History is an antidote to the hubris of the present. We think we’re so terrific. We think we know so much. We think we have such genius. Well, think again. (David McCullough)

David McCullough, author of New York Times #1 best seller in America, 1776, offers these insights in his online interview with bookreporter.com.

Q: What do you think will most surprise readers of this book?

DM: Abigail Adams once wrote, “Posterity, who are to reap the blessings, will scarcely be able to conceive the hardships and sufferings of their ancestors.” Regrettably she was right. We have far too little appreciation for what her generation went through and how indebted we are to them, not because they were perfect, or superhuman, but because they were fellow human beings who didn’t know themselves what they were capable of until put to the test. I think readers will be surprised that King George III was an interesting man. He was not the crazy king or dimwit often portrayed. I think they’ll also be surprised that the British officers were competent and intelligent men. And I think they’ll be surprised at the number of mistakes Washington made, some quite severe, and the fact that we suffered terrible defeats largely of our own doing. And finally, I think a lot of people will be surprised that at one point the fate of this country hung on the determination and physical stamina of just a few thousand men.

Q: Why is it particularly important in this day and age to understand and appreciate what happened in 1776?

DM: We’re often told, and we know, that we’re living in a very difficult, dangerous and uncertain time. But that’s not a new experience in American life. Some have said, in the aftermath of 9/11, that this is the darkest, most perilous hour in our history. But we’ve been through worse and we’ve come through it. Further, we need to be reminded always of the ideas and ideals that this country was founded on, and never take our blessings for granted. Ingratitude is a shabby human failing. And to have no gratitude for what our forbearers went through would be a dreadful mark against us. We have a serious problem just now. We’re raising kids who are historically illiterate. The more we can make our history known, and the more we ourselves can know and understand who we are and how we got to where we are, the better off the country will be in the long run.

Q: Beyond the historical events themselves, what is this book about? How do you describe it?

DM: To a large degree it is about character. In an immediate and very human way it’s about staying power on the brink of disaster. The people who make the difference are those who won’t give up. It’s to them that we owe so much. I hope I’ve conveyed what American soldiers looked like back then; that they had no uniforms; that they were dirty, hungry, poorly armed, and badly clothed; that many truly had no shoes through much of the struggle. I hope I’ve made it clear that they weren’t all heroes; that thousands quit the fight, deserted, or went over to the enemy. Most important of all I hope I’ve conveyed that no one knew how things were going to turn out. All the signs were that they didn’t stand a chance, that the war was over and that we had lost. It was the darkest time in the history of our country. The prospects for the United States of America never looked so bleak. But because a handful of very brave people refused to see it that way, we are the beneficiaries. Without them The Declaration of Independence would have been that only, a declaration, words on paper.

1776 is available through Vision Forum for 50% off with our June 2005, Liberty or Death Special.

Click here to read the complete interview.