1776

Josh Marshall has a nice long review of David McCullough's latest 1776 . Other historians have told me that, alas, everyone thinks that anything that had little to do with George Washington isn't worthy of notice. So it goes with my book concerning his shipbuilder and supplier, my ancestor Reuben Colburn.

Mine Patriot on the Kennebec goes into the story of money promised by Washington, but not delivered, for the first military failure of the war for independence. Too obscure for major publishers these days. I'm sure he wrote a fine book but it's the same kingmaking hagiography over and over. We'd like to know the foibles found deeper than surface worship. But fame is fame and feeds itself forever often at the expense of other players on the stage that no one yet knows. Or will, but I'll keep the story in the pipeline no matter how long it takes. I owe my patriot ancestors that much.