Fourth of July Book

A book I highly recommend reading over the Fourth of July weekend or anytime for that matter is David McCullough's new 1776. It follows George Washington and his officers and the Continental Army from the seige of Boston during the winter of 1775-1776 through New Year's Day 1777. McCullough does not varnish over the flaws and mistakes of Washington. We see a fallible and beaten general, a miserable army sent on retreat, but also an ultimately resolute leader who learned from his mistakes and was able to overlook what others might have considered betrayals from his closest friends to lead a fragile army to victory by example and raw courage. It's what true leaders do.