I bought this book which was supposed to be brand new. It was clearly not. The book comes in a cardboard case and the case was broken, which may not seem like a big deal but as this was the second one I ordered and both were broken it was rather irritating. I bought it as a gift for my brother. The only reason I did not return it was that he said he would keep it. Otherwise it would have gone straight back. Disappointing that the quality of the product did not meet the description.

It's been four years since I read "1776" and all of the recent interest in our founding documents (Declaration, Federalist Papers and Constitution) inspired me to re-read the book - then I discovered the illustrated edition. How perfect.

I have always been fascinated by the British attitude that the Revolutionary War was initiated on fairly petty grounds. McCullough covers this point here and in 'John Adams' as well.

"Mobs, all of them mobs."

I think there is a similar disconnect between our "ruling class" and the common people of the United States today. When the Speaker of the House refers to peaceably assembled citizens as mobs (as well as other less ingratiating terms), and the President claims to be unaware the the goings-on of the commoners, I am reminded how out of touch leaders can become.

The second time through this fateful year, when everything hung in the balance, was even better than the first.

The illustrated version enhances and expands on the original. Many more beautiful illustrations and wonderful hand-written replications added hours of enjoyment. This book is like a trip to a dozen small museums.

This book tells the story of our American dream. Hard to put down..
Fantastic author!

1776: The Illustrated Edition

A real find: Not only an enjoyable read but very educational on many levels; from the vintage newspaper replicas, the elegant handwriting styles of George Washington and other notables, the amazing illustrations of prominent and historic British, European and Colonial American Period Artists -- it was thrilling and fun to find all these docoments in one leather bound historic account of the American Revolution with intimate insights into these historic individuals. A Collector's Gem. The only thing really missing from the book were illustrations of Blacks and Native American Indians and thier art, and some thoughtful insights into the various rolls and impacts they had both on the framers of the constitution and thier many contributions both as freemen and slaves as well as their devisive impact. It's tragic the way they are almost erased from the white man's history telling. I hope this treasure will be updated to include thier stories and be truly deserving of five stars.

1776: The Illustrated Edition

A real find: Not only an enjoyable read but very educational on many levels; from the vintage newspaper replicas, the elegant handwriting styles of George Washington and other notables, the amazing illustrations of prominent and historic British, European and Colonial American Period Artists -- it was thrilling and fun to find all these docoments in one leather bound historic account of the American Revolution with intimate insights into these historic individuals. A Collector's Gem.

David McCullough is a wonderful historian and author. His knowledge of the beginning of our nation is brought together in this book to tell the story of America's first years. The book describes in detail the stress and difficulties that the founders of the nation had to go through to be able to form the new country. The book tells about the turning points in the American Revolution and about the battles fought by the American army against the superior and far larger British military. McCullough does a great job of conveying the feelings of the British who expected the war to be won relatively quickly.

The detail in the characters of the founding fathers brings them to life and gives a sense of reality to the setting that draws you into the year 1776. General George Washington is not described like an effortless hero but as a man whose values and wits are put to the test. Not everything Washington did was a success and he was a leader who was human and not necessarily perfect, but his efforts with the help of others were effective in winning the war and becoming an independent nation.

This is a book that I would recommend to anyone who is fascinated by the creation of America and loves to read. Overall a good book for any history lover.

This is a great book, and an even better price. My daughter is a history lover and wants a couple of good books on each war. This is one of her favorites. Lots of information and copies of documents etc. She loved it!

This is an absolute treasure, and a must-have if you are an American History buff. Besides the outstanding illustrations and text, there are numerous velum envelopes amongst the pages, and contained within are tangible, removable facsimilies of original documents (letters, newspapers, maps). Examining them makes you feel like you've been given a special pass inside the National Archives.

This is a wonderful resource for any one's personnel study of the American Revolution and a great companion to Mccullough's 1776 . This book is severely edited and not to replace 1776 . But is full of replica documents that are in envelops for easy removal for study and teaching . Having dozens of replicas such as some Washington personal correspondence with Martha and hers with him . Many different personalities of this time. John and Abigale Adams , Gen Howe etc. and reproduced hand bills . Any fan of American history will love and the large photos of some of the great paintings of that war.

This is an absolutely fabulous work. Having reproductions of the founding documents and letters is amazing. I have gone through it several times now, and I continue to pick up something new each time. David McCullough has a way of pulling you into the time and place he is writing about. I, at times felt the vouyuer of this wonderful piece of American History artwork. This work is a multimedia work of history telling. Appropiate for lovers of history, the American Revolution or simply those curious about a time gone by.

I believe every American home should have a copy of 1776 in it--well read! The illustrated edition is a wonderful improvement.

