1776

1776
Average customer rating:

Excellent analysis

"If We can Keep It" - quote of the Forefathers

Success was not guaranteed

It Can't Be Said Enough, Excellent, Superb, One of the Best

1776: A ROLLER-COASTER RIDE!

1776
David McCullough
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Revolution & Founding | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

Rayovac Reading Light: Pillow Light (Colors May Vary)

ASIN: 0743226712

Amazon.com

Esteemed historian David McCullough covers the military side of the momentous year of 1776 with characteristic insight and a gripping narrative, adding new scholarship and a fresh perspective to the beginning of the American Revolution. It was a turbulent and confusing time. As British and American politicians struggled to reach a compromise, events on the ground escalated until war was inevitable. McCullough writes vividly about the dismal conditions that troops on both sides had to endure, including an unusually harsh winter, and the role that luck and the whims of the weather played in helping the colonial forces hold off the world's greatest army. He also effectively explores the importance of motivation and troop morale--a tie was as good as a win to the Americans, while anything short of overwhelming victory was disheartening to the British, who expected a swift end to the war. The redcoat retreat from Boston, for example, was particularly humiliating for the British, while the minor American victory at Trenton was magnified despite its limited strategic importance.

Some of the strongest passages in 1776 are the revealing and well-rounded portraits of the Georges on both sides of the Atlantic. King George III, so often portrayed as a bumbling, arrogant fool, is given a more thoughtful treatment by McCullough, who shows that the king considered the colonists to be petulant subjects without legitimate grievances--an attitude that led him to underestimate the will and capabilities of the Americans. At times he seems shocked that war was even necessary. The great Washington lives up to his considerable reputation in these pages, and McCullough relies on private correspondence to balance the man and the myth, revealing how deeply concerned Washington was about the Americans' chances for victory, despite his public optimism. Perhaps more than any other man, he realized how fortunate they were to merely survive the year, and he willingly lays the responsibility for their good fortune in the hands of God rather than his own. Enthralling and superbly written, 1776 is the work of a master historian. --Shawn Carkonen

The Other 1776
With his riveting, enlightening accounts of subjects from Johnstown Flood to John Adams, David McCullough has become the historian that Americans look to most to tell us our own story. In his Amazon.com interview, McCullough explains why he turned in his new book from the political battles of the Revolution to the battles on the ground, and he marvels at some of his favorite young citizen soldiers who fought alongside the remarkable General Washington.

The Essential David McCullough

John Adams
Truman
Mornings on Horseback

The Path Between the Seas
The Great Bridge
The Johnstown Flood

More Reading on the Revolution

The Great Improvisation by Stacy Schiff
Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer
His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis

Washington's General by Terry Golway
Iron Tears by Stanley Weintraub
Victory at Yorktown by Richard M. Ketchum

Book Description

In this stirring book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence -- when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper.

Based on extensive research in both American and British archives, 1776 is a powerful drama written with extraordinary narrative vitality. It is the story of Americans in the ranks, men of every shape, size, and color, farmers, schoolteachers, shoemakers, no-accounts, and mere boys turned soldiers. And it is the story of the King's men, the British commander, William Howe, and his highly disciplined redcoats who looked on their rebel foes with contempt and fought with a valor too little known.

Here also is the Revolution as experienced by American Loyalists, Hessian mercenaries, politicians, preachers, traitors, spies, men and women of all kinds caught in the paths of war.

At the center of the drama, with Washington, are two young American patriots, who, at first, knew no more of war than what they had read in books -- Nathanael Greene, a Quaker who was made a general at thirty-three, and Henry Knox, a twenty-five-year-old bookseller who had the preposterous idea of hauling the guns of Fort Ticonderoga overland to Boston in the dead of winter.

But it is the American commander-in-chief who stands foremost -- Washington, who had never before led an army in battle.

The book begins in London on October 26, 1775, when His Majesty King George III went before Parliament to declare America in rebellion and to affirm his resolve to crush it. From there the story moves to the Siege of Boston and its astonishing outcome, then to New York, where British ships and British troops appear in numbers never imagined and the newly proclaimed Continental Army confronts the enemy for the first time. David McCullough's vivid rendering of the Battle of Brooklyn and the daring American escape that followed is a part of the book few readers will ever forget.

As the crucial weeks pass, defeat follows defeat, and in the long retreat across New Jersey, all hope seems gone, until Washington launches the "brilliant stroke" that will change history.

The darkest hours of that tumultuous year were as dark as any Americans have known. Especially in our own tumultuous time, 1776 is powerful testimony to how much is owed to a rare few in that brave founding epoch, and what a miracle it was that things turned out as they did.

Written as a companion work to his celebrated biography of John Adams, David McCullough's 1776 is another landmark in the literature of American history.

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"In this stirring book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence -- when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper. Written as a companion work to his celebrated biography of John Adams, David McCullough's 1776 is another landmark in the literature of American history. "

Customer Reviews:

Excellent analysis.......2007-10-15

This is a terrific book that brings some of the most dramatic moments in the war of independence to life. If you're interested in how this country started, this is a good book to read.

"If We can Keep It" - quote of the Forefathers.......2007-10-13

It's people like David McCullough that manage to bring American History alive once more.

I remember sitting in American History class, bored to tears by the dryness of the whole thing, knowing it was vastly important, yet no stimulus was forthcoming from the instructors, further compounded by being too young to care. Perhaps, most of us just need to get older to appreciate what we have, what was given us by our predecessors, but whatever the reason, David McCullough opened the door of my jaded imagination to a vibrantly alive century long past, full of real people, feet of clay, possessing all the human frailties, yet coming together across racial, social, and intellectual lines, doing an impossible job against all odds, under the worst possible conditions, and triumphing in the end simply because they refused to recognize defeat, even as it surrounded them from every direction.

Two facts that starkly stand out in the whole mix: The patriots Knox and Greene, neither of them gentlemen by birth in the accepted way, possessing no great wealth, nor education, became two of the major components behind Washington that granted him the victory. Perhaps in other times, they, endowed of such natural talent would have been entirely overlooked. American ingenuity, one of our greatest strengths, was born out of them to us - on the spur of the moment, out of pressing necessity - with nothing more asked - or to be gained, other than death - than the passion (no other word will do) to support a new idea - Freedom.

We all know what the outcome was, so I won't bore any of you with more of that in my own heartfelt review of the book. What I really wished to convey to any reader, especially a younger one, who may not have opened the pages as yet - is that it will bring a new generation to experience anew the sense of pride that most of us as American's feel, and do it in a way that is truly "readable".

What a book - written by someone who leaves "dry" at home and digs down deep into the "human experience" to tell us the vibrant story about the courage that slumbers until needed - among a people who possess the desire to live free.

We weren't "Born Free" - it was won "for us" by others long gone - let's never forget.

Success was not guaranteed.......2007-10-01

Looking back on the American revolution of 1776 we sometimes
make the mistake to think success was guaranteed.
In David McCulloughs splendid book 1776 we clearly see
that it was not.
Its the gripping tale of american patriots like Nathanael Green,
age thirty three, who knew nothing of war except what he had read in books, and twenty five year old bookseller Henry Knox - who joined the
cause with George Washington to fight the biggest army in the world.

A weird assembly - the cause of liberty being led by a slavemaster
(Washington had more than 100 slaves). Still, in the end he is the one
who overcomes all bad odds and makes independence real.
In december 1776 leading a down and out army of some 3.000 to surprise attack Christmas night on hessian forces in Trenton and later Princeton. Turning the tide.
Having narrowly escaped the british and certain defeat in Brooklyn,
where the american army eventually only escaped over the East river,
because of the curtain of night concealed them and later a heavy fog.
Had they been spotted by the british - defeat would have been certain.
At Kips Bay Washington finds his troops in panic. Turned cowards
in front of the enemy. When no one obeys and only runs in panic,
Washington throws his hat to the ground, exclaiming in disgust:
"Are these the men with which I am to defend America".
As he and his defeated men are chased through New Jersey
by the british, thousands of the good people in New Jersey
flock to the british camps to declare their loyalty.
Washingtons followers reduced to a pitiable collection of ragged,
dispirited mortals that ever pretended to the name of an army.
As the sick and elderly were being abused, raped and murdered by british and Hessian forces in the New Jersey countryside - Washington forces quit in large numbers and return home.
And still, Christmas night, Washingtons men attack Trenton and conquers
1.500 Hessians - and turned the tide.
In McCulloughs word- Washington was not a brilliant tactician,
not a gifted orator, not an intellectual. At several crucial moments
he had shown indecisiveness and mistakes in judgment. But he
never forgot what was at stake and he never gave up.

What a story 1776 is. It makes sense that one book can't follow
event all the way to Yorktown or from the beginning with the Boston teaparty.
Simply 1776 has so much drama - that it is more than enough
for one book. But I will look forward to sequels. 1775, 1777 etc.
The John Adams book was more complete in the sense that we got both the begining and the end to the story, so that got five stars. Here I missed something on what happened after 1776 - but then again, I am sure the author is busy working on sequels !

