was comprehensive, scholarly but also very engaging.

Very Good

Would you consider the audio edition of 1777 to be better than the print version?

Maybe. Its well read and dramatic. Maybe it makes it easier to understand. The audio is required along with the book for our class in American History over the summer here in college.
I guess the author has written a classic according to our history Prof. John S. Pancake is quoted often by other students of the American Revolution and I sure was impressed

What did you like best about this story?

Well battle strategy in the book is pretty cool. Quite a bit of detail on the armies, how they fought, why they fought,etc. who was making up the armies on either side, who the generals were, why the countries went to war

Have you listened to any of Robert Thaler’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I haven't. I don't listen to audiobooks often. This one was required listening for the course. The guy's voice was special and he seemed like he was right in the thick of it. Like he was a general or something.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

don't know what you mean by tag line actually. This thing was 13 hours long and I can't really sum it up in 3 or 4 words

Any additional comments?

Very professional writing. Very professional sounding. Lots of stuff I did not know before about George Washington. There are chapters I might leave out early in the book but then it really gets moving and is quite exciting actually. You keep thinking the Americans are going to lose the war because they lose so many of the battles.

Impressive

Would you consider the audio edition of 1777 to be better than the print version?

Yes probably it was more dramatic that way, the man reading was obviously a good actor, not just a reader like some of them are, - my problem with audibooks in the past has been getting stuck with a poor narrator who might be lazy or slow or just not real, then it makes it hard to plow on. Even the most popular ones can be surprisingly dreadful at times

What was one of the most memorable moments of 1777?

all the battle scenes and how they were described in such detail was a fine attribute to the book. The Battle of Germantown which is not particularly well known in American History was well illustrated and exciting, it was a conflict that began with Washington attacking by surprise in the early morning after a very long march but the attack then stalled and ended in confusion and retreat

Which scene was your favorite?

Lafayette and Washington parading the army thru the streets of Philadelphia in 1777 was poignantly rendered, the conspiracy against Washington was something unknown to me in my readings of the period

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

not a few battles lost but winning the war

Any additional comments?

The British Generals were portrayed as rather arrogant and at times, lethargic. Henry Clinton was the exception as by all accounts he was a fine strategist. But I am unconvinced that this was actually the case because the author who was a college professor and sounded a bit like a frustrated writer, may have colored attitudes a bit here. Washington was praised continually and the writers bias towards the Americans was on occasion excessive. John S. Pancake seemed to cherry pick quotes and footnotes to support his contentions but I suppose most historians do the same. I would say that some passages read almost like historical fiction but I have no way of knowing just how accurate the interpretations may have been.The narrator had good fun with the characters and a strong delivery. The story itself is astounding for the levels of courage and bravado displayed

5 Star surprise

If you could sum up 1777 in three words, what would they be?

Moving,scholarly,exciting

Who was your favorite character and why?

Benedick Arnold. He was the best fighter under Washington, bold and dynamic and as portrayed in the book his clash with Horatio Gates was especially funny and sad at same time

What does Robert Thaler bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

this man was sensational. Haven't heard a narration with as much depth,power and clarity in a long time. He moves the piece. Stays a distance but has a powerful sense of rhythm and keeps everything together. and what a voice.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Power,glory and Sacrifice

Any additional comments?

I felt like the book was equivalent to a graduate school course in the history of the Revolution. I thought the author a bit redundant at times. His need to illustrate arcane points was a tad much and fortunately did not get in the way of the story. His explanation in detail of the battle campaigns was superb, his thorough telling of the Colonies political relationships with England was on the money, he got down well with the personalities and conflicts.

a fine historical account

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes of course. actually i heard about it from someone else. This is a very driven and clear account of a critical period and I love history.

What did you like best about this story?

the contrast between George Washington and most of the British General staff.

Which character – as performed by Robert Thaler – was your favorite?

I loved the illustration of Benedick Arnold and his feud with Horatio Gates. Arnold,Gates,Washington,Franklin on the American side and Howe,Burgoyne, the King and Henry Clinton were all distinct and the accounts fascinating. Some of the Hessian officiers too and the Frenchman Lafayette.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

the author does not hesitate to expose the flaws and weaknesses in most of the characters which makes the book quite funny at times.

Any additional comments?

its a fine text on the American Revolution, a fine reference for anyone studying the period, the why's and how's of the campaigns and the intrigue in London,Paris and Philadelphia. A few of the chapters have a kind of formal style I think reflecting the period, people spoke differently back then, but the reader keeps it moving dynamically and once into the book you just go with it and feel like a close observer. ,