an excellent examination of colonial life and how our founding fathers ...
926212
Very well-done, an excellent examination of colonial life and how our founding fathers argued with each other and weighed the pressing concerns of the time, and how our Constitution was formulated. Giant to portrays John Adams well.
4641599
Through the life of the Reverend Benjamin La Barre and his family, Richard Fitchen takes his readers on a journey through the 19th Century into the early 20th. I am especially fond of 19th Century American history and for anyone with a similar fondness, this book is a treat.  It makes the events of that era come alive through the main characters. Richard Fitchen's thorough grasp of 19th Century history and his understanding of the political structures of the day are evident on every page. We see how the beliefs and philosophies of the time affected ordinary people as well as how the ideological views of the intelligentsia played out. One of the major principles underlying many of the themes concerns the role of the foundational documents (referred to as the Covenant in this book) of the American republic, e.g. federalism vs. states' rights or sectionalism. These ideas are very much alive today and are influencing much of our current national debate about the role of government. For readers who enjoy historical novels, this book is a delight. Starting with antebellum laws and policies and the Civil War and going through Reconstruction and the westward expansion of this country accompanied by the unbridled capitalism that went with it, the author enables us to see how people thought and lived through those events. We see the effects of policies, sometimes good and sometimes tragic, on the major social groups in the U.S.
In conclusion, this book is fascinating and well worth the read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
2834625
In an increasingly secular world it is refreshing to find a book such as "Forged in Faith" to set the record straight on our country's Judeo-Christian heritage. Author Rod Gragg has done an excellent job on this with exhaustive research and documentation. Many authors on the same subject try to cover a longer time period right up to the present day. Gragg limits his story to a specific time frame...1607-1776. In so doing, he gives a great insight into our founding principles.
Many argue that our country is not a Christian nation. In the sense that we have no mandatory government religion, that is correct. But as a nation whose basic fundamental laws and morals are Christian based, there can be no denial. Gragg documents this well, beginning with the early Pilgrims and also the Jamestown settlement. It is interesting to see how dominant the Christian view was in early times. Then, eventually, such views diminished only to be dramatically revived by the "The Great Awakening". Covering this turning point is vital to understanding our history and the turn of events.  Subsequently almost all political figures and founding fathers were deeply motivated by an attachment to Biblical teaching and principles. As a result, many of our founding documents have their roots in Biblical law. Many names will be familiar to the reader and you'll find out how people like Sam Adams, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and a host of others referred to the Bible in seeking direction for our country. In addition, many references are made to the great Biblical teachers and scholars of the day. These men set the tone and our citizens and their leaders followed the call. This is a well written, historical, accurate account of a critical time in our history. I highly recommend it for all history lovers.
1131929
This book cannot be reviewed as one would an account of history written many years later.  The authors are Mr. and Mrs. Adams themselves.  This is a rare opportunity to experience life during the Revolutionary War from the unique perspective of John Adams who has the benefit of intelligence about the newly forming government and Abigail Adams who is at home tending to home and hearth but at the same time, is a well informed, active and respected member of the citizenry living dangerously close to the site of several battles and skirmishes.

These two extremely well educated and articulate people give an informed and often enlightened view of the day-to-day concerns of the colonies and the thought processes of those who were significant in creating the structure of the nation we inherited.  The couple make many references to the fact that they are aware of possible interception of their letters and they mention that they must be careful what they say.  Still, the fact that these letters were written as communication between a married couple and were not intended for public consumption adds to their authentic feeling.

Mrs. Adams thoughts about how women should be given more rights in the new Constitution along with the brief discussion about slavery in the colonies were each quickly dismissed as having been issues that would allow for the ratification of the document. The rights of women led to slightly more consideration by each of them than the rights of slaves, it seemed to me.

It is amazing that so many of these letters survived and I feel privileged to have access to them.  Every one offered a look into life as it was led more than 240 years ago.
683569
The Emergence of One American Nation: The Revolution, the Founders, and the Constitution, by Donald J. Fraser is a well-researched book that chronicles the upward struggle of the US from a mere 13 Colonies to one grand nation, united only by the words in the Constitution.  It is an easy-to-read history lesson that answers one basic question, why are we a nation? The books informs and entertains, and is well-written and organized.  Fraser does a great job of documenting our founders personal backgrounds concerning their political beliefs and motivations. Fraser explains that the turmoil that existed early on in our nations history still echoes today. It is a very thorough examination of the many factors that founded the US.  Highly recommended to anyone who loves history, and for everyone else who has forgotten the struggles, dreams and ambitions of our founder fathers in their quest for liberty and personal freedom.  My only complaint is that there was so much to cover, some of the problems and issues were minimized.  Other than that, great book.
2863428
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Fascinating and useful book for anyone interested in colonial American history. Copeland's style is factual, engaging, and sometimes very wry.

Based on an intensive survey of colonial newspapers, Copeland has disproved some old assumptions and shown that the news story content was broader than previous media historians claimed. He roughly breaks down the categories in stories about Native Americans, stories about slaves and African Americans, stories about amusements, religion, accidents, politics, women and the weather.

Some of the snippets from the colonial news will make you laugh out loud; others will make you shake your head as you realize how very little human nature has changed. I was happy, also, to find some solid information on proclamations of days of national prayer and fasting that back up my own research on the Revolutionary era.