-Simon

It Can't Be Said Enough, Excellent, Superb, One of the Best.......2007-10-01

There has probably been enough written about this book to fill more pages than the book itself. Of all the military books I have read, this book more than any other brought the information alive. The way writing was beyond excellent and the information presented in an engaging manner. Obviously this book represents General Washington and the American cause in a positive manner. That's not to say that it glosses over any of Washington's mistakes. On the contrary the author is quick to point out the general's mistakes and weaknesses. But as history would prove, Washington did enough right to survive 1776 and all the events of that dramatic year to keep an army in the field. Keeping the Continental Army in the field was most likely the single most important achievement of George Washington's tenure as Commander and Chief, during the war years. The book gives you insight into the lives of both officers and enlisted while maintaining it's focus on the overall impact of the decisions made during each chapter. It's difficult to write a review for a book that has already won the Pulitzer Prize. All this reviewer can really say is that all the accolades this book has received were very much deserved

1776: A ROLLER-COASTER RIDE!.......2007-09-21

David McCullough's book "1776" chronicles the first major year of fighting in during America's war for independence. The strength of this book is how McCullough gives the reader a humanistic portrayal of all the key players of the American Revolution. His accounts of key battles and events are exciting and dramatic, rivaling the best of historic fiction. This book will keep you glued until the very end. I highly recommend it!
Grade: A

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation

Average customer rating:

Excellent look into the formation of a republic
Not great
An excellent capsule view......
Wonderful book
The Perfect Introduction to the History of the Revolutionary Period

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
Joseph J. Ellis
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

History & Theory | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson
His Excellency: George Washington
John Adams
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ASIN: 0375705244
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

In retrospect, it seems as if the American Revolution was inevitable. But was it? In Founding Brothers, Joseph J. Ellis reveals that many of those truths we hold to be self-evident were actually fiercely contested in the early days of the republic.

Ellis focuses on six crucial moments in the life of the new nation, including a secret dinner at which the seat of the nation's capital was determined--in exchange for support of Hamilton's financial plan; Washington's precedent-setting Farewell Address; and the Hamilton and Burr duel. Most interesting, perhaps, is the debate (still dividing scholars today) over the meaning of the Revolution. In a fascinating chapter on the renewed friendship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson at the end of their lives, Ellis points out the fundamental differences between the Republicans, who saw the Revolution as a liberating act and hold the Declaration of Independence most sacred, and the Federalists, who saw the revolution as a step in the building of American nationhood and hold the Constitution most dear. Throughout the text, Ellis explains the personal, face-to-face nature of early American politics--and notes that the members of the revolutionary generation were conscious of the fact that they were establishing precedents on which future generations would rely.

In Founding Brothers, Ellis (whose American Sphinx won the National Book Award for nonfiction in 1997) has written an elegant and engaging narrative, sure to become a classic. Highly recommended. --Sunny Delaney

Book Description

In this landmark work of history, the National Book Award—winning author of American Sphinx explores how a group of greatly gifted but deeply flawed individuals–Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams, and Madison–confronted the overwhelming challenges before them to set the course for our nation.

The United States was more a fragile hope than a reality in 1790. During the decade that followed, the Founding Fathers–re-examined here as Founding Brothers–combined the ideals of the Declaration of Independence with the content of the Constitution to create the practical workings of our government. Through an analysis of six fascinating episodes–Hamilton and Burr’s deadly duel, Washington’s precedent-setting Farewell Address, Adams’ administration and political partnership with his wife, the debate about where to place the capital, Franklin’s attempt to force Congress to confront the issue of slavery and Madison’s attempts to block him, and Jefferson and Adams’ famous correspondence– Founding Brothers brings to life the vital issues and personalities from the most important decade in our nation’s history.

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In this landmark work of history, the National Book Award-winning author of American Sphinx explores how a group of greatly gifted but deeply flawed individuals -- Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams, and Madison -- confronted the overwhelming challenges before them to set the course for our nation.

The United States was more a fragile hope than a reality in 1790. During the decade that followed, the Founding Fathers -- re-examined here as Founding Brothers -- combined the ideals of the Declaration of Independence with the content of the Constitution to create the practical workings of our government. Through an analysis of six fascinating episodes -- Hamilton and Burr's deadly duel, Washington's precedent-setting Farewell Address, Adams' administration and political partnership with his wife, the debate about where to place the capital, Franklin's attempt to force Congress to confront the issue of slavery and Madison's attempts to block him, and Jefferson and Adams' famous correspondence -- Founding Brothers brings to life the vital issues and personalities from the most important decade in our nation's history.

"A splendid book -- humane, learned, written with flair and radiant with a calm intelligence and wit."
   THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

"Lively and illuminating... leaves the reader with a visceral sense of a formative era in American life."
   THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Masterful.... Fascinating.... Ellis is an elegant stylist.... [He] captures the passion the founders brought to the revolutionary project.... [A] very fine book."
   CHICAGO TRIBUNE

"Learned, exceedingly well-written, and perceptive."
   THE OREGONIAN

Customer Reviews:

Excellent look into the formation of a republic.......2007-10-05

This was a very good read for me. I found it interesting and enlightening. What jumped out most to me were the differing personalities and philosophies of America's early leaders. It was intriguing to read about the Virginia Dynasty and connection between Madison and Jefferson. It was also interesting to read about the various rivalries.

However, there are three things that really made and impression on me from this book.

First, was the reality that the United States of America as a unified, sovereign nation barely happened. Sometimes there is this illusion that America's emergence was divine and undeniable. This book really shoots that illusion down. There were so many differing positions and rival parties. Many were still loyal to the British crown. And even after independence was won the states themselves could barely find consensus. There were so many points of contention. There were so much division among the newly independent American statesmen. The fact there was enough consensus to forge a republic is nothihg short of amazing.

Second, was Washington's decision not to be president for life. His stepping down and allowing someone else to run and take office while he was still alive was very significant. It provided a great degree of credibility to a tenuous political framework that very well could have collapsed once he died. Many leaders, only thinking of themselves, want to remain in position for the rest of their lives at the expense of the organization. Leaders with vision understand the organization has to last long after they are gone. Washington showed great vision with this move.

Lastly, of all of the historical figures that make an impact in this read none do so quite like Alexander Hamilton. After reading this work I feel Hamilton may be the most overlooked founding American of them all. His push for a strong central government made him a mortal political enemy of Jefferson and Madison. As I read the book Hamilton's position for a strong central government and his persona really struck a cord. While Jefferson's dreams of pure libertarianism made for good theory, Hamilton's insistence on a strong central government to regulate commerce made good sense. This book gave me a new interest in Hamilton. I plan to read one of his biographies.

In all, it is a great account of a collection of extraordinary events and people. If you like history and politics (as I do) check this one out.

Not great.......2007-09-29

Pretty much the most boring book I have ever read. (I had to for school)

An excellent capsule view.............2007-09-12

...of the founding of our country. The founders were NOT a homogenous "band of brothers"; there were profound personal, political, philosophical and sectional differences, which somehow got worked out. This superb book looks at incidents and relationships, and how they affected the final product.

[1] The Duel...Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804. This was an anti-climax for Hamilton; his useful life was already over...he had betrayed George Washington politically, and had experienced too many scandals in his personal life. The apostle of centralized government had become irrelevent, and, as for Aaron Burr, he had way too many enemies. In fact, Jefferson and Adams, who were then estranged, both hated both Burr and Hamilton. Anyway, Hamilton died, and Burr might as well have....he went on to try to become Emperor Aaron I, ran afoul of Mr. Jefferson....but that's another story. Dueling was already illegal, and this about finished it, though isolated incidents would occur until the Civil War.

[2] The Dinner Table Bargain. How did Washington, DC, get to be our capital? Here's how....Southerners wanted the new capital in the South...Alexander Hamilton wanted the new Federal Government to assume state debts. Assumption and Location. Enter Thomas Jefferson...he invited Madison and Hamilton to dinner at his rented house in New York. Hamilton, who could have cared less where the capital got located, agreed to back Madison's choice of the malarial swamp where our capital is today. Madison agreed not to fight assumption, though he still wouldn't vote for it. Compromise....

[3] The Silence....over slavery. Many, especially Benjamin Franklin, wanted to end slvery with the ratification of The Constitution...the Southerners wouldn't go along, and the resultant compromise put the problem off for another 20 years, by which time the cotton gin had been invented...Shiloh...Sharpsburg...Chickamauga... I know, there was a LOT more that went into causing the Civil War, but....

[4] The Farewell....to George Washington. Washington retired at the end of his second term. He had profound problems [mainly with Congress] in the second term, and God knows that he had done his share, and more. Maybe he knew that he wouldn't survive a third term. The Farewell Address is one of the masterpieces of the English language; how much of it was Washington's work, and how much Alexander Hamilton's, remains a matter of conjecture....

[5] and [6]...Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Friends, collaborators in the invention of a nation...estranged over differences in politics...then, a final decision "not to die till we have explained ourselves to each other", which resulted in a wealth of letters that will be studied forever. Only God would have dared write the end...both died July 4, 1826, the 50th. anniversary of The Declaration of Independence. A writer of fiction would be dismissed as insane for such a thing...

Joseph Ellis is a treasure...biographies of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson [not written in that order] that are substantive enough for a historian, and short enough that any intelligent person can read them easily. Yes, others have gone deeper...but Douglas Southall Freeman needed seven long volumes for Washington, and Dumas Malone six for Jefferson. Ellis writes history that is "available"....and this MAY be his best work. I can't recommend it strongly enough....

