1776 By David McCullough: What Has 231 Years Taught Us?

You can't read 1776 without wondering what have we learned in 231 years. History should teach us lessons in empathy.

While I don't equate or want to make the error of comparing the validity of the cause of American Independence to the current events in Iraq, I'm not discussing the merits of the cause. I am adressing the motivations of people engaged in combat.

1776 is a book of battles and war strategies. McCullough does an admirable job in extracting out at least some of the motivating factors of the different participants in the seminal year of American Independence. One of the most pressing questions adressed by Washington and his counterparts was how do you combat the greatest world power, with military might and wealth that far exceeds your own meager position.