The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers [Hardcover]

Thomas Fleming (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2009

A compelling, intimate look at the founders—George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison—and the women who played essential roles in their lives

With his usual storytelling flair and unparalleled research, Tom Fleming examines the women who were at the center of the lives of the founding fathers. From hot-tempered Mary Ball Washington to promiscuous Rachel Lavien Hamilton, the founding fathers' mothers powerfully shaped their sons' visions of domestic life. But lovers and wives played more critical roles as friends and often partners in fame. We learn of the youthful Washington's tortured love for the coquettish Sarah Fairfax, wife of his close friend; of Franklin's two "wives," one in London and one in Philadelphia; of Adams's long absences, which required a lonely, deeply unhappy Abigail to keep home and family together for years on end; of Hamilton's adulterous betrayal of his wife and then their reconciliation; of how the brilliant Madison was jilted by a flirtatious fifteen-year-old and went on to marry the effervescent Dolley, who helped make this shy man into a popular president. Jefferson's controversial relationship to Sally Hemings is also examined, with a different vision of where his heart lay.

Fleming nimbly takes us through a great deal of early American history, as his founding fathers strove to reconcile the private and public, often beset by a media every bit as gossip seeking and inflammatory as ours today. He offers a powerful look at the challenges women faced in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. While often brilliant and articulate, the wives of the founding fathers all struggled with the distractions and dangers of frequent childbearing and searing anxiety about infant mortality—Jefferson's wife, Martha, died from complications following labor, as did his daughter. All the more remarkable, then, that these women loomed so large in the lives of their husbands—and, in some cases, their country.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Tom Fleming is a rare combination - a fine historian and a fine writer. His assessment of George Washington’s relationships with Sally Fairfax and Martha Custis is right on target.” (Peter R. Henriques, author of REALISTIC VISIONARY: A PORTRAIT OF GEORGE WASHINGTON )

This is better than any history book you’ve ever read. (Curled Up with a Good Book )

“With his ample gifts as a novelist and his brilliant historical reach, the esteemed Thomas Fleming never disappoints...A remarkable achievement-- and hard to put down.” (Brenda Wineapple, author of WHITE HEAT: THE FRIENDSHIP OF EMILY DICKINSON AND THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON )

“Thomas Fleming is one of our most interesting scholars of the Revolutionary period, and in his insightful latest work he does not disappoint. Focusing on the wives and women of the founding fathers, Intimate Lives is thoroughly fresh, frequently fun, at times touching, and always fascinating. A significant achievement.” (Jay Winik, author of The Great Upheaval and April 1865 )

About the Author

Thomas Fleming is the author of more than forty books of fiction and nonfiction, most recently, The Perils of Peace. He has been the president of the Society of American Historians and of PEN American Center. Mr. Fleming is a frequent guest on C-SPAN, PBS, A&E, and the History Channel. He lives in New York City.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian; 1 edition (November 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061139122
• ISBN-13: 978-0061139123
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"How do you write a book?" 24 year old Thomas Fleming asked bestselling writer Fulton Oursler in 1951. "Write four pages a day," Oursler said. "Every day except Sunday. Whether you feel like it or not. Inspiration consists of putting the seat of your pants on the chair at your desk." Fleming has followed this advice to good effect. His latest effort, "The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers," is his 50th published book. Twenty three of them have been novels. He is the only writer in the history of the Book of the Month Club to have main selections in fiction and in nonfiction. Many have won prizes. Recently he received the Burack Prize from Boston University for lifetime achievement. In nonfiction he has specialized in the American Revolution. He sees Intimate Lives as a perfect combination of his double talent as a novelist and historian. "Novelists focus on the imtimate side of life. This is the first time anyone has looked at the intimate side of the lives of these famous Americans, with an historian's eyes." Fleming was born in Jersey City, the son of a powerful local politician. He has had a lifetime interest in American politics. He also wrote a history of West Point which the New York Times called "the best...ever written." Military history is another strong interest. He lives in New York with his wife, Alice Fleming, who is a gifted writer of books for young readers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The hearts of our fathers, November 24, 2009

