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34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most readable history of the Constitutional Convention, July 25, 2000
This review is from: Decision in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention of 1787 (Mass Market Paperback)
The Collier brothers are an amazing act. Authors of the classic children's novel, "My Brother Sam is Dead," they also carry on careers individually as a history professor and writer on jazz respectively. "Decision in Philadelphia" is the story of the Constitutional Convention from start to finish. Told with novel-like drama and narrative flow, this is the first choice for any general reader who wants to know more about the issues driving our country's second national government (the first, the Articles of Confederation, had failed miserably). Very readable, and very interesting, "Decision in Philadelphia" is a book I have my own AP US History students read for its depth of knowledge and ease of reading (although I wouldn't recommend it for anybody lower than high school, unless exceptionally precocious and obsessed with history). All in all, one of the great popular histories available on any subject.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very readable and fascinating analysis of the 1787 Convention, March 4, 2006
This review is from: Decision in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention of 1787 (Mass Market Paperback)
I enjoyed reading this book. In it, the authors explain what happened at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Most enthusiasts of the period know about Madison and Hamilton and that the Convention was convened to write a new Constitution, but what many don't know is that there were many characters besides Madison and Hamilton that attended and held sway. And in bringing to light these other characters the book shines.
There are individual chapters on Charles Pinckney, Roger Sherman, William Paterson, Luther Martin, James Wilson, Elbridge Gerry, George Mason, and more. The chapters are written in a lively manner without getting bogged down in details. Collier and Collier give you the "flavor" and most important aspects of each of these characters. There was a lot of "juice". The reading never got dull.
There were also many issues that I was totally unaware of, such as the alliance of several southern states with the "big" states, as well as Connecticut's frequent alliance with the southern states. I was surprised that the issue of slavery, 80 years before the Civil War, played such a central role at the Convention. I enjoyed learning how each of the colonies fared during the period of the Articles of Confederation and how this affected their bargaining positions. It was fascinating to learn about the process itself, the vote counting among the representatives, and the pure politics that went on during the Convention.
All in all, the book was a very quick, informative, and entertaining read. It also fills a gap, as there is not much in the "popular" press written about the Convention. The book is appropriate for those who have already done some reading on early American history as well as those who take a passing interest.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A very nice introduction, January 10, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Decision in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention of 1787 (Mass Market Paperback)
This book tells the story of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia which resulted in the writing of the U.S. Constitution. It starts by describing the dissatisfaction that some states had with the Articles of Confederation. Then, it goes through the issues important to the framers one at a time, describing the conflicts involved and how they were resolved. Two issues are discussed at some length. First, the authors detail the battle over proportional representation versus equal representation for the states in the (new) Congress, which pitted the smaller states against an alliance between the biggest states and the Deep South states. Next, they discuss all the issues regarding slavery. The last several chapters of the book describe the ideas and compromises about how the government functions -- the role of the president, the method of choosing the president, the presence of a bill of rights, etc... The book was well written and in most parts a joy to read. It left me wanting to read biographies of several of the men involved in creating the Constitution.
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