Reviews (105)

Filling In The Blanks
Mayflower is simply a master work of history and Philbrick has demonstrated a definite mastery not only of the era of which he writes, but in particular the personalities who dominated the times.Philbrick pulls no punches and is not an advocate of any politically correct position.Both the English settlers and the Native Americans come into their own fair share of praise and criticism.This is not a rewrite of American history; he sets new standards as he explores much more than just the landing of the ship but follows with the establishment of Plymouth Plantation and eventually touches the point when the Native American dominance of the area vanished.
Give it back to the Indians!
Philbrick has done another superb job in researching an little-known time and event. I read a review that said he spent too little time on the actual crossing of the Mayflower and hence I almost did not get this book.I am very glad I did purchase and read it.How little we all really know or can even imagine of the hardships faced by the brave Pilgrims.And how little we knew of the fate that befell the Native Americans.Both a heartbreaking and heartwarming book and I recommend it to any and all Americans.

An excellent read for this Thanksgiving.
From an early age, I have been fascinated with American history.It has been exceedingly difficult for me, therefore, to understand why history seems to be the worst taught subject in primary-secondary schools.Social studies tend to have the poorest passing rates of the core subjects in standardized exams.Some scientific and lesser surveys find college students and many teachers unable to identify the most significant events in this nation's life.Little wonder, then that manipulative politicians so easily mislead the public into viewing current events using artificial facts and fallacious cause-effects.
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Subjects:  1. 1600-1750    2. 1639-1718    3. Church, Benjamin,    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History - U.S.    7. History: American    8. Indians of North America    9. Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony)    10. United States - Colonial Period    11. United States - General    12. Wars    13. History / United States / General   

Reviews (5)

The Pictures are Really Entertaining.
Happily, I discovered this book shortly after another one of my recommendations; "The Elementary Common Sense of Thomas Paine." It was truly fascinating to read about the events that occurred in Colonial America shortly before the Declaration, and see those events referenced in our constitution. You will understand the evolution of our government from colonial to country by reading both. Enthusiastically Recommended for all ages.

Every American should buy this book
This is a visually wonderful book.Sam Fink originally did a pen-and-ink version of this, which was later revised to be a full-colour version for Welcome Books.Apart from the briefest of commentary pieces, this is simply the text of the U.S. Constitution, from Preamble to Twenty-Seventh Amendment.Fink has done an engaging hand-inscribed version with illustrative artwork, sometimes symbolic and sometimes demonstrative.For example, for the Thirteen Amendment (the one passed in 1865 to abolish slavery), Fink's graphic shows strong chains being broken by a pair of shears that have been painted red, white and blue like the flag.For the Sixteenth Amendment (the 1913 amendment permitting general income taxes), Fink's drawing shows a man standing next to Uncle Sam, with Uncle Sam's hand reaching surreptitiously into the unsuspecting man's pocket.
Why would you buy this book?
The title of this book is the giveaway.Apparently, the author has not read the Constitution FOR the United States of America.It is NOT the Constitution of the United States of America."for" places the Constitution in proper context as the set of rules for the government.
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Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional Law    3. Constitutions    4. Government - National    5. History    6. History: American    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Oversize books    9. Specimens    10. U.S. Constitutional History    11. United States    12. United States - Revolutionary War    13. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    14. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)    15. USA   

Editorial Review

Left to his own devices, John Adams might have lived out his days as a Massachusetts country lawyer, devoted to his family and friends. As it was, events swiftly overtook him, and Adams--who, David McCullough writes, was "not a man of the world" and not fond of politics--came to greatness as the second president of the United States, and one of the most distinguished of a generation of revolutionary leaders. He found reason to dislike sectarian wrangling even more in the aftermath of war, when Federalist and anti-Federalist factions vied bitterly for power, introducing scandal into an administration beset by other difficulties--including pirates on the high seas, conflict with France and England, and all the public controversy attendant in building a nation.Read more

Reviews (631)

A Life Well Lived
The book biggest strength is that it uses many quotations of John Adams, Abigail, John Quincy Adams, and Jefferson to tell its tale. These people were intelligent and very good writers. I enjoyed the biography. I enjoyed McCullough's writing style and the leisurely pace he sets for himself. The biography clearly portrays a man who lived long, did many great things, and died at peace with himself. The book glosses over Adams' weaknesses and I thought spent way too much time on what Jefferson and Adams thought of each other, but these are minor flaws. I enjoyed Morris's biography of Roosevelt more, but this book was a good summer read and was far better than McCullough's 1776. I learned how this nation owes a great debt to this great, but flawed man.

