Customer Reviews

Saving General Washington

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J.R. Norton calls our current crop of political leaders to task with this wonderful, funny book. By paralleling the lives and actions of guys like Tom Paine, James Madison, John Locke, and other Founders and Framers, he does an incredible job of simultaneously making us ridiculously proud to be part of the legacy of these amazing men and making us feel embarrassed and outraged at the perversion of their values that has taken place during the Bush Administration. A wonderful, worthy read--one that will make you both laugh and cringe.

Saving General Washington is a cleverly written treatise calling us to task on our national lack of historical memory. Norton's is an amusing ride, simultaneously weaving history and current events into one sharp commentary on who we are, where we came from and where we ought to be going.

Norton uses his firm grasp on current political events as a hook into the excellent contemporary literature on the founding fathers, creating a text that's easy to read if you are familiar with either -- and entertaining if you're familiar with both. It's hip and full of witty references -- but never to the point where it gets cutesy or the author becomes more into himself than the idea. I was most impressed by his ability to pull from historical research to provide a concise argument without getting lost in the details or horribly glossing over the historical subject matter.

One criticism could be that it doesn't go extremely deep into the history, but I'd argue that it serves its purpose by providing a good entree into the subject matter for those interested. There's worse things one could do than convince someone to pick up the latest McCullough biography. I'd also recommend Gordon Woods for anyone into these ideas.

For an example of the style, take Norton's discussion of business and politics -- where he contrasts Bush / Cheney to Franklin. Norton's description of Franklin, 'the official funny fat guy of the founding fathres and the nation's inspirationally folksy old bastard' is on the mark and hilarious. Norton does and excellent job of doing what our schools should have done -- reveal these old codges for the fascinating, contradictory, but ultimately foresighted people that they were and suggesting what lasting principles we might learn from them.

Saving General Washington reads like an entertaining friend walking you through a compelling argument -- that modern Republicans have hi-jacked the memory of our founding fathers and now we're taking it back.

Norton's dropping Burrs and Hamiltons like Samberg, and so should you.

You know how some political books tend to drag on with recitations of facts and accusations? Not this one.

Norton's dry wit makes the book a true pleasure and frequently had me laughing out loud as few books have (with the possible exception of the Daily Show's America: The Book).

I couldn't recommend it more strongly.

This fascinating, meticulously-researched book takes a biting, clever and frequently hilarious look back at the founding fathers, the revolution they fought, and the constitution they miraculously crafted. Norton deftly connects the biggest issues and controversies of today with the cultural and political ideals of the founders, arguing convincingly and passionately that, contrary to what the Right would have us believe, the founders' policies, beliefs and priorities were incredibly progressive by today's standards. In fact, it is the the Left, and modern day progressives, who are the rightful heirs to the founders' legacy.

Filled with illuminating (and often quite amusing) quotes from the founding fathers' letters, books and speeches, this book transforms the remote, infallible, wig-wearing deities of elementary school parables and the "heads" side of money into real, flesh and blood men. By the end of the book (which I devoured in a single sitting), I felt like I KNEW these guys. But more importantly, I was reminded of how much I love this country and what it stands for, despite how horrifying and frightening I find its current leadership and policies. And, above all, how vital it is that the progressive, rational, tolerant, civic-minded people of this country -- the rightful cultural and political descendents of the founders -- fight to take it back.

J.R. Norton's new book works on three levels. First, it is a timely reminder of how much the Founding Fathers anticipated and guarded against tyranny in the name of patriotism. While both society and political thought have obviously changed greatly since the late eighteenth century, Norton reminds us that we can still find inspiration in the Founders' remarkable ability to distinguish between legitimate expressions of political belief and self-serving rationalizations.

Second, the book is a lively primer on the founding texts of the United States, including the Federalist Papers, Common Sense, and Locke's Second Treatise. It also introduces and allows the reader to sample a number of excellent recent biographies on Hamilton, Tom Paine, and others. It should encourage readers to explore this period more deeply.

Third, the book is damn funny. The "Alternative Universe Daily Spectator" columns imagine what it would look like if George Bush were to follow the Founders' example on the PATRIOT Act, energy policy, or the intelligent design/evolution debate.

Highly recommended for general readers interested in history, political thought, and biography, and for advanced high school/introductory undergraduate American Government classes.

It was so good, I read the entire book in one sitting. I couldn't stop. The author does an excellent job marrying history with humor and making a statement in the process. The bibliography and the end of the book I thought especially useful.

Like the previous reviewer, I read this text in one sitting. It's well-written, insightful, and useful for any folks like me who have a huge critique of the current administration but a less-than-perfect understanding of history to articulate why the current state of affairs is such an assault on patriotic values. Brilliant! I'd recommend it to everyone. Bought it for my father. Bought it for my friends.

Kudos for J.R. Norton for pulling together our Founding Fathers and our current foundering, floundering politicians. Reading Norton's quick-minded, incisive writing is to bask in the sunlight of memory recovered--he reminds us of the progressive stance of the founders of this country. One cannot read this book and then listen to the news in the same way. Reading Norton's book will make you want to do your own careful analysis of the current war, if you haven't done it already. Norton's book is a wonderful reminder of the principles on which this country was founded and how far we have allowed our country to be pulled from those noble and ambitious principles. Should be required reading!

I was very interested in reading this book after flipping through the pages, and I was intrigued by the topic. After all, anyone can agree that the Bush administration could benefit by returning to the principles of the founding fathers. However, Norton assumes that his interpretation of the founding fathers' writing is entirely correct, when in fact much of their writing could be interpreted to suggest that the Bush administration is justified in their actions. Norton fails to acknowledge many facts, including the fact that throughout history, leaders have been expanding their power and stretching the limits of the constitution for the good of the country. I'd like to say that I agree with Norton, and based on his writing, it would be safe to say that we have very similar political beliefs. However, I was highly disappointed by the lack of concrete evidence presented in this book. My opinion after reading it is that this is yet another egregiously and unabashedly biased attack of President Bush. I'd like to finally read a book that legitimately criticizes the shortcomings of the Bush administration while acknowledging its successes, but I'll have to keep searching because this book definitely fails to establish itself as a reputable piece of literature.