By Karen and Erica

We love July 4. Declaring our independence. Flags flying. Fireworks in the sky. This year, we are reminding ourselves why we fought the war of independence.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Here are some of the best books about that seminal American event.

• 1776, by David McCullough. The date says it all.

• Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow. Yes, the theatrical is based on it. An inspiring read.

• Ladies of Liberty, by Cokie Roberts. The founding mothers.

• Rough Crossings, by Simon Schama. Enslaved people and the Revolution.

• Washington’s Crossing, by David Hackett Fischer. One amazing week in our history. The message? Never say die.

• Valiant Ambition, by Nathaniel Philbrick. George Washington and Benedict Arnold.

• The British Are Coming, by Rick Atkinson. Brings the war to life.

And, we will (again) read Longfellow’s The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, probably aloud. Every time we do we feel revolutionary.