I wish I could have met him
Like another reviewer, my interest in history is quite new. The author's presentation of John Adams left me wanting to know much more of this great man. David McCullough's excerpting of Adams' professional and personal writings exposed a passionate man of deep convictions and possessed of an intellect and idealism beyond his generation. While Mr. Adams was acutely aware of and deplored his own ego, he, at the same time was critical of his own limitations. Even with this conflict, Adams could still say, "I thank God that he gave me stubborness when I am right."
More quotes and facts, less opinions and emotions.
First of all, I did not exactly 'read' this biography. Instead I purchased the CD version which I distilled via my car sound system every morning on my way to work (I have enjoyed countless biographies of great american figures this way, and still been able to read many more technology related books).
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Subjects:  1. 1735-1826    2. 1775-1783    3. Adams, John,    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Historical - U.S.    9. Politics and government    10. Presidents    11. Presidents & Heads of State    12. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)    13. U.S. President    14. United States    15. United States - Colonial Period    16. United States - Revolutionary War    17. Adams, John    18. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    19. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    20. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents    21. Biography: historical    22. Political leaders & leadership    23. USA   

Subjects:  1. Archaeology    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. History    4. History: American    5. United States - Colonial Period    6. United States - General    7. United States - State & Local - South    8. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    9. North American archaeology    10. Virginia    11. c 1600 to c 1700   

Reviews (6)

Arose by any other name
First, let me say that Nelson's work is an excellent, well written, fast paced, general history read...but its title: "Benedict Arnold's Navy" is (at least in my opinion) quite misleading.
Read more like a military biography of Arnold
I enjoyed reading Benedict Arnold's Navy which covered the early years of the American Revolution in the north. Here for the brief period in our nation's history, we owed the arch-traitor of American history, a true debt of graditude for his skilled leadership, force of character and his total determination to the American cause. This book explained skillfully how Arnold deserves such acclodes and why a man who could have become one of our nation's greatest paragon of heroes, became one of its greatest Judas goats.
A Definitive and Very Readable Piece of History
James Nelson is an author to be envied if the notion of putting pen to paper and telling a story, whether it be fact or fiction has ever occurred to you. In the fourteen books he has written he has done both fiction and non-fiction superbly.
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Subjects:  1. 1741-1801    2. Arnold, Benedict,    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Military    6. Military - Naval    7. Military - United States    8. Naval operations    9. Revolution, 1775-1783    10. United States    11. United States - Revolutionary War    12. Valcour Island, Battle of, N.Y., 1776    13. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    14. History / Military / Naval    15. Naval forces & warfare    16. USA    17. c 1700 to c 1800   

Reviews (2)

Challenging Theory
This is an excellent book for anyone interested in the history of the Americas, colonial history or comparative studies of the American countries. Although it is based largely on secondary sources it reflects the enormous amount of work that the author has carried out in his previous books on Spain. The most interestin feature of the book is how Elliott points out the similarities between the British and Spanish Empires in the Americas; a fact that most historians have previously tended to ignore.

An important contribution
Colonialism and Empire are the two most important subjects in history, no other subject exists without them and the discovery of the New World and its repopulation/depopulation is one fo the great episodes of human history.The colonies in America can be easily put into two categories, the Anglo ones and the Catholic ones.Despite small French and Portugues and Dutch intrusions, the overall lesson is one of difference between these two great naval powers and the makeup of their colonial systems.
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Subjects:  1. America    2. Americas (North Central South West Indies)    3. Atlantic Ocean Region    4. British    5. Colonies    6. Colonies And Colonization    7. Europe - Great Britain - General    8. Europe - Spain & Portugal    9. History    10. History - General History    11. History: American    12. North America - History    13. Spain    14. Spaniards    15. United States - Colonial Period    16. World - Colonial Studies    17. Empires & historical states    18. History / Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies)    19. USA    20. United Kingdom, Great Britain    21. World history: c 1500 to c 1750    22. World history: c 1750 to c 1900    23. World history: c 500 to C 1500   

