About this title: From the first shots fired at Lexington to the negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, Ellis guides readers through the decisive issues of the nation's founding. The author strips the mythic veneer of America's iconic founders to reveal men possessed of both brilliance and blindness.
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Description: Good. Used copy-Because of our high volume, we can not accurately describe each book, so we list the MINIMUM condition you can expect; most are better than the condition listed. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 2008-10-14
ISBN-13:9780307276452ISBN:0307276457
Description: Good. Binding is tight and square. Highlighting and notes. We recommend EXPEDITED MAIL for even faster delivery! Careful packaging and fast shipping. read more
Edition: Reprint
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Random House Inc
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780307276452ISBN:0307276457
Description: New. From the first shots fired at Lexington to the negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, Ellis guides readers through the decisive issues of the nation's founding. The author strips the mythic veneer of America's iconic founders to reveal men possesse... read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Vintage Books
Date Published: 2008-10-14
ISBN-13:9780307276452ISBN:0307276457
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780307276452. read more
"great read. More thoughtful analysis than straight history. Interesting thesis, the founders deserve great credit for developing the foundation of a republic which had never been done on a large scale before, a foundation that has endured. However, Ellis makes compelling argument that the founders would concede that there were two failures to this success, the failure to address slavery which was completely inconsistent which the values of their republic and the failure to address treatment of Native Americans. Compelling chapters on how Washington, Knox and Jefferson realized that American treatment of Native Americans was no better than English treatment of the colonies and their attempts to redress that, which were eventually overwhelmed by illegal American migration into areas where Knox,Washington and Jefferson had promised to Native Americans"
"A wonderful book. Ellis provides a snapshot of some of the early events in the colinization and establishment periods of the United States of America. The author definitely has opinioins about the events and especially the individuals involved. He does a good job of letting the reader know of his opinions and the existence of others that oppose his. If you are seeking great depth about any one of these events this is not the book to accomplish that. However, if you want an introduction to these events that excites, motivates, and creates a desire to seek for additional information on the topics, this is the book for you!!!"
"I found this book to be very educational and a quick read. So much gets glossed over in our education on the founding fathers, and you develop these unrealistic images of them. Its more fascinating to read about what they were really like and how things actually went down. I gained a much greater appreciation of the dilema of how to balance state power vs. federal power, especially when you're trying to overthrow a monarchy but you need to organize a united army. I never realized how close we were to abandoning the idea of states all together. Its also interesting to learn what a weird guy Jefferson was and how Madison did so much but is less famous than the others. Plus these guys kept going back and forth on issues they felt very strongly about. What happens when a guy gets elected president based on a states-rights platform but then has an opportunity to expand federal power to obtain the Lousiana Purchase? The author also describes the greatest failures of the founding fathers - the issues of slavery and native americans. We get some insight into why these problems were not solved appropriately whereas they were able to accomplish so much in other areas. Overall, I gained an appreciation of the flexibility they instilled in our governmental system. Federal power can wax and wane, adjusting to the needs of the time. The two party system provides a framework for continued argument, such that issues can be resolved without resorting to revolution, etc."
"American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic by Joseph J. Ellis
Joseph Ellis is fast becoming one of the leading history writers for mainstream America. I do not say this to belittle his work, but rather to praise it. Ellis is able to take the events and turn them into a comprehensive story. The purpose of this selection is to tell the story of the formative years of the American Republic. Each chapter discusses a specific event in American history. He then uses each event to talk about the creativity occurring during that time.
For me, one of the most interesting events was the Louisiana Purchase. For Jefferson to accomplish this transaction, he had to go against everything that he believed in as a Republican (weak federal government). I really enjoyed the book, and learning more about Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. It has re-peaked my desire to read a biography of every president. OK, maybe not every president, but at least the first 20 or so."
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