Happy 4th of July and happy reading!
Founding Brothers: the reveolutionary generation. By Joseph Ellis.
“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.” – Amazon Review
1776 by David McCullough.
Based on extensive research in both American and British archives, 1776 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 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. But it is the American commander-in-chief who stands foremost — Washington, who had never before led an army in battle.
Revolutionary Characters: what made the founders different. Audio book by Gordon Wood.
“Bancroft and Pulitzer Prize–winner Wood suggests that behind America’s current romance with the founding fathers is a critique of our own leaders, a desire for such capable and disinterested leadership as was offered by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Provocatively, Wood argues that the very egalitarian democracy Washington and Co. created all but guarantees that we will “never again replicate the extraordinary generation of the founders.” In 10 essays, most culled from the New York Review of Books and the New Republic, Wood offers miniature portraits of James Madison, Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Paine. The most stimulating chapter is devoted to John Adams, who died thinking he would never get his due in historians’ accounts of the Revolution; for the most part, he was right. This piece is an important corrective; Adams, says Wood, was not only pessimistic about the greed and scrambling he saw in his fellow Americans, he was downright prophetic—and his countrymen, then and now, have never wanted to reckon with his critiques. Wood is an elegant writer who has devoted decades to the men about whom he is writing, and taken together, these pieces add perspective to the founding fathers cottage industry.”-Publishers Weekly
Founding Mothers: the women who raised our nation by Cokie Roberts.
“ABC News political commentator and NPR news analyst Roberts didn’t intend this as a general history of women’s lives in early America-she just wanted to collect some great “stories of the women who influenced the Founding Fathers.” For while we know the names of at least some of these women (Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Eliza Pinckney), we know little about their roles in the Revolutionary War, the writing of the Constitution, or the politics of our early republic. In rough chronological order, Roberts introduces a variety of women, mostly wives, sisters or mothers of key men, exploring how they used their wit, wealth or connections to influence the men who made policy. As high-profile players married into each other’s families, as wives died in childbirth and husbands remarried, it seems as if early America-or at least its upper crust-was indeed a very small world. Roberts’s style is delightfully intimate and confiding: on the debate over Mrs. Benedict Arnold’s infamy, she proclaims, “Peggy was in it from the beginning.” Roberts also has an ear for juicy quotes; she recounts Aaron Burr’s mother, Esther, bemoaning that when talking to a man with “mean thoughts of women,” her tongue “hangs pretty loose,” so she “talked him quite silent.” In addition to telling wonderful stories, Roberts also presents a very readable, serviceable account of politics-male and female-in early America. If only our standard history textbooks were written with such flair!” -Publishers Weekly
~Diane
Now is the time of abundance in the garden and farmer’s market. Take advantage of this abundance by doing some canning or other kind of preservation. You’ll be thankful when mid-winter comes around. Here are some resources to help and inspire:
When I heard the news of the death of Walter Cronkite this past Friday, I instantly heard his voice in my mind. His rich, deep voice has been one of the most recognized voice of American broadcast journalism. As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “”From the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, to the war in Vietnam, to the landing on the moon 40 years ago next week, Walter Cronkite delivered the news and provided trusted commentary on the events that shaped our history.”
After reading an essay by Nancy Bachrach, I decided that 
Thanks to my sister, I am also reading 
Having recently finished reading the final Harry Potter, my daughter was mopping around about not having anything good to read. Suddenly, books were “too short”. We just started reading 
