![]() Luck, McCullough writes, also played into the American cause-a vicious winter storm, for example, stalled a British counterattack at Boston, and twice Washington staged improbable, daring escapes when the war could have been lost. ![]() Henry Knox, for example, trekked 300 miles each way over harsh winter terrain to bring 120,000 pounds of artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston, enabling the Americans, in a stealthy nighttime advance, to seize Dorchester Heights, thus winning the whole city. In turn, the outclassed Americans used the cover of night, surprise and an abiding hunger for victory to astonishing effect. The British commander, Lord General Howe, perhaps not fully accepting that the rebellion could succeed, underestimated the Americans' ingenuity. ![]() Throughout, McCullough deftly captures both sides of the conflict. How did a group of ragtag farmers defeat the world's greatest empire? As McCullough vividly shows, they did it with a great deal of suffering, determination, ingenuity-and, the author notes, luck.Īlthough brief by McCullough's standards, this is a narrative tour de force, exhibiting all the hallmarks the author is known for: fascinating subject matter, expert research and detailed, graceful prose. Bestselling historian and two-time Pulitzer winner McCullough follows up John Adamsīy staying with America's founding, focusing on a year rather than an individual: a momentous 12 months in the fight for independence. ![]()
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