Customer Reviews

Founding Brothers, The Revolutionary Generation

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Joe Ellis is well known for his biography of Jefferson (it won the National Book Award). This book, his most recent, will only elevate his reputation.

In a series of historical vignettes, the reader learns about (among other things) the famous but mysterious duel between Hamilton and Burr, the awkward problem of slavery in the 1790s, the collaboration between Madison and Jefferson, George Washington's farewell and the famous relationship between John Adams (who is underappreciated according to Ellis) and Jefferson.

Every vignette reads like a short story. The facts are riveting, the writing (as usual) is lucid, succint and sufficiently surprising. And the historical era of the 1790s can't fail to interest us all.

There's absolutely no reason why this should not be the next book you buy. Get it for Christmas and give it as a gift to someone else. Where else will you learn, with such intelligence and historical insight, how majestic Washington was, how human Adams was, how strange Jefferson's personality was, and how conniving all the politicians were in the salad days of our country?

In Founding Brothers, Joseph Ellis offers an excellent portrayal of the primary players of post-revolutionary America. The book is extremely readable which makes it appealing to a wide range of readers, yet provides the serious scholar with insightful historical analysis. Ellis establishes his thesis and develops it throughout the book, though , arguably, some chapters are more successful than others.

The book is by design not chronological, but does include detailed analysis of each founding father. Yet the book is not patriotic flag waving. Ellis' style is reminiscent of the consensus historians of the 1950s but with a modern approach. His portrayal shows the founding fathers separated by personalities and differences of opinion, but with the unique ability to set ambitions aside (more or less) to accomplish the nation's business. For instance, Alexander Hamilton and John Adams were both Federalists yet they hated one another, Ben Franklin drew criticism for anti-slavery beliefs, Thomas Jefferson ceased correspondence with George Washington (forever) and Adams (for fifteen years), James Madison and Hamilton divided the government, and Aaron Burr eventually killed Hamilton. But with the exception of this final example all were able to deal with these differences for the good of the country. Ellis illustrates his chapters with masterful synthesis.

There are times when Ellis' theory appears to wander, as with the case of slavery and the official "silence" that governed the subject. In this case the problem did not go away but instead exploded seventy years later in civil war. He also meanders throughout the chapter on Jefferson and Adams to the point that reading becomes tedious, but his overall effort is not adversely impacted.

It is Ellis' ability to synthesize that makes Founding Brothers so appealing. Political rivalries are not the product of recent history. Indeed, they are endemic to every generation of politicians. But Ellis' point is that these differences do not have to permanently scar the nation as a whole. Though he does not say it, this book ought to be required reading for anyone who enters Congress. The message is simple: check individual ambition at the Capitol door and perform the duties they were elected to do. In fact the first paragraph of "The Collaborators" should be the required method for determining presidential races.

Practically anyone who picks up this volume will not be disappointed. Ellis takes a complex period of history with an extremely complicated set of characters, and puts it into a concise, enjoyable format that amuses as well as teaches the reader.

Joseph J. Ellis has now made a habit of writing interesting books about the American Revolution and its aftermath. In his latest effort, Founding Brothers, Ellis concentrates on six incidents involving seven of our foremost American patriots. The topics (or chapters) range from slavery and the national debt to the location of the national capital and the disasterous administration of John Adams.

While my favorite chapter deals with the dinner involving Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison. In which the federal government assumed the national debt from the states, for the relocating of the federal government, on the Potomac River. Jefferson and Madison also made sure that, unlike Great Britain or France, the national capital would not be the financial center of the country.

Among the other informative points that Ellis brings up was that Hamilton was the only prominent American casualty of the ideological differences stemming from the decades after the American Revolution. The growing unpopularity of Washington's second administration with other prominent Virginians which culminated with his Farewell Address was also interesting.

Founding Brothers is an exceptionally easy and quick book to read. Ellis repeatedly informs us what the world was like in the 1790's, when there was little historical precedence for a republican style of government or a biracial society.