Subjects:  1. Discovery And Exploration (General)    2. Europe - General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    6. History: World    7. Reference    8. Renaissance    9. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    10. Europe    11. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    12. History / Renaissance    13. Social history    14. The Americas    15. c 1500 to c 1600    16. c 1600 to c 1700   

Editorial Review

The leaders of the American Revolution, writes the distinguished historian Bernard Bailyn, were radicals. But their concern was not to correct inequalities of class or income, not to remake the social order, but to "purify a corrupt constitution and fight off the apparent growth of prerogative power." They wished, in other words, to mend a broken system and improve upon it. In doing so they drew on many traditions of political and social thought, ranging from English conservative philosophers to exponents of the continental Enlightenment, from backward-looking interpretations of ancient Roman civilization to forward-looking views of a new American people. Bailyn carefully examines these sources of sometimes conflicting ideas and considers how the framers of the Constitution resolved them in their inventive doctrine of federalism. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A spark in the study of the Revolution
This is a book that all students of the American Revolution should be forced to read. Without understanding Bailyn's argument, that the "conspiracy against liberty" was the main reason why America decided to break away from the British Empire, a student will be forever lost in trying to understand the roots of the American Revolution. Almost all of the books on the outbreak of the American Revolution have had to take Bailyn's argument into consideration; so, if you're interested in the study of the American Revolution, then this book is an imperative read. Read T.H. Breen's "The Marketplace of Revolution" after this book, and you'll have a decent grasp of the roots of the American Revolution.
The Radical Whig Fountain of Libertarian Rhetoric
While the 17th century witnessed the failure of the libertarian Levellor revolution, the 18th century can be said to embody its partial victory in the form of the American Revolution.The radical libertarian nature of the Yankee revolutionaires has only recently been acknowledged by historians.Bailyn's volume broke new ground when it was published in 1967 by showing the Radical Whig foundations of the American Revolution.He says "attitudes and ideas that would constitute the Revolutionary ideology was present a half-century before there was an actual Revolution".
Groundbreaking Book
As of today, the work Bailyn did in this book is not new.But if considered in the context of the time period when he wrote it and what it did for the study of the American Revolution, this book was the beginning of the current dominate thought on the Revolution.Bailyn changed the way historians and Americans look at the Revolution by challenging the work of several scholars.Written extremely well, this book deserves every award it revceiced and is still entitled to be a mainstay in history departments around the country. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - General History    3. History - U.S.    4. History: American    5. Military    6. Military - General    7. Political Ideologies - General    8. Political science    9. Revolution, 1775-1783    10. Revolutions    11. U.S. Political History    12. United States    13. United States - General    14. United States - Revolutionary War    15. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    16. History / Military / General    17. History of ideas, intellectual history    18. Revolutions & coups    19. USA    20. c 1700 to c 1800   

Reviews (5)

The Founders in Action Today by Brookhiser
We'll never know for sure what the founders would have done in a
Unfulfilled promise
Sadly, the promise of the premise of this book was not kept. Instead of thoughtful consideration of the many questions asked, the author merely regurgitated a lot of well-known history.I was disappointed both in the book and in the author, who has written better works. The book itself is not worth the price...but the idea is worthy of stimulating some of one's own thoughtful answers.

What Would the Founders Do?
A neon sign advertising "Premium Beer" illuminates the window of a contemporary pub, a television plays above the bartender's head, and exit signs radiate the room. The bar is occupied by six gentlemen brilliantly dressed in eighteenth century attire. They raise their drinks as if to toast a job well done. A glance at the faces of these individuals reveals something unusual. This is not a costume party. The six patrons are the founders of the United States of America - George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton - who have traveled through time to do more than enjoy the cocktails of the twenty-first century. They are here to answer the questions that plague America over two hundred years after its origin.
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Subjects:  1. Contemporary Politics    2. General    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. History    5. History & Theory - General    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Political History    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Questions & Answers    11. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    12. USA    13. c 1700 to c 1800   