I found this in the bookstore but they wanted $60
I thought this was really a neat way delve into history.
David McCullough's overview and writing style helped make me feel like I was back in 1776. The Pictures & replicated documents did really add to the experience. I highly recommend. Thankfully I was able to get this book at 1/3 of the price the bookstore was asking. This is one of those books that I plan to hang onto and hope to share with my future children.

The Illustrated Edition of 1776 is not simply a well written history, but a great study resource and coffee table book. The reproductions of the historical documents and maps are high quality and great fun to read. I have not read the unabridged 1776, so I cannot compare the text. However, McCullough's writing is concise yet full of detail, and the whole book is an engaging read. This is easily one of the best history books I have read.

Arrived well packaged! Makes a great first impression. Nice hardcover with a quality sleeve to protect it and all the contents included. Great writer! Will give you hours of interesting reading. Well worth the great price.

1776 is the best book I have ever read, period. And it is non-fiction. I could not put it down.

I never did well in history classes. I wish this book had been around then, though! It's a gorgeous looking book and the writing is superb. Very gripping.

What an absolute delight to read, study, own, and display. The narrative is superb and the surprises hidden between the pages just waiting for you to open and explore, reminds me of Christmas morning.This is top shelf material. You will take pride in owning. Don't deny yourself this edition. It will yield a life time of pleasure.

Great book, gives you a different perspective into the individuals that are part of that time in history.

Excellent book looked at various places and amazon was found to be the cheapest and very fast shipping

You really have to hold this book in your hands and peruse its amazing pages to understand why it is so incredible. If you're a history buff, you will love this!

I bought it for my fiance for Christmas. He's in school to become a History teacher. He said not only did he learn a lot from the book, but he knows his future students will be able to utilize it as well!

It's full of information, pictures, letters and maps. You won't believe your good fortune if you purchase this book. I definitely got much more than my money's worth!

This is an absolutely beautiful book and it's chocked full of "original-looking" wonderful documents and maps that are separate from the book. (The documents are enclosed in protective sleeves between the pages of the book.) You can take them out and hold them or spread the large ones out on a table to look at them. As a historian and an American patriot, I can tell you that if you love history, you'll get many hours of enjoyment from this HUGE book - and learn a lot about our nation's AMAZING beginning too!

I shopped bookstores for this item and got the best price right here on Amazon at the time I bought it.

Wonderful edition of McCullough's 1776. The reproductions of documents fascinate the readers and makes history very real1776: The Illustrated Edition

I had to return the book. Amazon had poorly packaged it allowing it to slide around in the shipping box unwrappped and poorly protected. Consequently, the book was dented in transit, and as a "coffee table" book was unacceptable for display.

Just got this book for Christmas. It is sheer historical awesomeness.

One of the most annoying things about reading history books is that your impressions of historical figures always gets filtered through the historian's viewpoint. Will Durant will have a different opinion on Washington than McCullough, who definitely has a different opinion on Washington than politcal-science majors writing history books like Zinn and Loewen.

The solution, of course, is referring to the primary documents, but actually finding copies of primary documents is quite hard, if what you're looking for is not something like the Declaration of Independence.

This version of 1776 actually has replicas of a huge number of primary documents, ranging from maps (crude maps drawn by Washington, and precise maps drawn by the British) to Dunlap broadsides containing the actual speech given by King George III to Parliament which declared the colonies in rebellion. In October, 1775.

So instead of getting a historian's impression of King George, or hearing idly about the "Madness of King George", you get to see that he had a relatively reasonable, if not entirely well thought out, plan for dealing with the rebellion and trying to bring the colonies back into the Empire as painlessly as possible. And you also see that his opinion of his Coersive Acts were rather detached from the reality with which they were received. And it's a replica, not a reprint -- while obviously fake, it does kind of make one feel like one is sitting in a Philadelphia Tavern somewhere, reading the news from England.

While this version is noticeably abridged from the original 1776, it is nothing short of awesome.

This edition (1776: The Illustrated Edition) of the history includes facsimiles of the documents used to write the history. With the standard edition you simply have McCullough's word that the British had a better map of Boston than the Americans had. In this edition you can see the map for yourself. The same experience is repeated throughout the book, giving the reader a chance to experience the process of creating an historical narrative. I would have given this book 5 stars except that it is an abridgment and I don't like having books abridged.

This is an amazing trip through history that the whole family can enjoy together. The historic letters and manuscripts can be taken and passed around and discussed together. Your children will be learning without realizing it and this type of experience will stay with them. I highly recomment this book.

This book is written by a good historical writer, but the research and documentation in the envelop pouches through-out the book are just terrific. The re-creation of these maps, letters, and documents make the book feel like you went up into the attic and found a treasure chest! I have bought two for my husband, an American history professor, and one for an American history buff. Many hours will be spent with this book!