By 

wogan "the book reader" - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers (Hardcover)

Thomas Fleming's book is divided into 6 books and an appendix; each book is divided into chapters and in depth sections that show both sides of many historical views. For example the appendix and part of the chapter on Jefferson deals with much of the Jefferson - Sally Hemings debate, showing the various interpretations of the DNA testing results and interviews. Both sides of all historical questions with all the men are well covered. Background and historical facts, incidents are given to explain why these men felt, and acted the way they did. There are 22 pages of notes and a detailed index.
The other founding fathers covered are George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.
Perhaps the most fascinating inclusions are letters that were sent both by and to these men. They range from mothers, sisters, wives to lovers. The information is easy to interpret and read and understand. Of great interest is the style of writing, their way of thinking and the effect these women had on these men's lives. There is sorrow and happiness and of course some surprising romantic qualities of these men, especially the magnificent love letters of George Washington that most are not aware of.
I have been an interested student of history all of my life; but no where have I read as good an account of Dolly Madison and the British march into Washington. Then there is the description of how Dolly and Eliza Hamilton literally helped to move the funding for the building of the monument that stands to Washington today in DC.
The role the ladies had in the founding father's lives and played in charming political opponents is amazing. Much has already been written of the correspondence between John Adams and Abigail Adams, but there is a great deal of elaboration that is interesting here.
This is a personal understanding of these founding fathers that many have never considered. Anyone who loves history would find this book fascinating.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Romancing the Revolution, January 7, 2010

By 

Avid Reader (Franklin, Tn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers (Hardcover)

Hard as I try, I find it impossible to award this book anything but five stars. The title can be misleading. It is NOT a set of tales about mistresses, girlfriends or extramarital "affairs". It is, instead, a brilliant study of six founding fathers - Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton and Madison - and the influence of the women on their lives whether they be mothers, wives, friends, daughters or sisters.

Remarkably, four of the six had strong marriages where wives were, in 18th century parlance, their "friend", the highest compliment one could give a spouse. (Think of the letters of Abagail and John - "Dear Friend") Hamilton and Franklin were the exception but even Hamilton and his wife reconciled and she remained faithful to his reputation after death. Most importantly, the author tackles and dispels many urban legends that seem almost unbiquitous today. ("Everyone knows that....") Some tales are demonstrably wrong (people, location, dates). Others make no sense in light of personal letters and actions while others appeared first in the heat of political campaigns or long after they supposedly occurred.

The men and women revealed in these vignettes ("books") are all too human and yet are paradoxically "great". The Founding Fathers seemed intoxicated by women and strangely, all were "romantics", uncommon for the times. Jefferson occupies a central role as we continue reassessing his life and contributions. Like many intellectuals, his private life was at odds with his noble public declarations. He owned slaves, displayed cowardice, incredible mismanagement, impatience, disloyalty and hypocricy that becomes more apparent the more one learns of him (David McCullough's view). Yet there is the Declaration of Independence and a nobility in his devotion to his beloved wife and unfortunate deathbed promise not to remarry.

The old adage "Trouble brings a couple closer" was never truer than in the case of Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison where many times, their spouse seemed like their sole supporter. The evolving role of women in the national debate was ably illustrated by the indomitable Dolly Madison who transformed the role of spouse into that of First Lady. These men became who they were and accomplished what they did because (and in many cases) despite the women in their lives. My Grade - A+

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tom Fleming Does It Again, November 15, 2009

By 

David E. Kane "publisher" (Franklin TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers (Hardcover)

I just finished "The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers," and I can highly recommend it to anyone interested in the "other side" of the lives of these men. Having been a student of American history for years, I was astounded to find out what I did not know about their private lives. Mr. Fleming, has once again created a highly readable, yet erudite contribution to the genre of Revolutionary-era American history. This is a fine gift for any history aficionado, including yourself. I just we could have published it!