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Constitutional history    6. Historical - U.S.    7. Political    8. Politicians    9. Statesmen    10. United States    11. United States - Revolutionary War    12. Virginia    13. American Revolution; Constitutional Convention; Republicanism; Anti-Federalists; Gunston Hall; Virginia Declaration of Rights; Bill of Rights; Fairfax Resolves; British taxation; James Madison; Thomas Jefferson;    14. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    15. Biography & Autobiography / Political    16. Biography: historical    17. USA    18. c 1700 to c 1800   

Editorial Review

Like the city it celebrates, Read more

Reviews (49)

Wonderful and fun
I have learned lots of interesting things concerning New York and having lived in Philly for years I cannot say I have ever been that interested in New York City! Well written and entertaining.

Over A Thousand Pages And All Some People Can Do Is Complain About References To Burr?
This is a monumental and fantastic work. It gives new definition to the word "comprehensive". Yet, despite being a landmark publication, all some reviewers of this book can offer up for criticism is a long, rambling, impertinent rant about their petty disagreement with how Aaron Burr was portrayed. I would contend that if the only issues one had with a 1000 page book is something so subjective as the PERCEIVED bias the author had towards a controversial figure, then the book was a roaring success! Might I suggest: "get a life" to those who cannot look past their own ridiculous little pet peeves, and judge the book on it's own merit. The title of this book wasn't "The Role of Aaron Burr in New York History"! But then again, nobody else took this ridiculous review seriously, according to their feedback.

Amazing resource
This book is enormously interesting and thoroughly researched, getting me interested in historic subjects I had no prior knowledge of. It's too heavy to read in the subway but thats about my only complaint. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - U.S.    3. History: American    4. New York (N.Y.)    5. New York - Local History    6. United States - State & Local - General    7. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    8. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    9. History / United States / General    10. History, American    11. Local history    12. New York    13. USA    14. c 1600 to c 1700    15. c 1700 to c 1800    16. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (2)

American History, Volume I (Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in American History)
Good Book

An in-depth look at issues from both sides.
Taking Sides is a great way to find out more about contraversial issues from the period of Reconstructin to the Present.It dives into issues suchas whether or not women of the nineteenth-century overcame the hardships ofthe west; if Booker T. Washington's philosophy and actions betray theinterests of Afican-Americans; if the 1950's were America's "happydays", and much more.This great book reveals both sides to theissues.Your stand is not suede, but you are able to make your owndecision. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - General History    3. History - U.S.    4. History: American    5. United States - Civil War    6. United States - Colonial Period    7. United States - General    8. United States History (General)    9. History / United States / General   

Reviews (6)

Great Research, Bulky Read
In under 350 pages, David Brion Davis presents a wealth of information for those exploring the history of slavery for the first time or for readers seeking additional information to supplement past books and articles.
Read and Enjoy
This is an altogether splendid book. It is skillfully written such that it is difficult to put down; the notes are voluminous, the maps helpful, the range of information brought together and organized successfully impressive, the opinions of the author clearly expressed, and acknowledgement and credit to other historians generous. Despite this, one does wonder for whom the book was written, surely not the hypothetical general reader. Much more information than the lawyerly standard of what everyone knows is frequently called for. To give just one example, on pp. 265-66, a free black is shown worrying about the effects on him of the Fugitive Slave Law. One drops immediately to how Anthony Burns was hauled through the streets of Boston on his way to Virginia. Is one to infer that Burns was a free black erroneously seized or an escaped slave? And although Davis details how important the religious motivation was in abolitionist thought, nowhere was there any explanation of how this Biblically based thinking, which at this time was largely literal, coped with or was able to get around the clear Biblical acceptance of slavery. And one could wish, particularly in view of their extent and comprehension of various aspects of the subject, that the citations in the notes had been compiled into a bibliography. Nevertheless, I would recommend to anyone who is at all interested in slavery, the Civil War, racism, and a host of associated topics, that they do themselves a favour and read Inhuman Bondage.