Wonderful book.......2007-08-26

I have developed a fascination with some of the nations great men, and been reading books on them, curious to what makes them 'tick'. This book is really unique in that it gives a really interesting perspective not only on the men, but the dynamic between them. It has been some of my favorite reading. This book is very well written, and thoughts flow logically and cohesively. I think the author has done a splendid job.

The Perfect Introduction to the History of the Revolutionary Period.......2007-08-09

Bottom Line: A very enjoyable and easy read. Before taking on the huge biographies on Adams, Hamilton, Washington, and Jefferson read this book.

What You Will Learn: This book is sort of a greatest hits of revolutionary history. My favorite section is on the run-up to the duel between Hamilton and Burr - something I had read about in High School, but never with so much detail and drama. The description of the complicated relationship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson is also very interesting and well written.

Parting Shot: Joseph Ellis does a great job in making history exciting - this book would serve as a great gift for a young person without much previous reading in American History.

American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation

Average customer rating:

American Gospel - No Answer
Pablum
Finally, a Balanced Truth
Bad history written by a journalist
Meacham has done excellent research

American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation
Jon Meacham
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Church & State | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1400065550
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Book Description

The American Gospel–literally, the good news about America–is that religion shapes our public life without controlling it. In this vivid book, New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham tells the human story of how the Founding Fathers viewed faith, and how they ultimately created a nation in which belief in God is a matter of choice.

At a time when our country seems divided by extremism, American Gospel draws on the past to offer a new perspective. Meacham re-creates the fascinating history of a nation grappling with religion and politics–from John Winthrop’s “city on a hill” sermon to Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence; from the Revolution to the Civil War; from a proposed nineteenth-century Christian Amendment to the Constitution to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s call for civil rights; from George Washington to Ronald Reagan.

Debates about religion and politics are often more divisive than illuminating. Secularists point to a “wall of separation between church and state,” while many conservatives act as though the Founding Fathers were apostles in knee britches. As Meacham shows in this brisk narrative, neither extreme has it right. At the heart of the American experiment lies the God of what Benjamin Franklin called “public religion,” a God who invests all human beings with inalienable rights while protecting private religion from government interference. It is a great American balancing act, and it has served us well.

Meacham has written and spoken extensively about religion and politics, and he brings historical authority and a sense of hope to the issue. American Gospel makes it compellingly clear that the nation’s best chance of summoning what Lincoln called “the better angels of our nature” lies in recovering the spirit and sense of the Founding. In looking back, we may find the light to lead us forward.

“In his American Gospel, Jon Meacham provides a refreshingly clear, balanced, and wise historical portrait of religion and American politics at exactly the moment when such fairness and understanding are much needed. Anyone who doubts the relevance of history to our own time has only to read this exceptional book.”–David McCullough, author of 1776

“Jon Meacham has given us an insightful and eloquent account of the spiritual foundation of the early days of the American republic. It is especially instructive reading at a time when the nation is at once engaged in and deeply divided on the question of religion and its place in public life.”–Tom Brokaw, author of The Greatest Generation

“An absorbing narrative full of vivid characters and fresh thinking, American Gospel tells how the Founding Fathers–and their successors–struggled with their own religious and political convictions to work out the basic structure for freedom of religion. For me this book was nonstop reading.”–Elaine Pagels, professor of religion, Princeton University, author of Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas

“Jon Meacham is one of our country’s most brilliant thinkers about religion’s impact on American society. In this scintillating and provocative book, Meacham reveals the often-hidden influence of religious belief on the Founding Fathers and on later generations of American citizens and leaders up to our own. Today, as we argue more strenuously than ever about the proper place of religion in our politics and the rest of American life, Meacham’s important book should serve as the touchstone of the debate.”
–Michael Beschloss, author of The Conquerors

“At a time when faith and freedom seem increasingly polarized, American Gospel recovers our vital center–the middle ground where, historically, religion and public life strike a delicate balance. Well researched, well written, inspiring, and persuasive, this is a welcome addition to the literature.”–Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University, author of American Judaism: A History

Customer Reviews:

American Gospel - No Answer.......2007-09-28

I have to admit, after reading A Peoples' History of the United States, I had much concern about this book. It seems that it was either going to state that the United States was founded on Christian beliefs or it was going to say that it was absolutely not founded on Christian beliefs. Much to my surprise, the answer was 'sort of.'

As much as one could, Mr. Meacham seems to have taken a middle road, analytical view of the topic. From the origins of separation of church and state to discuss what God and maker were the founding fathers speaking of, the book was found to be most informative an interesting. It seems that some readers will get annoyed because they want the book to pick a side and argue it but instead he presented both parts of the argument and follows history to where we are today with respect to faith, God and government.

His citation system is far superior to that found in A Peoples' History though it was still lacking. He provided a long citation list but only by page with no corresponding reference on said page. I don't know...maybe in popular history books editors feel that when a reader sees a superscript number that they will be turned off. What I would hope is that two editions could be published, one as the book currently is but also one with exact citations so the reader, if she so chooses, can look up a quote or fact and see if it is presented in an appropriate context. Another good thing was the inclusion of entire documents within the appendix to allow the reader to see the source material as it was and to either agree or disagree with Mr. Meacham's interpretation.

Pablum.......2007-09-13

Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, Adams, and Madison were Deists, not Christians. Deism, not Christianity, was the religion of the enlightenment and of the early American intelligentsia. This work is well-intended, but superficial, and only feeds into the big lie that America is a "Christian country." That charade needs to be played out, not played into.

Finally, a Balanced Truth.......2007-08-18

American Gospel tells the truth of the history of religion (primarily the belief in Christianity) in the United States. It is very satisfying because it tells the whole story.

I have been an evangelical (born-again) Christian for almost 30 years. In that time, I have heard people say "America is a Christian nation," and I even went to a lecture by David Barton, founder of Wallbuilders, who claimed that the founding fathers were all Christian men.

I love the Lord and I love to study American history. But when I would hear and read about how Christian the nation was (and many evangelicals want to ensure that it remains so), I always think, "How could this Christian nation have tolerated slavery? How could these Christian men say 'thou shalt not steal,' and then take land away from Native Americans?" I often felt like those I've heard go on about how America was founded by Christians would like for people to forget our country's greatest sins, or believe that Christians had nothing to do with them. In fact, on Independence Day weekend 2007, I went to Church and my pastor gave a message about America, and he said "The battle cry of America has always been freedom." That's a nice thought, but it's just not true.

The truth is that the founders wanted a nation where people could be free in every aspect, including their spiritual beliefs. I'm glad for a book that respects Christianity but does not justify, minimize or ignore America's sins.

Bad history written by a journalist.......2007-08-15

If you want a real historical account and worth while scholarship, I would suggest reading "The Faiths of the Founding Fathers." Meacham is an amateur. Any senior in an undergraduate history course should be able to point out the glaring omissions, half truths and shoddy scholarship. His thesis is not even original. It seems to me Meacham is a reporter who found a way to make money during a time where religion and government are of more concern to Americans. Meacham should stick to reporting and let historians write history.

Meacham has done excellent research.......2007-08-09

Jon Meacham has researched the history of religion (mostly Christianity) in the colonies and in the founding fathers writing. His detail is excellent, and his intrepretations are thoughtful and well supported.

The debates that occurred with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were carried out with the spirit of allowing religious freedom, yet acknowledging that religion played an important role in the lives of citizens and politicians alike.

Before anyone concludes that we declare the U S a Christian nation, it would be well worth your while to review the accounts of our founders as presented by Meacham.

Average customer rating:

Pure genius in form
Historical must-have for your library
Give me Liberty!
Great Introduction to the Revolutionary War
Fleming continues lively "Revolutionary" writing...

Liberty!: The American Revolution
Thomas Fleming
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Liberty! The American Revolution
The Shaping of America: A People's History of the Young Republic
Washington's Secret War : The Hidden History of Valley Forge
Liberty - The American Revolution
The History Channel Presents The Revolution

ASIN: 0670870218

Amazon.com

This first-rate volume on the American Revolution combines beautiful artwork with the lucid prose of Thomas Fleming. Although Liberty! The American Revolution accompanies a PBS documentary series, the book stands completely on its own; in fact, it presents one of the finest overviews of the conflict available in print. The bulk of the text focuses on the military aspect of the Revolution, but the political and social sides receive ample coverage as well. Colorful sidebars on the mysterious origins of the U.S. flag, the evolution of Yankee Doodle, and a history of tarring and feathering are great entertainment for curious intellects. If you are going to include only a single book on the American Revolution in your library, this is probably the one to own. And even if you already have several, Liberty! should be added to your collection.

Customer Reviews:

Pure genius in form.......2006-05-23

Thomas Fleming has written a most comprehensive overview of the American revolution. He gives us the causes, the players, the conflict and the outcome. Extremely well organized and very well written. Nicely illustrated. The seperate sidebar articles give the reader ample background on such issues as what America was like and what Americans were like during the period. He tells us about slavery. He tells us about the German soldiers hired out to the British by the varius greedy princes. He tells us about George III who was personally a wonderful human being but a political want to be despot and cunning politician but narrowmindedness ultimately proved his undoing. He really does a great job.

Really a great book on the subject. Combined with the video cassets of the same name, this book makes a great and entertaining means for obtaining a basic view of the American revolution.