There were many labrythine agreements made between the founding brothers and Ellis' research is highly commendable in attempting to sort it all out. For anyone interested in the years that followed the ratification of the Constitution and the beginnings of our present day government, this book is a must.

This book is a gem, and probably the most focussed piece of historical writing I've ever read. Professor Ellis tells us in his two-page introduction that his objective was to write a "modest-sized account of a massive historical subject", implicitly ragging on his professional colleagues who seem inclined more often towards just the opposite. In just 248 pages he takes on the thirty or so years following ratification of the U.S. Constitution, portraying this period as the most politically treacherous in our nation's history. He focuses primarily on the roles of six protagonists: Jefferson, John Adams, Madison, Washington, Hamilton, and Franklin. Aaron Burr appears too, but as a tragic foil to Hamilton more than as a significant player in his own right. Professor Ellis's technique, odd but effective, is to build six short chapters around various interactions among these key figures, arranging them artfully like a series of inter-connected short stories. Each chapter elucidates a key dimension in the political dynamics of the period, and the emotional impact of the book by the end is like that of a powerful piece of fiction, even though the author's adherence to the factual record is scrupulous. What emerges is a picture of the revolutionary nation facing the kind of crisis that undermines most revolutions as personal ambitions and conflicting agendas give rise to new tyranny or ongoing civil war. At one level, these were a group of jealous and bickering men with diverging views on the direction of the republican government they were laboring to craft. Yet in the end it is these very contradictions which allowed the improbable project to suceed, bringing in the diverse political threads necessary to bind the new nation. For divided as these politicians were, everyone of them was haunted by the fear that the cause to which he'd devoted his life was in imminent danger of failing. The great European powers lurked like vultures waiting to re-assert themselves over the divided States, and the "founding brothers" seemed to recognize that their collective talents provided the only effective bulwark against this treat. Hindsight, of course, tells us much more than they knew, and their triumph was to be sealed only following an unimaginable bloodbath forty years after the last of them died. That the union they built was strong enough to survive such a trauma was the ultimate testimony to their skill and perseverance. Professor Ellis has written an excellent and very accessible account of this complex story, and I highly recommend it.

An exceptional book is like an exceptional teacher; an academic career may only provide one or two memorable teachers, while books because of their constant renewal offer many opportunities for memorable Authors/Teachers. Mr. Joseph Ellis has produced just such a literary rarity with his work, "Founding Brothers". The events surrounding The American Revolution are familiar in generalities to most, and the information is generally romanticized beyond recognition. The Author has a very informative as well as a strong, appealing narrative style that communicates a wealth of facts but does not induce the drowsiness of many historical works whose pages turn as if made of lead.

Some have taken issue with the Author's style as being too loose or informal, and by implication arguably less than accurate. The notes at the book's end are not normally an area I spend a great deal of time with, however in this instance the Author shares his philosophy toward providing "sensible" documentation to his book. I believe this is refreshing and answers any critics. Firstly, a complete listing of references would be longer than the book, and a completely honest disclosure would require that he dredge up every piece of information that he has read and been influenced by for 30 years. Finally, he comments on those sources he has found to be particularly useful to his work, and they were interesting enough for a reader to enjoy as well.

Everyone will have their favorite from amongst the six sections of the book. I believe they all are uniformly excellent, however two were of greater interest to me.

"The Duel" that took place between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton in 1804 is an oft-mentioned bit of this Country's History. I have read many accounts of the event and none approach the level of detail and perceptive commentary that Mr. Ellis has presented. This death of one man, and the death of another's career is a vastly complicated event. It is true the actual discharging of weapons took only a moment, and that is usually where the analysis stops, and then the consequences that follow are listed. Happily in this work this is not the case as the Author brings nearly 2 decades of acrimony between these two men to bear on why they eventually found themselves in mortal conflict. This background is documented with depth but also with restraint, all the information without needless additional commentary. Mr. Ellis writes very well. He can enjoy an economical use of words, as he does not suffer from the impairment of being fascinated with the sound of his thoughts.

