1775: A Good Year for Revolution

Hardcover: 656 pages
Publisher: Viking Adult; First Edition edition (November 27, 2012)

I'm a big history buff and that's what found me interested in reading 1775: A Good Year for Revolution by Kevin Phillips.  For most Americans, 1776 is seen as the biggest year for the Revolutionary War.  After all, it's the year that saw the adoption and signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Not so fast, argues Phillips.  The political and economic commentator decided "to write about a United States taking shape rather than losing headway."  Phillips goes on to explain why 1776 is not the "watershed year" and makes the argument that 1776 has been elevated by mythology because of "an unusual case of historical hype and confusion."

Phillips calls 1775 a critical year as it is the year when the American commitment to revolution took shape.  He goes on to focus on several events and confrontations, including the start of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps.

This book offers some insights into our own times as well as the country that the USA became.