1776

1776. by David McCullough. Simon & Schuster. 2005

Reviewed by Dave Van Kleeck

David McCullough is a great story teller. 1776 is another fine example of his Pulitzer Prize winning ability to engage even the most history-phobic among us and turn whatever subject he tackles into a fascinating read.

Focusing on the title year, he shows us many of the key events and participants in this critical period of the American Revolution. We see just how tenuous the American cause was, not just in the face of superior British forces, but in the making-it-up-as-we-go-along strategies of the Continental Congress and the army under his command.

Central to McCullough’s book is the remarkable growth of Washington as a commander. Through hard lessons learned on the battlefield, in winter camps, and in his dealings with the Congress, he faced an incredibly steep learning curve. Yet, learn he did, and McCullough deftly describes this transformation in Washington. At less than 300 pages of text 1776 is an intriguing read. Due to McCullough’s wonderful writing one can easily soak up the rich history of the era. Whether reading history is at the top of your list or well down it, I bet you’ll find that 1776 is well worth the time. Enjoy.

Also, if you’re a fan of David McCullough as a narrator, you’ll love his reading of 1776 in the book on CD edition. The library has both the regular and large print editions of the book as well as the book on CD.

Here’s a link to a piece on NPR about 1776. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4724787

Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner

Ordinary Wolves. Seth Kantner.
Milkweed Editions. 2004

Reviewed by Cris Wilson

Although this book is a novel, it struck me as one of the most vividly accurate books about life in bush Alaska yet written. Forget Krakauer and even McPhee. The book's narrator is a young white boy named Cutuk, who lives with his father and his brother and sister outside a native village accessible only by mail plane. I once was a teacher in a similar village where I flew out to work with white families living a subsistance lifestyle. I know the toll it takes on the kids who can't claim membership in either world. That was the life of Seth Kantner who was raised 200 miles from the nearest village. He expresses the wonder and the heartbreak of growing up and trying to find a way as an adult when the only place he truely feels right is in camp by the river. Who are the wolves? Are they on the tundra or in Anchorage? A truely extraordinary story.