Historical must-have for your library.......2006-01-30

I have never seen the documentary series on which this book is base. But, who needs to see it on TV when you have high-quality color photographs of war paintings and artifacts, not to mention an in-depth narrative on the history of the American Revolution? The book is enough, and money well spent, especially for the student in your home.

Give me Liberty!.......2004-07-05

The volume, 'Liberty! The American Revolution' by Thomas Fleming, is a companion volume to the wonderful PBS series by the same name, a six-part treatment of the period leading up to and including the American Revolution in the mid-to-late 1700s.

As Fleming shows in his text, the seeds of the American Revolution were planted long before the actual conflicts began. This was not an overnight decision on the part ofthe colonists or the British; intense negotiations and political attempts were made for years prior to the outbreak of hostilities. The colonists largely came from Britain; the leadership certainly looked to Britain for political, moral and cultural guidance, as well as primary trade and security vis-a-vis the Spanish, the French, and the Native Americans. American leaders were, by and large, British leaders too -- George Washington held a commission and fought with the British in the French and Indian War.

This was a family break-up in many ways -- Fleming's astute use of the actual words of the people of the time show the emotions that conflict, the love-hate relationship both sides embodied. The first chapter shows the beginnings of discontent on both sides, with the colonists beginning to be stressed over being ignored by the British leadership, and the British leadership, in the form of George III, newly ascended to the throne, and various high-powered ministers, feeling that the colonists were rather ungrateful toward their (so-they-considered-themselves-to-be) rightful lords.

Liberty, ironically, was what George III and his first minister, William Pitt, were all about. The Seven-Years War was won as a fight for liberty; the colonies in America and elsewhere were won over to Britain, who had a parliamentary democracy (however poorly enacted) as opposed to absolute monarchy (such as in France). So, the break-up between Britain and the American colonies becomes all the more troublesome -- not only were the opposing sides practically family, but largely believed the same things.

Fleming never makes the direct comparison, but one can get the sense of Jonathan Swift here, that the battles are fought over relatively minor things (like which side of the egg to crack) -- in the scheme of world politics then and now, the controversies were relatively slight. However, the issues of taxation, governance and respect were important, not perhaps so much for what they were, but for what they did portend as future treatment, and the colonists did not like being second-class citizens in a British-dominated world, even if, to the British leadership, being second-class British was better than being almost anything else. There was also the spectre of the Irish tyranny, perpetrated by the English, that loomed large as a possibility. Sadly, one cannot say that these fears were unjustified.

Fleming's book is intriguing, introducing sides to the conflict that one doesn't recall from grade-school and high-school civics classes -- the conflicts among the colonies themselves; the dissent among the colonies who often wanted a repair rather than a break with Britain; and the personal reflections and fears of the founding fathers and mothers (yes, there were many women involved in this process). Using diaries, correspondence, official documents and media reports of the time, Fleming weaves together a narrative history that achieves a good popular balance between historical detail and narrative reporting.

Fleming's admiration for the founding Americans, their bravery and their intelligence, is very apparent. Fleming's concern to present the British in a fair and balanced light is also apparent, and often portrayed as trying to be reasonable and responsive to many of the colonial concerns, if not always pleasant and courteous to the colonial leaders themselves. The writing is interesting and thoughtful, and done in a popular tone that gives personality to the people who figure in the events.

Fleming's final chapter looks at the aftermath of the war, and the struggle for unity as a nation. George Washington's statement that liberty could be both a blessing and curse was taken to heart -- when the Constitutional Convention met to amend the Articles of Confederation, it went far beyond its original mandate, and it was telling that not all colonies sent representatives, and not all that were sent agreed to stay through the proceedings.

The format of the book is quite nice to read -- there are pull-quotes, text boxes, full-colour pictures, drawings, maps, and charts. There are 'visual interest' items on every page, from grand paintings of conventions and major persons, to small details, such as the 'dove of peace' weathervane Washington installed at Mount Vernon prior to his depature to become President. The book is well-indexed, and matches the companion television series very well, but is also perfectly suitable as a stand-alone volume.

A great read in many ways, it makes a great gift for anyone (or to oneself) with an interest in history.

Great Introduction to the Revolutionary War.......2002-06-22

Too often our knowledge of the Revolutionary War is maimed by our simplistic grade school education. This introduction to this subject gives us a wall-to-wall view of the era. Both the British and Colonial sides of the conflict are given. In addition, the excellent illustrations and Mr. Fleming's great writing keeps us reading and looking at this book.

If you can find it and afford it, get it.

Fleming continues lively "Revolutionary" writing..........2001-12-27

I continue to be surprised with these movie "companion" books (the Civil War by Geoffrey Ward and Panther by Mario Van Peebles are other notable works). This is an excellent summary of the Revolution and, at some levels, exceeds other more celebrated accounts. We get all kinds of "context" presented with the numerous pictures and paintings as well as little "side-bars" that richly describe,among other things, life in the 13 colonies, the Liberty Bell story and the truth concerning Betsey Ross and the American Flag. Fleming's writing is good, if not a tad "dry", but some details are covered better here than in other histories (the little-known battle of Monotomny as the British are retreating from Concorde is given excellent coverage, for example...). The post-war era up to and including the development and the signing of the Constitution is remarkably detailed and, from which, I learned much. The biggest critique that I'd discuss is the almost criminal lack of maps...these types of books generally make their reputations on the inclusion of excellent battle maps (again, Ward's "Civil War" is the standard), but they are very noticably lacking here. Finally, as other reviewers have stated, this should not be viewed as a comprehensive covering of the war, but it is an excellent introduction and, notwithstanding the movie, completely stands on it's own.

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John Adams
Grand. Historic. Inspiring.
Our Mis-understood President
One of the Best Books I have read
A "good book" but "distracting" in use of quotations as a storytelling "device"

John Adams
David McCollough , and David McCullough
Manufacturer: FIRESIDE BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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1776
Truman
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt
Alexander Hamilton

ASIN: 0684813637
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Left to his own devices, John Adams might have lived out his days as a Massachusetts country lawyer, devoted to his family and friends. As it was, events swiftly overtook him, and Adams--who, David McCullough writes, was "not a man of the world" and not fond of politics--came to greatness as the second president of the United States, and one of the most distinguished of a generation of revolutionary leaders. He found reason to dislike sectarian wrangling even more in the aftermath of war, when Federalist and anti-Federalist factions vied bitterly for power, introducing scandal into an administration beset by other difficulties--including pirates on the high seas, conflict with France and England, and all the public controversy attendant in building a nation.

Overshadowed by the lustrous presidents Washington and Jefferson, who bracketed his tenure in office, Adams emerges from McCullough's brilliant biography as a truly heroic figure--not only for his significant role in the American Revolution but also for maintaining his personal integrity in its strife-filled aftermath. McCullough spends much of his narrative examining the troubled friendship between Adams and Jefferson, who had in common a love for books and ideas but differed on almost every other imaginable point. Reading his pages, it is easy to imagine the two as alter egos. (Strangely, both died on the same day, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.) But McCullough also considers Adams in his own light, and the portrait that emerges is altogether fascinating. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life-journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot -- "the colossus of independence," as Thomas Jefferson called him -- who spared nothing in his zeal for the American Revolution; who rose to become the second President of the United States and saved the country from blundering into an unnecessary war; who was learned beyond all but a few and regarded by some as "out of his senses"; and whose marriage to the wise and valiant Abigail Adams is one of the moving love stories in American history.

Like his masterly, Pulitzer Prize-winning biography Truman, David McCullough's John Adams has the sweep and vitality of a great novel. It is both a riveting portrait of an abundantly human man and a vivid evocation of his time, much of it drawn from an outstanding collection of Adams family letters and diaries. In particular, the more than one thousand surviving letters between John and Abigail Adams, nearly half of which have never been published, provide extraordinary access to their private lives and make it possible to know John Adams as no other major American of his founding era.

As he has with stunning effect in his previous books, McCullough tells the story from within -- from the point of view of the amazing eighteenth century and of those who, caught up in events, had no sure way of knowing how things would turn out. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, the British spy Edward Bancroft, Madame Lafayette and Jefferson's Paris "interest" Maria Cosway, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, the scandalmonger James Callender, Sally Hemings, John Marshall, Talleyrand, and Aaron Burr all figure in this panoramic chronicle, as does, importantly, John Quincy Adams, the adored son whom Adams would live to see become President.

Crucial to the story, as it was to history, is the relationship between Adams and Jefferson, born opposites -- one a Massachusetts farmer's son, the other a Virginia aristocrat and slaveholder, one short and stout, the other tall and spare. Adams embraced conflict; Jefferson avoided it. Adams had great humor; Jefferson, very little. But they were alike in their devotion to their country.

At first they were ardent co-revolutionaries, then fellow diplomats and close friends. With the advent of the two political parties, they became archrivals, even enemies, in the intense struggle for the presidency in 1800, perhaps the most vicious election in history. Then, amazingly, they became friends again, and ultimately, incredibly, they died on the same day -- their day of days -- July 4, in the year 1826.

Much about John Adams's life will come as a surprise to many readers. His courageous voyage on the frigate Boston in the winter of 1778 and his later trek over the Pyrenees are exploits that few would have dared and that few readers will ever forget.