Being a footnote and end-note junkie, I was pleased to discover an informative statistical analysis at the back of the book explaining how the research was done.

Good book. Worth republishing.

Kim Burdick
Stanton, Delaware
1462416
I enjoyed reading and seeing a side to an important founding father that I had not really known much about in the past. Yes, in school way back when, I would have found this more interesting and helpful than the trash we were given to read in our history books. I would say, read it. It gives you a lot, let's you ask questions about history in a good way. It does show the harshness of war and the sentiment of the times in a shortened form. It gave me an interest in learning more about him and others from our beginnings. Granted free always helps, but the information learned was excellent and insightful.
2144911
This is an excellent insight into the life of one our founding fathers.  Should be read by any student of American history.  It presents Jefferson in an unbiased manner revealing his strengths and shortcomings.
1675093
An exceptional inside look into the "not so glamorous" unselfish lives of our founding fathers! Educational and extremely exciting reading for anyone interested in America's early history.
659926
John Ferling is a gifted writer and skilled at extracting details that illuminate the founding fathers and the dramatic events of the Colonial era. He does an effective job of summarizing the philosophical ideas of the American founding and the bitter contest between the revolutionaries on one hand and the British soldiers and their loyalist allies on the other. Ferling concludes his book with the struggle to chart America's course between the Federalists and their opponents.
3080913
And if you're okay with words like colonial historiography, you'll probably derive much from this book. I found it to be an exceptional study, eminently readable and bristling with insight
4904977
I enjoyed reading Al's book about early New England. His writing enabled me to get into the Law family characters and "feel" the times, both peaceful and difficult.  If any one of you readers has an interest in Colonial history, this is a great read for you.
1962893
I was impressed by the fact that his portrait of George Washington manages to capture the man under the powdered wig without diminishing his stature at all. Recently I've been dipping into the GW letters because of an interest in his involvement in the Braddock and Forbes campaigns, and I must say that the man in those 1750s letters is the same tenacious and fascinating fellow revealed in Achenbach's book. Anyone interested in rivers, geography, cartography, the history of technology, or the spirit of exploration will want to read this book.
3384518
Excellent introduction to life in colonial times.  I bought it originally for my 7 year-old to prepare her for a trip to Williamsburg, and this book covers more of the background to colonial New England (Puritan values, etc), but it is still an excellent book and presents life in these times in a context that is relevant to young school-age children.  My daughter really enjoyed it, and we followed it up with a book in the same series that was more specific to Williamsburg.
4810589
A valuable addition to my library on America's struggle for Independence and its birth as a nation.

Consistent with his brilliant biography of Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow's bio of Washington continues the author's thorough and fair treatment of his subject's  character. Chernow reveals many details of his life that give us an excellent picture of what kind of a person George Washington really was. The author's insights into the way GW thought and acted provide us with a breathtaking view of his good and bad sides. The analysis of the interaction between Washington and the people surrounding him are very insightful.

I especially enjoyed the insightful section on Washington's accomplishments as president on pages 602-607 and 770-772 (Hardcover Edition).

Since Washington was involved with almost all the crucial events, Chernow's book provides valuable insights into the military and political conflicts that arose before, during and after American Independence. This book has convinced me that the one man who most guided America on the road to Independence and nationhood was George Washington. He provided military leadership AND political leadership when it was needed most. Perhaps he wasn't the best general and politician, but he made the fight for Independence and the new federal government work. Without him, the United States of America would have been a much different country.

Footnote #1: I would have liked to see illustrations of all the paintings of George Washington described in such detail by Ron Chernow.

Footnote #2: History has a way of repeating itself: "The opposition had attained a powerful cohesion simply by sustained resistance to administration policies" (Referring to the broad-based popular leadership of the anti-Federalists in 1796 - p. 765)
995068
Beyond being a darned good romance, I found this novel to be an accurate view of colonial lives. As a teacher, I'm always looking for historical books that blend life-at-the-the times with dynamic characterization and multiple plot lines--without too much blatant sex. This book does that, and more. It examines different kinds of love and how circumstances, shared goals, and hard work can soften hearts and change lives. It is easy to step into the time period painted for us: Friendly Indians with still-dangerous factions. We see dug-out canoes contrasted with the "big" sailing ships that graced our eastern boundary rivers. Frontier life contrasts with village Puritan life, contrasts with Jamestown coastal life, and we even get a peek at the beginnings of the tobacco slave trade. The underlying theme for each character is "freedom" -- and it looks different for each of them. That said, when paired with love and the harsh realities of Colonial American life, freedom is a bit fluid, and therefore reminds us that  we, too, can sometimes find unexpected happiness through the mysterious twists of love.
1012990
I expected a light enjoyable series of essays with a bit of humor and insight.  The book is well written and quite thought provoking.  Instead of what I expected it explained a good deal of the attitudes of New Englanders and how the United States became what it is today to the great grief of those who long for the spirit of the founding of this federation of republics.  The heroes of the struggle for liberty, men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason and Patrick Henry are no longer in charge.  We are ruled by Yankees whose communal village governments have become a nation that dreams of empire.  We have a rich government and poor citizens instead of rich citizens and a poor government.  The rich are those who manipulate power and not those who provide the goods and services we all need and desire.