Independence

This portrait of the birth of the United States is "mesmerizing. Masterful. History written with the gravitational pull of a good novel" (Dan Rather).

No event in American history was more pivotal—or more furiously contested—than Congress's decision to declare independence in July 1776. Even months after American blood had been shed at Lexington and Concord, many colonists remained loyal to Britain. John Adams, a leader of the revolutionary effort, said bringing the fractious colonies together was like getting "thirteen clocks to strike at once."

Other books have been written about the Declaration, but no author has traced the political journey from protest to Revolution with the narrative scope and flair of John Ferling. Independence takes readers from the cobblestones of Philadelphia into the halls of Parliament, where many sympathized with the Americans and furious debate erupted over how to deal with the rebellion. Independence is not only the story of how freedom was won, but how an empire was lost.

At this remarkable moment in history, high-stakes politics was intertwined with a profound debate about democracy, governance, and justice. Drawing on a lifetime of scholarship, Ferling brings this passionate struggle to life as no other historian could.

"Ferling expertly explores the multiple motivations that led to independence in July 1776, both inside Congress and among the public." —The Boston Globe

"In unequivocal prose, John Ferling captures the combined bluster and outrage on both sides of the Atlantic. He exposes the quirks—while exploring the vision—of the opinionated, opportunistic delegates who were present in Philadelphia in 1776. Independence is rich in personality, and Ferling unsurpassed as an authority." —Andrew Burstein, author of Being Thomas Jefferson