It is a life encompassing a huge arc -- Adams lived longer than any president. The story ranges from the Boston Massacre to Philadelphia in 1776 to the Versailles of Louis XVI, from Spain to Amsterdam, from the Court of St. James's, where Adams was the first American to stand before King George III as a representative of the new nation, to the raw, half-finished Capital by the Potomac, where Adams was the first President to occupy the White House.

This is history on a grand scale -- a book about politics and war and social issues, but also about human nature, love, religious faith, virtue, ambition, friendship and betrayal, and the far-reaching consequences of noble ideas. Above all, John Adams is an enthralling, often surprising story of one of the most important and fascinating Americans who ever lived.

Customer Reviews:

John Adams.......2007-10-17

This book should be required reading for school kids, newly naturalized citizens, and those who take freedom for granted. John Adams gave his life to making the Revolution's concepts become a reality. He was
"truly" the founding father of all fathers.

Many today profess to being a patriot but they are not!

Grand. Historic. Inspiring........2007-10-04

JOHN ADAMS is a fascinating portrayal of one of America's most influential founding fathers.

With this book and his other best-selling historical novels, John McCullough has clearly emerged as the nation's storyteller, reminding Americans of their founding principals, the formative issues and defining struggles of the day as well as the courage and sacrifices of the men and women whom history called, blood and bone.

The story of John Adams begins in the colony of Massachusetts. Son of a preacher, Adams graduated from Harvard University, became a lawyer and married his lifelong friend and partner, Abigail. Despite his devotion to his wife, hearth, and home, he was soon thrust into the political debate of the day and would spend most of his public service away from those he held most dear. With a handful of patriots, Adams would become the voice of democracy and its republican government. As Adams said, the "American Revolution" occurred long before the war in the hearts and minds of his countrymen.

Adams played a central role in defining, delivering and defending the government of the confederation and later, the United States of America. He wrote the Massachusetts Constitution (which would serve as a guide to the United States Constitution years later) and defended the Jeffersonian draft of the Declaration of Independence. His towering intellect, articulate speech, and unshakeable integrity made him a powerful, compelling, and key revolutionary character. If Jefferson was the pen, Adams was the voice of the revolution and the new republic.

Adams served as ambassador to France, Netherlands, and Britain providing leadership, guidance and treaties at critical junctures in history. In due course, Adams served as Vice President to George Washington and as the second President of the United States.

John Adams comes to life in the pages of this historical novel. We experience his victories and failures, exultation and depression, certainty and uncertainty. Adams emerges heroically, yet humanly, as a man for his time.

Our Mis-understood President.......2007-09-25

Many of us will accept any book by McCollough, but this is his best. Thankfully it does not go into avery detail of his life, it rather brings him to life. We see bith John and Abigail as warm human beings who made major sacrifices for their beloved country. As the story moves along we gain insight into other revolutionary leaders, e.g., Thomas Jefferson, George Washington et. al.

This is the perfect book for the person who lovesAmerican history and the one who thinks it might be fun to learn something about it. Scholar and casual reader will benefit from this work.

One of the Best Books I have read.......2007-09-16

While I agree this book is not a complete history of every aspect of John Adams life, I do acknowledge the fact that it is the very book that got me interested in History. After reading the book I have started to read and develop my own history Library. It is not fair to expect this book to be all things to all people but rather one tool in the toolbox of the History of this great American, John Adams. While I am glad there are History buffs/nerds out there to let us know every shortcoming of this book and which books to read to fill in the gaps, I am very Greatful for David McCullough and his contribution to our Great Country. His books are written as Novels and make it possible for us to imagine how life actually was in these times. Go ahead and buy the Hardback version as you will want this to be a permanent part of your library.

A "good book" but "distracting" in use of quotations as a storytelling "device".......2007-09-04

I found the excessive use of quotations so tedious and irritating that I had to put it down after reading the first hundred pages or so. It reminded me of a high school book report where all of the interspersed quotations are intended to show the teacher that the student really read the book and did the research to support their thesis.

McCullough obviously did do a lot of research in writing this book and my guess is that he intended to use the characters' own words as a way to bring them and the time that they lived to life for modern readers. Unfortunately, he overdid it and all but destroyed the narrative in the process.

The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939

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España: An economic miracle in today's Europe!
Just the Facts
Detailed examination of the Spanish Civil War
Dress Rehearsal
Good-but the Bias shows through

The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939
Antony Beevor
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943
Homage to Catalonia
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The Fall of Berlin 1945
The Spanish Civil War: Revised Edition (Modern Library Paperbacks)

ASIN: 014303765X

Book Description

A fresh and acclaimed account of the Spanish Civil War by the bestselling author of Stalingrad and The Fall Of Berlin 1945

To mark the 70th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War's outbreak, Antony Beevor has written a completely updated and revised account of one of the most bitter and hard-fought wars of the twentieth century. With new material gleaned from the Russian archives and numerous other sources, this brisk and accessible book (Spain's #1 bestseller for twelve weeks), provides a balanced and penetrating perspective, explaining the tensions that led to this terrible overture to World War II and affording new insights into the war—its causes, course, and consequences.

Customer Reviews:

España: An economic miracle in today's Europe!.......2007-10-01

Interested in understanding today's western world? this might be the book to start the quest... A miracle in Europe, no doubt, España didn't turn around its economy by just watching, but by huge ammounts of work and sacrifice. El Generalisimo Francisco Franco might have been the smartest leader in those days in Europe... perhaps he knew how to wait...

Just the Facts.......2007-09-13

I bought this book because I felt the need to learn something about the background to Rebecca Pawel's novels. Now I understand something of the genesis of brutal hatred between the two halves of the Spanish population of 1940. Truly in this war everyone's ideals were betrayed.

One complaint. A map of the historic regions of Spain would have made sense of the constant references to Aragon, Estremadura, etc.

Detailed examination of the Spanish Civil War.......2007-07-08

Antony Beevor again undertakes a highly researched, detailed and thorough examination of the highly complex Spanish Civil War. Worth buying for anyone with an interest or for those students of history.

Dress Rehearsal.......2007-06-04

This is a fine, well-balanced study of the Spanish Civil War; its origins, the military course of the conflict, the developments on both the Nationalist and Republican sides, and the War's immediate aftermath.

Whatever the outcome of the War might have been, it would have been (and was) a disaster for the country, and it is fundamental to an understanding of Spain's place in modern Europe.

I do not think that the author takes side or neglects either: he is critical of both, adopting a realist approach about the character of Republican Spain rather than a romantic one. This book contains no rose-tinted view of the type of Spain that might have emerged in the event of a Republican victory.

The Spanish Civil War was important as it cast a reflection on wider European politics of the time: the rise of fascist power, the caution and fear of the USSR, and the cynicism of the British. No country shines brightly in this. Indeed, one can understand Churchill's concerns about how readily the British ruling classes might have cooperated with German invaders after studying their reactions to events in Spain.

The most famous work on the Spanish Civil War is perhaps Hugh Thomas's huge tome. Beevor's book is about half as long and has been updated recently. So, although Thomas's work is still well worth a read, Beevor's book might be more manageable.

G Rodgers

Good-but the Bias shows through.......2007-05-22

While this is a generally commendable book, and pulls a great amount of information from 1st hand accounts, scrutinized histories, and analysis of new archival information, Beevor lets slip an occasional anti-Traditionalist bias. He seems to accept that digging up corpses and desecrating graves was an acceptable practice, and that much of what the left did was necessary to "modernize" devotional Catholics.

I am not convinced that devotional religious people are backwards, nor do they need modernizing. Much of the Carlist response to the blasphemies of the left, and eventually Franco's taking up traditional Catholicism seems to be a logical and justified response to a violent assault on religion.

Still the book is very good, needs another edit if it goes into another publication, and could use better maps. Completely useful, if one takes note of the slight bias of the author.

The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution

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The Summer of 1787
summer of 1787
History Alive!
Learn more about our US history
An important story, well retold

The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution
David O. Stewart
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Constitutions | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence
FDR
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ASIN: 0743286928

Book Description

The successful creation of the Constitution is a suspense story. The Summer of 1787 takes us into the sweltering room in which delegates struggled for four months to produce the flawed but enduring document that would define the nation -- then and now.

George Washington presided, James Madison kept the notes, Benjamin Franklin offered wisdom and humor at crucial times. The Summer of 1787 traces the struggles within the Philadelphia Convention as the delegates hammered out the charter for the world's first constitutional democracy. Relying on the words of the delegates themselves to explore the Convention's sharp conflicts and hard bargaining, David O. Stewart lays out the passions and contradictions of the often painful process of writing the Constitution.

It was a desperate balancing act. Revolutionary principles required that the people have power, but could the people be trusted? Would a stronger central government leave room for the states? Would the small states accept a Congress in which seats were alloted according to population rather than to each sovereign state? And what of slavery? The supercharged debates over America's original sin led to the most creative and most disappointing political deals of the Convention.

The room was crowded with colorful and passionate characters, some known -- Alexander Hamilton, Gouverneur Morris, Edmund Randolph -- and others largely forgotten. At different points during that sultry summer, more than half of the delegates threatened to walk out, and some actually did, but Washington's quiet leadership and the delegates' inspired compromises held the Convention together.

In a country continually arguing over the document's original intent, it is fascinating to watch these powerful characters struggle toward consensus -- often reluctantly -- to write a flawed but living and breathing document that could evolve with the nation.