1776: The Illustrated Edition makes for delightful perusing! Included are beautiful period artwork, facsimiles of historic maps,newspapers, letters and especially the vellum envelopes which open to reveal historical documents [such as George's correspondence with Martha]. It is a veritable feast for the senses, being able to see these reproductions of historical documents, perusing them at one's leisure, and of course handling them [though mere reproductions, it does provide immense enjoyment to a history buff].

It is a beautiful set that adds depth to an already famous book [note: the text is abridged here] and will make a wonderful gift this holiday season.

I was disappointed to see it was "Made in China"....Should I have the paint on the slipcase tested for lead?.......Think I will........

How interesting that a book of America's revolutionary struggle for freedom is "Manufactured in China". I was quite disapointed to see this printed inside the front.I wonder if the Chinese government plans to distribute it among its people.......Very disapointed......Shame on the publisher for outsourcing our most precious history to a repressive,communist government.

This book is absolutely breathtaking in its depth and scope of the year 1776 of the American Revolution. I have an entire lawyer's bookcase devoted to the American Revolution but not one of those books can come close to David McCullough's 1776 An Illustrated Edition. To be able to hold copies of letters, maps and documents from actual participants in the Revolution in your hand is a thrill. This is a "must have" for anyone with even the most passing interest in the American Revolution.

As for the negative reviewer, someone should tell him that he is not the supreme literary dictator of the world. The aspects of the war that McCullough choses to cover he does with fantastic expertise.

Don't let this great book get by you.

Originally published in 2005, 1776 by David McCullough was an enjoyable read. This new illustrated version is sure to add new life to an already successful book. Since there are two issues here, the original text and then the illustrated revision, I'm going to review the two issues separately.

Let me begin by saying, quite simply, I enjoyed the book. This book serves as somewhat of an overview of what is perhaps the most critical year of the last millenium. Some may dissagree with that and may make legitimate cases for other years of historical significance, but that is for another discussion.

McCullough recounts the major events of the year and gives good narrative of each event. However, just as the Revolutionary War was somewhat slow to get starting, so too is this book. The accounts are all meticulously accurate in the historical sense and McCullough has certainly succeeded in amassing the information critical to a basic knowledge of what events transpired in bringing forth American independence.

The deeper the reader gets into the book, as with the war itself, the more complex it becomes and I found myself soon rivited to every detail and this one becomes, what many might refer to as a real "page turner". By the time the reader reaches the final pages, the year 1776 is drawing to a close, and sadly, so does the book. Perhaps in this way, McCullough has served to stimulate the interest of readers first learning of the events and will cause them to take their research of America's founding to the next level.

I usually have a pretty good idea of what I want to say in reviewing a book, but this one has left me a bit perplexed. It is a good book, which I did enjoy reading, but perhaps it is due to what I have read of McCullough's work before that left me somewhat dissappointed. I expected more from this book, but I suppose asking a two time Pulitzer winner to replicate prior efforts may be asking too much.

Now, for the illustrated portion of 1776. I first discovered this extraordinary new concept in a book I found for my grandkids called Piratology, where the book contained insert pages with folders which contained maps and other pirate related treasures. The book was a huge hit with the pirate infatuated boys. Here, the folders contain a variety of facsimiles such as documents, letters, maps, etc. This version also contains some beautiful photographs and is a gorgeous binding that looks extraordinary on the book shelf.

I only gave McCullough's original 1776 four stars, but this illustrated version is a definite upgrade and pushes this volume to top honors.

It's wildly off the mark to call this book "defective," or David McCullough a "biased historian." The focus here is just far more on the military aspects of The Revolutionary War. This focus lent itself to far more coverage of Washington than Jefferson or Franklin. Other books have covered the political climate and events of that time in spades.

Seeing as "1776: The Illustrated Edition" is not about the political side of America's founding, it seems reasonable (and, I thought, beneficial to the book) to keep the focus narrower, and the depth greater. David McCullough's account of 1776 is no more biased than the writer of a Civil War book who chose to focus on the South, and thus did not give in-depth insights into the role of Ulysses S. Grant in the war.

I would imagine the fact that the previous reviewer has written a book on Benjamin Franklin might be a reason for the preference on seeing Franklin covered in all books about the war. It might also point to the reason for such undue scorn directed at the gorgeous illustrated version of an insightful, enjoyable (and successful) book like "1776."

David McCullough calls his history "1776," but it shockingly biased, omitting major players in this critical history of America's founding. It's all about George Washington and "his" revolution and no one else, with the possible exception of John Adams. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, among other notables, do not even appear in this history! In this "illustrated" edition, it gets even worse. Although the book is beautifully illustrated with lots of pictures and copies of important letters, it leaves out letters and documents by Franklin, Jefferson and other vital figures. Is David McCullough trying to rewrite history? Is he reflecting his bias in favor of John Adams and against Ben Franklin? Check the index and see what I mean. It's incredible. It suggests a character flaw in an otherwise brilliant writer and speaker.