"The Friendship" has to be one of the most eloquent expositions of the final years of relations between 2 former Presidents, Adams and Jefferson. They may have been writing to one another, however they also documented their ideas of what the Revolution was for and what it meant, that the two men were polar opposites, from their style of speech, to their politics, personal conduct, and what they believed they had done for History, only makes the reading all the better. Again the Author communicates grand theories of these men, without getting tangled in minutiae.

The Author clearly knows his subjects and he shares and expands his reader's knowledge with the skill that he employs with his pen. He is not a man who suffers from hero worship, nor is he a revisionist. Mr. Ellis does not present these Revolutionary players with the façade of Patriotism hiding faults, nor does he lack the objectivity to present all the players with scholarly detachment.

If more Historians wrote in this style we would not be subject to the surveys that routinely demonstrate how Historically illiterate our Children and many adults are. History can be fascinating, or lethally dull. Those who present it will determine what we will know of our past, and happily Mr. Ellis is at the forefront of documenting History with style that is enticing to read, and with content that is meticulous and objective.

Unconditionally recommended!

Joseph Ellis has again given us an extraordinary story of our early republic. His chapters deal with such material ranging from the Hamilton-Burr Duel to the up and down relationships of Jefferson and John Adams. What Ellis has attempted is to treat the reader with both significant and informative accounts of the background to some famous episodes of the late eighteenth century. Much of what he writes is not in history books and historians can add material to their teaching as they read the various chapters. My favorite account is of Washington's Farewell Address and how he is careful to shy away from partisanship and support the Federalist ideas of a strong central government which is eventually what happens. The relationship between Hamilton and Washington is something that I found enlightening and the theme of states-rights vs. a firm federal government runs through the entire book. The personalities of Jefferson and Adams are written about at length and the reader feels he knows these men by the final chapter. Anybody interested in our early period of history and the workings of our Founding Fathers will cherish this latest work by an author whose research is complete.

Joseph Ellis first caught my attention when I read American Sphinx (his biography of Jefferson). Ellis's book "Founding Brothers" is good and gives us an interesting take on the men who founded America, yet it didn't seem to roll along as quickly, or as pleasurably as the Jefferson biography did. I think this may have something to do with the way that Ellis presents the material in this book.

Rather than focus on one person and roll along chronologically, Ellis chooses to do something different in "Founding Brothers". He attempts to relate the making of the Constitution and the early years of the Republic based around events. For example, one chapter deals with the Constitution and its silence on slavery. Another chapter deals with the import of Washington's Farewell Address. Another discusses the bond and collaboration between Jefferson and Madison. Finally, the book concludes with the correspondence between Jefferson and Adams during the last years of both men's lives. At times, presenting the material in this fashion is hard to follow and seems a bit disjointed.

I don't recommend this book for someone just breaking into the history of the Constitution and the early years of the Republic. I'd suggest something a bit more exciting like David McCullough's book "John Adams". Another good pick for a beginner would be Fawn Brodie's book "Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History". However, a student of this historical period, or someone with a good knowledge of the men involved will not have any problems with this book.

Nevertheless, the style that Ellis uses in this book is essential in making several important points. First, the founding fathers struggled with a number of issues writing the Constitution and the end product was more the product of political compromise than any great enlightenment Second, the events of the era did more to define the people involved (Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Franklin etc.) than the people did to define the events. Third, at any moment something could have happened which could have substantially altered the course of events. Fourth, those who look upon what happened as divinely inspired, or just short of perfection would do well to remember what the failure to adequately resolve the slavery problem created--a civil war that 75 years later cost 600,000 lives.

The founding fathers come through in this book as bright men who had imperfections like all people do. Jefferson was the slaveholder who condemned slavery. Adams was a brilliant man who couldn't understand that laws punishing freedom of the press (the Sedition Law) violated the first amendment. Hamilton comes through as a rather sinister character who may have wanted to use the army to take over the government and build an empire. Madison appears in the book as dogmatic and slavishly devoted to Jefferson. Its a different slant than many are used to seeing. Its both informative and entertaining.