Customer Reviews:

The Summer of 1787.......2007-09-01

Most revealing on the individual character of each of the signers. Lots of good inside information. Well worth the read

summer of 1787.......2007-08-04

I thought that the book was very enlightening on what the founders of thid country went through.

History Alive!.......2007-07-30

This is one of the most readable and enjoyable history book I have ever read. It certainly depicts the tortuous development and atmosphere surrounding the process of writing the Constitution in a way that makes one feel part of it. I could not put the book down for any length of time!

Learn more about our US history.......2007-07-26

If your American History studies were like mine, they jumped from the Revolution to the election of George Washington with little mention of the years inbetween. Now you can learn just how twelve colonies (Rhode Island did not participate) met to form the basis for our nation. It is a very readable yet factual book, with plenty of footnotes. I would recommend it to any reader, young or old.

An important story, well retold.......2007-07-05

The general sense of some editorial reviews of this fine book, while rightly praising the author's stylistic dexterity and story-telling skills, was to question whether there was a need for another account of the great Constitutional Convention of 1787. This point of view finds its answer in the following verse, quoted in the preface of Catherine Drinker Bowen's earlier book on the same subject: "If all the tales are told, retell them, Brother./ If few attend, let those who listen feel."

David Stewart has retold well this most important of stories, and in doing so has brought the tale to a larger audience, and to a new generation. His judgment that this book was worth undertaking is amply justified by the result.

A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America

Average customer rating:

A Wonderful Biography of Benjamin Franklin!
Benjamin Franklin deserves his place on the face of the $100 bill!
Ponderous & slow
The essential book to understand the importance of What Franklin did in France and how he did it.
I read about 40 pages and couldn't take it anymore.

A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America
Stacy Schiff
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln
1776
The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin
Team of Rivals
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ASIN: 0805066330
Release Date: 2005-03-10

Amazon.com

Benjamin Franklin began the "the most taxing assignment of his life" at the age of 70: to secure the aid of the French monarchy in helping the fledgling United States establish their republic. The job required tremendous skill, finesse, and discretion, and as Stacy Schiff makes clear in this brilliant book, Franklin was the ideal American, perhaps the only one, to take on the task, due in large part to his considerable personal prestige. One of the most famous men in the world when he landed in France in December 1776, his arrival caused a sensation--he was celebrated as a man of genius, a successor to Newton and Galileo, and treated as a great dignitary, even though the nation he represented was less than a year old and there were many doubts as to whether it would see its second birthday. Though he had no formal diplomatic training and spoke only rudimentary French, Franklin managed to engineer the Franco-American alliance of 1778 and the peace treaty of 1783, effectively inventing American foreign policy as he went along, in addition to serving as chief diplomat, banker, and director of American naval affairs.

Franklin recognized and accepted the fact that French aid was crucial to American independence, but some Founding Fathers resented him for making America dependent on a foreign power and severely attacked him for securing the very aid that saved the cause. Schiff offers fascinating coverage of this American infighting, along with the complex political intrigue in France, complete with British spies and French double agents, secret negotiations and backroom deals. A Great Improvisation is an entertaining and illuminating portrait of Franklin's seven-year adventure in France that "stands not only as his greatest service to his country but the most revealing of the man." --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

n December of 1776 a small boat delivered an old man to France.' So begins an enthralling narrative account of how Benjamin Franklin-seventy years old, without any diplomatic training, and possessed of the most rudimentary French-convinced France, an absolute monarchy, to underwrite America's experiment in democracy. When Franklin stepped onto French soil, he well understood he was embarking on the greatest gamble of his career. By virtue of fame, charisma, and ingenuity, Franklin outmaneuvered British spies, French informers, and hostile colleagues; engineered the Franco-American alliance of l778; and helped to negotiate the peace of l783. The eight-year French mission stands not only as Franklin's most vital service to his country but as the most revealing of the man.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Biography of Benjamin Franklin!.......2007-04-18

This is a wonderful biography of Founding Father, diplomat, and inventor Benjamin Franklin!

Author Stacy Schiff is a talented researcher and author who writes with a great deal of passion and humor. Her life of Franklin is filled with many, many interesting stories and individuals.

Schiff emphasizes the important role played by the French in the American Revolution. They financed Washington and the Continental Army and sent no less than two fleets, some 50,000 French soldiers, tens of thousands of muskets, thousands of cannon and barrels of gunpower, tens of thousands of uniforms, and millions in hard currency to support American independence.

Had it not been for French support, the war, which lasted seven years, would have ended quickly and with a British victory. But that same French involvement caused the French King to overextend his country financially, contributing to his downfall and the French revolution that followed.

Franklin, who was lionized by the French when he arrived in Paris to assume his duties as the Ambassador to France, was instrumental in soliciting military and financial support for the war. Without him there would have been no French involvement and without the French no American independence.

Unfortunately, like many of America's founding fathers, Franklin's greatest enemies were other Americans - small minded men, like John Adams - and especially the Continental Congress. He died without proper recognition of his important role in Paris.

Benjamin Franklin deserves his place on the face of the $100 bill!.......2007-01-28

In my British ignorance, I had led myself to believe that there was only one version of the life of Benjamin Franklin - that of the unique and unparalleled polymath and all-American hero, born in the British Empire but buried at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the great republic that he helped to create.

But Stacy Schiff's extremely readable and obviously well-researched book that covers the period of Dr. Franklin's life when he was an envoy of the second Continental Congress to the Court of King Louis XVI of France also covers the controversy that surrounded this amateur ambassador, stirred most particularly by the brothers Arthur Lee and William Lee of Virginia and John Adams of Massachusetts, later to be the second President of The United States. The former seem to have been motivated by Southern superciliousness and arrogance, 'qualities' battered out of their kind in the later 'War for Southern Independence' by the descendants of the likes of the latter, possessors of their own special sort of sanctimonious superiority complexes.

I can forgive the Lee family for almost anything, for one of my all-time American heroes is General Robert Edward Lee, but it is clear that his older relatives, Arthur and William, disgraced themselves, Virginia and their infant nation by their constant sniping at the one man who was winning over French opinion and, more importantly, attracting French cash and much, much more, for General Washington's army. As to Adams, his distaste for the venerable Dr. Franklin is sufficiently well-documented not to be doubted. The motive for this distaste can reasonably be attributed in part to his narrow and God-fearing New England background, especially when contrasted with Franklin's leading and learned role in enlightening America. The one was old Massachusetts, through and through, whilst the other early 'escaped' to Philadelphia.

I don't suppose it suited some of his critics that Benjamin Franklin was a 'liberal,' not only in his personal and family life but also in his general tolerance of others and his enjoyment of the female attractions of the French Court and of Paris. Of course, they might just have been jealous of the old boy, who, well into his seventies, was getting away with what a twenty-year-old might not have dared to attempt.

Not all were detractors of the good doctor: I was delighted to read - and will remember - the marvellous quote (which I hope is not apocryphal) of the Virginian who was to become the third President of The United States. Mr Jefferson, upon arriving at Versailles in May, 1785, is said to have been asked: "Is it you, Sir, who replaces Dr. Franklin?," to which another of my all-time American heroes replied: "No one can replace him, Sir; I am only his successor."

But, for me, the most surprising portion of this book is its thorough cataloguing of the ingratitude of America and Americans towards Franklin and towards France, without whose financial sacrifices and physical support in the shape of armies and navies, the War of Independence was more likely to have gone the way of innumerable other local revolts. In the absence of French help and of the efforts of Franklin, King George III and his successors would likely have remained the supreme governors, based in London, of all of the squabbling colonies.

Indeed, it seems that it was not until 1917 that the American Government realised - even if it did then - that a deep debt of gratitude was owed to France. By then, of course, Dr. Franklin and King Louis XVI were long dead, but the damage of unpaid debts had been done. France, her treasury depleted by the equivalent of the many billions of dollars spent in the name of America, was riven asunder by her own dreadful revolution that has coloured the judgements of world statesmen and French politics ever since. I well remember, back in the 1960s, when my wife and I first took our young children to visit the areas of northern France that had been fought over so many times in two great wars. We stopped off in a small and attractive village to buy a newspaper and all that was available was "L'Humanité," the Communist party's organ. Some sections of the left-leaning French peasantry still contrast sharply with my right-facing fellow peasants of rural England, a reflection of our different histories.

By my British lights, perhaps Dr. Franklin should have done that which his contemporary critics claimed he was doing - fail. But succeed he did, and America and Americans, at least, can and should be grateful for that, to him and, of course, to France, as well as to her eminent foreign minister at the time of Franklin's vital assignment, the half-forgotten Comte de Vergennes.

On balance, I believe that Benjamin Franklin deserves his place on the face of the $100 bill, and Stacy Schiff's first-rate and five-star book deserves to be read; and not only read, but marked, learned, and inwardly digested.

Ponderous & slow.......2007-01-12

This book is a potted history of the events surrounding the arrival of Benjamin Franklin in the court of Louis XVI and the attempts by the American delegation to gain recognition and material support for the fledgling rebellious states from the kingdom of France.
Ms. Schiff's writing brings to life the intrigue of the royal court and the foibles and petty vanities of the different personalities, French, British and American, describing particularly well the wonderful Franklin himself, in all his apparent absent-mindedness but in reality his single-minded forcefulness.

