'1776' Takes Readers to the Battlefront

'The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton' by John Trumbull is featured on the cover of '1776.'

Simon & Schuster

Enlarge image i

British ships under fire on the Hudson as they pass between Fort Lee and Fort Washington (right) on October 9, 1776.

Dominic Serres/U.S. Naval Academy Museum

British ships under fire on the Hudson as they pass between Fort Lee and Fort Washington (right) on October 9, 1776.

Dominic Serres/U.S. Naval Academy Museum

The battles for American independence from Britain form the latest chapter of American history to draw David McCullough's attention.

A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, McCullough reports on the reality of life at war in 1776. The author follows George Washington and his army as they fight to end British rule in America.

McCullough reaches beyond oft-told, often mythical notions of the colonies' struggle for independence to glimpse history through the lives of people from all ranks of society.

McCullough writes in 1776 about the concept of independence:

Excerpt removed from page by agreement with the publisher, Simon & Schuster, Inc.