Its not a long book and its definitely worth reading if are interested in this historical period.

This is a wonderful and fascinating history book dealing with the first decade of the American Republic and the key players in making it happen: Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, George Washington, and James Madison.

Ellis treats this decade and the overlapping years as six events, each crucial to the survival of the fragile new nation: The Duel, The Dinner, The Silence, The Farewell, The Collaborators, and The Friendship.

The most interesting to me are The Dinner and The Silence.

Can you imagine a dinner hosted by Jefferson and attended by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, not exactly political allies? At the dinner a deal was struck which affects us to this day. Hamilton got what he wanted as did the Virginians. You may know what it concerned, but, if not, I don't want to give it away in this review. It may very well have been the most momentous political deal in American history.

Now, consider the newly born US Congress in 1790: Two delegations to the House of Representatives presented petitions calling for an immediate end to the African slave trade. Two years prior it required a "deal with the devil" to secure the agreement of the Southern Slave States to the new Constitution. What happens when these delegations present the petitions? That is what the silence is all about and reading this interesting Chapter will give you a greater understanding of the events, starting in these early years of our republic, which led to the Civil War.

This book, to me, makes history come alive. Ellis has the knack of the storyteller while losing nothing of the historian's acute requirement for accuracy.

Written as a series of vignettes with an underlying theme, Founding Brothers offers insight into the tenuous nature of the new nation springing from the American Revolution. While there is no real groundbreaking research here, what this work does offer are some insights into the men who were essential in creating the United States, and offers us a reminder that the success of the new nation was far from inevitable. In fact, the nation survived in spite of some very key differences between the founders as to where soveigntry should ultimately lie in the new governing regime. And,it should be added, by assiduously ignoring one of the overriding contradictions of the American Revolution and it's tenets about freedom and equality -- slavery!

The book is a bit uneven but it is also clear in its main points. There was a lot of philosophical and political conflict between the founding generation: north versus south, agrarian versus mercantile interests, states' rights versus the powers and role of the new federal government, and the embarrassing entrenchment of slavery in the Southern states. While not entirely accurate in all cases -- it could be summed up that most of these conflicts pitted the Northern versus the Southern states. This is a somewhat crude distinction but essentially the north and south grew apart from each other mainly on these issues. The founders were able to muddle their way through these issues and keep the nation intact -- which wasn't always a sure thing.

And finally, Ellis really brings to bear the human nature of the founding generation. Jefferson was a dissembling, venal, back-stabbing politician. The press was vitriolic, partisan, and stooped to publishing any nasty rumor, true or otherwise, to push its agenda. The nastiness of politics in that era make today's politicians look tame in comparison.

Overall, I would recommend Ellis's work -- although I hesitate to say that it is Pulitzer Prize quality.

For those who are interested in the men of the American Revolution, and those who have some knowledge of the events and men of those times, you will find this book a unique, insightful and entertaining read. Rather than following the standard chronological path through the crucial 1790's (the first precarious years of the new republic), Ellis instead chooses to define the times and issues by focusing on 6 key events which affected each man. Unlike some reviewers' posts here, I found the first 47 pages recounting the Hamilton-Burr duel fascinating. Ellis presents his subjects in a very human light. I, for one, finished the book with an even higher admiration for Washington; greater knowledge of Hamilton (whose genius and arrogant ambition reflected the best and worst of his times), greater appreciation for the significant contributions (and self absorbed vanity) of Adams, and finally, insight into the the duplicity and later redemption found in Jefferson. My only disappointment was that Franklin only received minor treatment in this book.

The chapter on Washington's Farewell, and Ellis's treatise on the Slavery question are excellent.

Full appreciation of the book does require some knowledge of the Revolution and early US History. Ellis's writing style is easy to read and absorb--and comes with great insight. I highly recommend this book to any student or fan of Early American History.