Within this large tome a slim interesting volume is trying to emerge. There is no doubting that Stacy Schiff writes well; however, given that at least three men named Lee are mentioned in the text, clarity of writing is an essential requirement of the history to avoid confusion; Ms Schiff, to my mind sacrifices clarity of narrative for the flowery phrase. Footnotes - often comprising anecdotes more interesting than much of the text - are included to the point of irritation on most pages; these would have been better included in the text proper.
On balance, the book is worth a read, but only just.

The essential book to understand the importance of What Franklin did in France and how he did it........2007-01-09

Stacy Shiff is a great writer and thorough researcher. This is THE book anyone interested in Franklin's role and the importance of the mission in France should own. Ms. Schiff's book is a great achievement. Buy it, experience it and enjoy it.

I read about 40 pages and couldn't take it anymore........2006-11-17

Flowery. Verbose. Rambling. Compound sentence upon compound sentence. This book was unreadable for me. I quit.

The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution

Average customer rating:

Brilliant - for its time
Still a standard!
A spark in the study of the Revolution
The Radical Whig Fountain of Libertarian Rhetoric
Groundbreaking Book

The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution
Bernard Bailyn
Manufacturer: Belknap Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0674443020

Amazon.com

The leaders of the American Revolution, writes the distinguished historian Bernard Bailyn, were radicals. But their concern was not to correct inequalities of class or income, not to remake the social order, but to "purify a corrupt constitution and fight off the apparent growth of prerogative power." They wished, in other words, to mend a broken system and improve upon it. In doing so they drew on many traditions of political and social thought, ranging from English conservative philosophers to exponents of the continental Enlightenment, from backward-looking interpretations of ancient Roman civilization to forward-looking views of a new American people. Bailyn carefully examines these sources of sometimes conflicting ideas and considers how the framers of the Constitution resolved them in their inventive doctrine of federalism.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant - for its time.......2007-09-22

Bernard Bailyn's Ideological Origins of the American Revolution is a centerpiece in much, if not all, of contemporary historians' viewpoints and methodologies for understanding the philosophical constructs and ideological underpinnings of the American Revolution. It was, according to Bailyn and many learned historians, after this writing first appeared in 1967, a revolution of ideas. What Bailyn did was to read prodigious amounts of writings of the time, mostly in the form of pamphlets and synthesize the thoughts that were being discussed and written about at the time. Essentially, he put the revolution of ideas into the context of the time. That was, some forty years ago, revolutionary within of itself.

Many of today's more serious readers of the period have read much of Bailyn and Gordon Wood indirectly, if not directly reading their own work. Both have been that influential in the field. The "disappointment" in this book is caused by Bailyn's own success, ironically enough. It was his work, along with select others, who began to pay attention to history within its own context - that is what was occurring in life and politics at the time rather than a chronological and linear view of the time. More of an interdisciplinary viewpoint and, as such, more accessible to the reader. Since the time of its first publication, many others have emulated its style (a good idea) but made its rather seismic effects at the time, feel much less so today. Effectively so much hype over the years (deserved then and de rigor today) makes for more than a bit of a letdown for today's readers. That said, those truly interested in the ideas, the philosophies, and their interpretations and misinterpretations of the day are well served reading Bailyn. Others should approach the read with caution as it is fairly dense but filled with moments of sheer academic brilliance.

Still a standard!.......2007-05-30

Research on a previous project provided Bernard Bailyn an intellectual treasure trove of over 400 pamphlets, written between 1763 and 1776, from which he crafted his Bancroft and Pulitzer Prize-winning The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1992). This work, first published in 1967, remains a standard volume for students of early American studies at all university levels. Bailyn crafted a pointed examination of thoughts of American colonial leaders that culminated into the Revolution. Not only is his analysis wide-ranging, but it explores the depth and fallaciousness of eighteenth-century American revolutionary rationale with force and clarity.

Bailyn lays out the basic argument in the book's sixth sentence: "The ideology of the Revolution, derived from many sources, was dominated by a peculiar strand of British political thought" (v). Around this central thought, Bailyn details the convergence of thought that formed the colonists' case for a break from the British empire; he explains the change over time in American thinking on long-held political views; he highlights contemporary issues, i.e. chattel slavery and established religion, that gained argumentative force from the colonials' complaints against the British Parliament; and he illustrates the difficulties that Revolutionary thinking posed for participants of the Constitutional Convention who sought to replace British authority with a central American government.

The first part of the book describes the vehicle, voice, and ideological basis of the Revolution. The leaders of the Revolution propagated their thoughts through newspapers, broadsides, and almanacs. The primary writing form of the Revolution, however, was the pamphlet, which allowed polemicists of all different vocations to broaden the political debate. The American revolutionary pamphlets, though a "distinctive literature of the Revolution," had roots in seventeenth-century American sermon publishing and early eighteenth-century English polemical pamphleteering techniques.

The Revolutionary crisis did not originate during the crisis period from 1763 to 1776. Elements of the discourse had been long present in the colonies, but the post-1763 turmoil fused the ideas into "a comprehensive view, unique in its moral and intellectual appeal" (22). Bailyn nods to the intellectual influences on colonial leaders from quotations of classical writers, a rather superficial knowledge of the Enlightenment, citations of English common law, and the covenant theology of New England Puritanism. One of Bailyn's significant contributions to the present thinking on eighteenth-century American revolutionary thought is his understanding that "the ultimate origins of the this distinctive ideological strain lay in the radical social and political thought of the English Civil War and of the Commonwealth period" (34). He identifies early eighteenth-century English radical writers, such as John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon, as shaping the mind of the American Revolutionary generation more than any other single group.

Change in America did not begin to happen only with the Revolution; it began a century before and progressed slowly. Bailyn constructs an intellectual chronology of Revolutionary thought that consists of three phases, beginning with the years of Anglo-American struggle before 1776, the execution of state constitutions from 1776 through the 1780s, and the crafting and ratifying of a national constitution. The final section of the book exquisitely displays the difficulties encountered by participants at the Constitution Convention to form a federal system of government in the wake of the force of argument put forth at the Continental Congress against the encroaching powers of a central government. Bailyn's discussions of imperium in imperio bookend with sheer mastery his understanding of the entangling intellectual obstacles which American colonists laboriously yet successfully maneuvered to produce the Revolution and the Constitution.

Throughout the Revolutionary period corruption served as the greatest threat to liberty, and, according the federalist view, a constitution establishing a government endowed with the separation of powers would ensure the existence of virtue, the necessary attribute for the sustenance of liberty within a republic. One area of frustration throughout the book is the use of terms like "corruption" and "virtue" that portrays an almost given denotation of such enigmatic expressions.

A true gem within the book is Bailyn's demonstration that the colonial leaders could not contain revolutionary fervor. Opponents of chattel slavery in America and proponents of religious disestablishment used the American leaders' own arguments for freedom from the British Parliament and taxation without representation to assail the continuation of the slave trade and ecclesiastical taxation against religious dissenters.

Bailyn's The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution is nothing less than a most persuasive, brilliantly crafted work that will influence the way Americans think about the Revolution for years to come.

A spark in the study of the Revolution.......2006-03-22

This is a book that all students of the American Revolution should be forced to read. Without understanding Bailyn's argument, that the "conspiracy against liberty" was the main reason why America decided to break away from the British Empire, a student will be forever lost in trying to understand the roots of the American Revolution. Almost all of the books on the outbreak of the American Revolution have had to take Bailyn's argument into consideration; so, if you're interested in the study of the American Revolution, then this book is an imperative read. Read T.H. Breen's "The Marketplace of Revolution" after this book, and you'll have a decent grasp of the roots of the American Revolution.

The Radical Whig Fountain of Libertarian Rhetoric.......2006-01-02

While the 17th century witnessed the failure of the libertarian Levellor revolution, the 18th century can be said to embody its partial victory in the form of the American Revolution. The radical libertarian nature of the Yankee revolutionaires has only recently been acknowledged by historians. Bailyn's volume broke new ground when it was published in 1967 by showing the Radical Whig foundations of the American Revolution. He says "attitudes and ideas that would constitute the Revolutionary ideology was present a half-century before there was an actual Revolution".

The two most widely read polemical Radical Whig authors were Thomas Gordon and John Trenchard. By means of their anti-clerical and anti-military essays, known collectively as "The Indpendent Whig" and "Cato's Letters", they kept alive the Radical Whig traditions of natural rights, suspicion of the ever-encroaching nature of state power, and justified rebellion. Gordon and Trenchard were able to transmit these revolutionary ideas in popular form to the American colonies.

Bailyn says "Everywhere groups seeking justification for concerted opposition to constituted governments turned to these writers [Trenchard and Gordon]". He adds "By 1728, in fact, 'Cato's Letters' had already been fused with Locke, Coke, Pufendorf, and Grotius".

Another important connecting link was Thomas Hollis. Bailyn says "that extraordinary one-man propaganda machine in the cause of liberty, the indefatigable Thomas Hollis" distributed libertarian tracts in England and British America, and subsidized the publication of American revolutionary pamphlets, as well as reprinting the classics of the 17th century Whig tradition such as Sidney and Locke. He was instrumental in supplying radical libertarian literature to libraries in France, Switzerland, Italy, and to Harvard University.

