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Audio CD Description 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

Customer Reviews A debate becomes a nation-- telling history through anecdote Early on in the book, Ellis writes: "The key point is that the debate was not resolved so much as built into the fabric of our national identity....Lincoln once said that America was founded on a proposition that was written by Jefferson in 1776. We are really founded on an argument about what that proposition means." Ellis sees the split as embedded in competing notions of good government and as a force which expresses itself in the debates which have run through the fabric of the US (for instance, slavery or state/federal rights balance). What is nice about Founding Brothers is the way that it uses anecdote and personal stories to both illustrate and explain this dual vision on which Ellis argues that the country was founded. The book is structured as six slim chapters which center on a range of characters from Burr to Adams. These are names nearly as familiar as our own, but Founding Brothers does a wonderful job of recontextualizing and revisiting in a way that taught me things that I never knew. I left the book anxious to find out more about Burr, for example. I had an entirely different image of the Burr/Hamilton events after reading "The Duel" than the one that I thought I had before I read it. It is the hallmark of a very good history writer that the old is made new again with seemingly so little effort. Founding Brothers should be excellent reading for the armchair historian. I suspect that even people well-read in Revolutionary history will find something new in these stories to enjoy. It should also appeal to people interested in US politics of today, as Ellis does a good job of showing that the seeds of many current struggles were sown long ago. The language is mercifully simple and the prose clearly written, so age or academic background should not be a barrier to enjoying the book. How history should be taught! Joseph Ellis takes us on a welcomed step back from the abbreviated history many of us twenty-somethings likely endured in our school's texts as children, where key moments and figures in our nations infancy are reduced to names, dates, and locations. By providing a glimpse into the minds of our nations founders through their own words and in the context of a richly developed historical backdrop, Ellis allows us to see through the eyes of giants of American History. And it is only through the inclusion of the human element that we are truly able to understand, appreciate, and savour the names and dates memorization renders lifeless. A common theme throughout is what seems obvious to us in hindsight, was far from a foregone conclusion at the time. Ellis skillfully demonstrates through five stories how the unique personalities and talents of each of the "Founding Brothers" working in harmony and discord steered our nation to a safer port; notably leaving the fight over slavery, intentionally and with consternation as Ellis details, to the following generations. This, simply put, is how US history should be taught. Not just that Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton, but who were Hamilton and Burr as men beyond their historical contributions? Perhaps most significantly, how did our founders relate to one another and promote their competing visions for the direction our Great Republican Experiment would take? The latter is a question every Citizen and future citizen should consider. Certainly it is what we should be teaching our children. I cannot recommend this book in strong enough terms to any person interested in not just learning about early US history but building a contextual understanding of those that lived it. Founding Fathers: The TV Series! Reading this book reminded me of a television show. It's a series of 6 distinct episodes that each wrap up quite nicely at the end of each hour. Through the zany antics of the recurring characters you get to really know each one of them personally. Unfortunately, American history is presented in such an embraceable manner all too rarely. This was an entertaining read and a great intro for those who are new to the subject. It has enough insight and quirky factoids to satisfy the buffs as well. Superb book!