|
|
BOOKS & FILMS
|
Amazon.com Review
As commander of the Continental army, George Washington
united the American colonies, defeated the British army,
and became
the
world's most famous man. But how much do Americans really know
about their first president? Today, as Pulitzer Prize-winner
Joseph J. Ellis says in this crackling biography, Americans
see their first president on dollar bills, quarters, and
Mount Rushmore,
but only as "an icon--distant, cold, intimidating." In
truth, Washington was a deeply emotional man, but one who prized
and practiced self-control (an attribute reinforced during
his years on the battlefield).
Washington first gained
recognition as a 21-year-old emissary for the governor of
Virginia, braving savage conditions
to confront
encroaching French forces. As the de facto leader of the American
Revolution, he not only won the country's independence, but
helped shape its political personality and "topple the monarchical
and aristocratic dynasties of the Old World." When the
Congress unanimously elected him president, Washington accepted
reluctantly,
driven by his belief that the union's very viability depended
on a powerful central government. In fact, keeping the country
together
in the face of regional allegiances and the rise of political
parties may be his greatest presidential achievement.
Based on Washington's personal letters and papers, His Excellency
is smart and accessible--not to mention relatively brief, in
comparison to other encyclopedic presidential tomes. Ellis's
short, succinct sentences speak volumes, allowing readers to
glimpse the man behind the myth. --Andy Boynton
|
|
“
Sensing that such biographers as James Flexner and Joseph Ellis have
accepted the above-politics thesis, Ferling inspects the evidence
of Washington’s political activities…while illustrating
the substance behind Washington’s image as the indispensable
man, Ferling pointedly grounds that image in the political soil from
which it sprang.” –Booklist
“Ferling has done his research and offers some new insights…recommended
for readers interested in taking a fresh look at Washington's political
life” –Library Journal
“Never questioning Washington’s greatness, Ferling
insists that seeing him as an artful self-promoter and master politician
only enhances his reputation as an adept leader who knew exactly
what he was doing…a fresh take on a monumental American.” –Kirkus
“Once in a while a book comes along to remind us that history
has no gods, that the past is less fossil than textbooks suggest
and America more vibrant than a mere list of principles. John Ferling's
Ascent of George Washington is just such a book: a fresh, clear-eyed
portrait of the full-blooded political animal that was George Washington…In
John Ferling’s eminently readable, landmark interpretation,
we cannot help but marvel at the man.” –Marie Arana,
Washington Post
|
|
From Publishers Weekly
Lengel's Washington is the
archetypal American soldier—an
amateur citizen in arms who struggles to learn an unfamiliar and
demanding craft on the job—one who is at the opposite pole
from the paragon described in Douglas Southall Freeman's seven-volume
biography. A military historian and associate editor of Washington's
papers, Lengel presents a Washington who was not a creative military
thinker, who made no contributions to the theory of war and who conducted
his operations, Lengel argues, conventionally and unreflectively.
He lacked an eye for defensive positions and could be dangerously
rash in attack. More serious, Lengel finds, was Washington's consistent
overestimation of the fighting power of his own forces relative to
the British. But though Washington was no more than a competent soldier,
he excelled as a war leader. Lengel praises his strategic vision,
and his perception of America as a nation of free people with a collective
destiny, as well as his bravery in battle, loyalty to his subordinates,
indefatigability in his administration at all levels and his concern
for the welfare of his troops. Lengel also shows Washington as a
superb politician, whose relations with civilian authorities were
almost uniformly good, and who was dedicated to the cause of independence.
For Lengel, Washington's character inspired the trust necessary for
any successful revolution. This outstanding work does that character
justice. (June 7)
Copyright © Reed Business Information,
a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This
text refers to the Hardcover
edition.
|
|
Amazon.com Review
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 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
|
|
|
From Publishers Weekly This subtle, brilliant examination of the period
between the War of Independence and the Louisiana Purchase
puts Pulitzer-winner Ellis (Founding Brothers) among the finest
of America's
narrative historians. Six stories, each centering on a significant
creative achievement or failure, combine to portray often flawed
men and their efforts to lay the republic's foundation. Set
against the extraordinary establishment of the most liberal
nation-state
in the history of Western Civilization... in the most extensive
and richly endowed plot of ground on the planet are the terrible
costs of victory, including the perpetuation of slavery and
the cruel oppression of Native Americans.
Ellis blames the
founders'
failures on their decision to opt for an evolutionary revolution,
not a risky severance with tradition (as would happen, murderously,
in France, which necessitated compromises, like retaining
slavery). Despite the injustices and brutalities that resulted,
Ellis
argues, this deferral strategy was a profound insight rooted
in a realistic
appraisal of how enduring social change best happens. Ellis's
lucid, illuminating and ironic prose will make this a holiday
season hit.
(Nov. 5)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division
of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text
refers to the
Hardcover edition.
|
|
|
Product Description
Of all the legendary figures in American history, George Washington
is in a class by himself. Founding father, Commander of the
Continental Army, and Americas first president his face is
as familiar as the
dollar bill. Most everyone knows this great man, or thinks
they do. But were starting to learn that much of what we thought
is
fact, is actually fiction. Today, archaeologists, scientists,
and historians are uncovering new clues about the real George
Washington.
Their hi-tech tools and scientific techniques are peeling back
the layers on this famous American, revealing the true man
behind the myth - George Washington, the founding father we
hardly knew.
|
|
|
Product Description
John Adams is a sprawling HBO miniseries event that depicts the extraordinary
life and times of one of Americas least understood, and most underestimated,
founding fathers: the second President of the United States, John
Adams. Starring Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Cinderella Man, HBOs American
Spendor) in the title role and Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me,
Kinsey) as Adams devoted wife Abigail, John Adams chronicles the
extraordinary life journey of one of the primary shapers of our
independence and government, whose legacy has often been eclipsed
by more flamboyant contemporaries like George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin.
Set against
the backdrop of a nations stormy birth, this sweeping miniseries
is a moving love story, a gripping narrative, and a fascinating
study of human nature. Above all, at a time when the nation
is increasingly polarized politically, this story celebrates
the shared
values of liberty and freedom upon which this country was built.
|
|
|
From Publishers Weekly
Soon after Americans ousted inequitable British taxation, Secretary
of Finance Alexander Hamilton, hatched a plan to put the new nation
on steady financial footing by imposing the first American excise
tax, on whiskey makers. The tax favored large distillers over small
farmers with stills in the mountains of Pennsylvania, Maryland
and Virginia, and the farmers fomented their own new revolution—a
challenge to the sovereignty of the new government and the power
of the wealthy eastern seaboard. In a fast-paced, blow-by-blow
account of this "primal national drama," journalist Hogeland
energetically chronicles the skirmishes that made the Whiskey Rebellion
from 1791 to 1795 a symbol of the conflict between republican ideals
and capitalist values.
The rebels engaged in civil disobedience,
violence against the tax collectors and threatened to secede
from the new republic. Eventually Washington led federal troops
to quell
the rebellion, arresting leaders such as Herman Husband, a hollow-eyed
evangelist who believed that the rebellion would usher in the
New Jerusalem. Hogeland's judicious, spirited study offers a lucid
window into a mostly forgotten episode in American history and
a perceptive parable about the pursuit of political plans no
matter
what the cost to the nation's unity. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of
Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
|
To contribute educational content or become a
sponsor, please contact Compatriot Scott
M. Helfrich
|