Radical Whig libertarianism comprises a coherent body of principles that are held together and given meaning by two fundamental moral principles. The first being the right of the individual to own justly acquired property; the second being the right of the individual not to be aggressed against.

The individual is defined by his physical uniqueness and so has the potential to develop into a mature and responsible acting individual. The individual's uniqueness forms the basic element of all social interaction and is the source of the division of labor and the exchange process. Similarly, privacy is the result of recognizing the dignity, worth, and sanctity of every individual. Only by permitting the individual to enjoy his or her property unmolested, within the protected sphere defined by the self-ownership principle and the derivative right to own property in other physical objects, can there be true privacy and protection of the private side of human life.

Tolerance results from the recognition that all individuals are potentially morally perfectable. As long as no property rights are violated, then all consenting, peaceful activity must be legally protected. Tolerance is vital because it allows each and every individual to exercise moral autonomy. Only by being free to choose between different courses of action can the individual learn from past mistakes and so strive for moral perfection and self-fulfillment.

It is a consequence of the ownership of one's body and the moral autonomy that springs from this ownership that no one can act on any individual's behalf unless expressly and formally delegated to do so. This means that individuals have to begin claiming their rights of self-determination, the right to withdraw or secede from any political organization that is not to their liking, and the right to resist political intervention in their social and economic activities. Bailyn says "Such ideas, based on extreme solicitude for the individual and an equal hostility to government, were expressed in a spirit of foreboding and fear for the future".

In 1765, Charles Carroll of Carrollton said, "corruption . . . will produce the same effects . . but that fatal time seems to be at a great distance. The present generation at least, . . . will enjoy the blessings and the sweets of liberty". Bailyn says "Suspicion . . . of an active conspiracy of power against liberty . . . rose in the consciousness of a large segment of the American population before any of the famous political events of the struggle with England took place".

Bailyn cites the Report of Speech in the House of Lords, 1770: "Lord Chancellor Camden . . . accused the ministry . . . of having formed a conspiracy against the liberties of their country". Bailyn also cites the Boston Town Meeting to its Assembly Representatives, 1770: "A series of occurrences, many recent events, . . . afford great reason to believe that a deep-laid and desparate plan of imperial despotism has been laid, and partly executed, for the extinction of all civil liberty . . . The august and once revered fortress of English freedom - the admirable work of ages - the British Constitution seems fast tottering into fatal and inevitable ruin. The dreadful catastrophe threatens universal havoc, and presents an awful warning to hazard all if, peradventure, we in these distant confines of the earth may prevent".

Colonists such as radicals Thomas Paine and Richard Price added to these fears. Paine is best noted for his popular tract, "Common Sense"(1776), which attacked monarchical government and urged immediate declaration of independence from the Crown and the formation of a Republic, as well as for his passionate defense of the French Revolution in his "Rights of Man"(1792). Richard Price, a Dissenter and self-styled "Honest Whig", defended natural rights, justice, and the right of a people to rebel against oppression in his "Observations on the Nature of Civil Liberty . . . and the Justice of War in America", also publishe in 1776.

Bailyn says "the colonists' ideas and words counted too, and not merely because they repeated as ideology the familiar utopian phrases of the Enlightment and of English libertarianism. What they were saying by 1776 was familiar . . . ; yet it was different." He says "The radicalism the Americans conveyed to the world in 1776 was a transformed as well as a transforming force", namely "to make federalism a logical as well as a practical system of government".

Proponents of liberty were mistrusted as well. Bailyn says "denunciations of the work of seditious factions seeking private aims masked by professions of loyalty, which abound in the writings of officials and of die-hard Tories".

It is significant that Bailyn seems only to touch lightly upon the views of the Tories - predecessors of today's neocons. He draws heavily from the radicals. This cozy accomodation and convenient oversightedness is also suspicious. It is an approach that is commonplace concerning the American Revolution. State public schools do not teach the Tories' views, rather their aim is to justify the present organization of American society.

More questions arise from reading Bailyn's work. Why did the Radical Whig revolution in England fail to attract the ruling elite and beneficiaries of monopoly profits resulting from the political system? And why did their counterparts in the American colonies embrace Radical Whig ideology?

My guess is that, when examined closely, the American Revolution fails to live up to its libertarian origins. My particular concern is with the Declaration of Independence - the supposed listing of reasons for the revolt. The facts indicate that the goals of most of the signers of the Declaration were quite different from their rhetoric. They sought freedom from Britain, it is true - the freedom to govern the lives of Americans THEMSELVES. This is obvious, not only from the words of the Founding Fathers, but from their actions as well.

In short, a valuable collection of primary sources. It should be read alongside Raoul Berger's "The Founders' Design" and Cecelia Kenyon's "Men of Little Faith".

Groundbreaking Book.......2005-09-24

As of today, the work Bailyn did in this book is not new. But if considered in the context of the time period when he wrote it and what it did for the study of the American Revolution, this book was the beginning of the current dominate thought on the Revolution. Bailyn changed the way historians and Americans look at the Revolution by challenging the work of several scholars. Written extremely well, this book deserves every award it revceiced and is still entitled to be a mainstay in history departments around the country.

Revolutionary War On Wednesday (Magic Tree House 22, paper)

Average customer rating:

great source to introduce the American revolution
MY BOY LOVES READING IT
Great Book! Ignore the Bad Reviews if you just want your kids to enjoy reading and be read to!!!!
revolutionary war on wednesday
Great book!

Revolutionary War On Wednesday (Magic Tree House 22, paper)
Mary Pope Osborne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679890688
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Amazon.com

If it's Wednesday, it must be Revolutionary War day. Jack and Annie, stars of the Magic Tree House series, are in for another adventure in their time- and space-traveling tree house. Mysterious magical librarian Morgan le Fay has set four new tasks for the siblings. Jack and Annie must find four special kinds of writing for Morgan's library in order to save Camelot, the ancient kingdom of King Arthur. In Civil War on Sunday, the pair traveled back to the 1860s to collect a list of rules ("something to follow") from famous nurse Clara Barton. Now they discover they must visit another war era: the Revolutionary War. Jack and Annie set aside their apprehension and soon they're spinning back through time to Christmas Day, 1776, on the banks of the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, where they encounter none other than the man on the dollar bill himself, George Washington! The children accidentally-on-purpose end up embroiled in the famous commander-in-chief's mission, where they not only play a part in convincing Washington to carry on with his patriotic duty, but also find the second kind of writing for Morgan's library: "something to send."

Award-winning author Mary Pope Osborne's young adventure series, The Magic Tree House, is immensely popular among children and teachers alike, promoting a fascination with history--and reading--no textbook can match. (Ages 6 to 9) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

The Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie back to Colonial America. They arrive just as General george Washington is planning the crossing of the Delaware. Before they know it, Jack and Annie are in a boat with the Father of Our Country as history is made!

Customer Reviews:

great source to introduce the American revolution.......2007-10-14

Revolutionary War On Wednesday (Magic Tree House 22, paper)This book was a great way to introduce our daughter to the American Revolution. While she completed it within a few hours, I would highly recommend it along with American Revolution: A Companion to the Revolutionary War on Wednesday (Magic Tree House Rsrch Gdes(R))To start studies for homeschoolers, or to have a great set of books that help explain Why the American Revolution began. The resource guide has the true facts of the Revolution and is something we returned to several times throughout our studies.
And at the price it definitely was an added bonus!

MY BOY LOVES READING IT.......2007-01-07

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

Great Book! Ignore the Bad Reviews if you just want your kids to enjoy reading and be read to!!!!.......2006-01-06

COME ON PEOPLE! First of all this book and the entire series is meant for KIDS NOT ADULTS so go with the flow. Imagine you are a boy or girl who is 5 or 6 and is just starting to enjoy stories and reading. You will love it! The whole point of a book is to have children begging for more. This book and the series does just that! ENOUGH SAID! My 5 yr old loves this book and as a result he has become interested in American History. This appetite he has led us to purchase many more books on history. In my opinion, the book has accomplished what I wanted. AN INTEREST IN LEARNING! AN INTEREST IN HISTORY! AND AN INTEREST IN READING! The text should be simple! The text should be silly at times! Thank you to Mary Pope Osborne for creating a wonderful series which I believe has turned my child into a history buff eager to learn everything about America!

revolutionary war on wednesday.......2005-02-18

one summer day in Frog Creek, Pensylvania, a Mysterious tree house oppeared in the woods. eight year old Jack and his seven year old sister; annie, climbed into the tree house. They found that it was filled with books. Jack and annie soon discovered that the tree house was majic. It could take to the places in the books, all they had to do was point a picture and wish to go there. Along the way, Jack and annie discovered that the tree belong to Morgan Le fay.morgan is a magical library from camelot,long ago of king auther.She travles through the time and space gathering books. The magic tree house books # 13-16, jack and annie had to save for ancient stories from being lost forever.In magic tree house#17-20 jack and annie trade a misterious little dog from a magic spell.In magictree books #17-20 jack and annie trade a new challange.Tey must find 4 special kinds of writing for morgans library to help save camelot.

Great book!.......2004-01-27

How would you feel if you were in a war? Find out by Reading Revolutionary War on Wednesday by Mary Pope Osborne. Jack and Annie were in a war to get a stone for
George Washington. I really liked this book because it was funny. Will Jack and Annie get the stone in time? Find out by reading this book!

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