Short Synopsis
From the bestselling author of The Ascent of George Washington comes a brilliantly rendered narrative of the epochal struggle in Congress that culminated in American independence.

Full Synopsis
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 of Independence, but no author has traced the political journey from protest to revolution with the narrative scope and flair of John Ferling. Independence takes listeners 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. John Ferling, drawing on a lifetime of scholarship, brings this passionate struggle to life as no other historian could. Independence will be hailed as the finest work yet from the author Michael Beschloss calls "a national resource."

"Splendid.... Ferling's entertaining and edifying work is sure to find an audience among general readers." ---Booklist

"A lucid, erudite account of a period both terrifying and supremely inspiring." ---Kirkus

"Noted for his knowledge of the Revolutionary era, Ferling again gives us a narrative hard to surpass in fluency and authority." ---Publishers Weekly