Interesting
This book contributes to recent studies on slavery in Brazil and the French west indies, a wide study ot Slavery in the new world, explainings its origins, terrors, history and final liberations and conflicts.One wonders however how much the subjects needs a companion on Slavery in the Old World, and why there is no discussion of how pre-European enslavement of Africans by Arabs led to the formation of slave empires in Zanzibar and west africa that fueled the European slave trade.Imainge if these scholars dared to prick the bubble and reveal the fact that Slavery did not originate among Europeans and tha tin fact a study must be done on the rise and fall of slavery in the old world.
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Subjects:  1. America    2. Americas (North Central South West Indies)    3. Antislavery movements    4. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    5. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor    6. General    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History - U.S.    10. History: American    11. Slavery    12. United States    13. United States - General    14. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    15. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    16. History / United States / General    17. History, American    18. Slavery & emancipation    19. The Americas    20. USA   

Reviews (7)

Bloody, bloody good
Though published in 1969, when attitudes toward Native Americans were just beginning to recover after centuries of demonization, "Wilderness Empire" paints a very balanced picture of the complexities of the American frontier during the period of the French and Indian War. Comprising the formative years of George Washington, Ben Franklin and many of other actors on the American historical stage, this often-ignored historical period was the foundation for the Revolutionary War years that immediately followed. What happened in the 1740s and 50s cemented the reputations and formed the attitudes of those who forged America in the 1770s and 80s.
Widerness Empire
Second time I have read it the first time was over 25 years ago, it is an oustanding narative of the early days of America detailing important events in the early setteling of our country.

A True Classic
If you love classic Westerns, This is for you.The settings and the drama are nothing less than spectacular. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1600-1750    2. 1750-1815    3. Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775    4. French and Indian War, 1755-17    5. History    6. History - U.S.    7. History: American    8. Indians of North America    9. Iroquois Indians    10. United States    11. United States - General    12. Wars   

Reviews (9)

A peek at His Excellency
I think that Joe Ellis acquitted himself quite well insofar as his stated goal. He wasn't attempting a comprehensive treatment of Washington but was trying to breathe some life in the marble bust that is our dollar bill occupant.
Discrediting an American Hero
I purchased this book with the objective of being inspired by the life of one of the greatest heroes that has ever lived and who's legacy of exemplary character has survived the scrutiny of historians and the tests of time.
Worthy read but short of monumental
One reviewer here stated, "George Washington is portrayed as a self-centered egotistical maniac who slaughtered thousands of people (American soldiers) just to satisfy his personal goals and pride."That is false.While Ellis somewhat dwells on Washington's alleged negative traits and places him at times in an unfair light, he does not portray our first president as an "egotistical maniac" or anything remotely close to it.Ellis's book is Washington light, but upfront he tells us that is his purpose.As to conjecturing, it is true that Ellis makes educated guesses but less so than William C. Davis in his bio of Jefferson Davis, a man who is far better documented than Washington.The fact is that Martha burned her husband's letters after his death and denied the world a personal view of the father of our country.Some guesswork by historians is inevitable because old George did not wear his heart on his public sleeve.This work does not contain all the known facts about Washington, but it is worth reading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography And Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Generals    7. Historical - General    8. History: American    9. Presidents    10. Presidents & Heads of State    11. U.S. President    12. United States    13. United States - 18th Century    14. United States - Colonial Period    15. United States - Revolutionary War    16. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)   

Reviews (11)

Important information about the Founding Fathers
First of all, I should point out that I am an Evangelical Christian. I suppose that some Fundamentalists might get upset over a book like this because Holmes calls a spade a spade. He comes across as not having an agenda, either from a Christian or secular humanist point of view. As he points out, many of the Founding Fathers were Deist/Unitarian. At the same time, there were important Founding Fathers whom Holmes proves should be considered Evangelical Christian (i.e. Samuel Adams, John Jay) along with a number of the Fathers' wives. Whether or not these Founding Fathers were Evangelicals, what I think is important is that this country was founded on religious principles, even if they were not conservative in their theology.
Reality Check on American Religion and Politics
David L. Holmes debunks a lot of myths and received wisdom about the religious/ethical views of the men who shaped the American democracy.
A Very Important Book
David Holmes has written a very important book in today's climate, a climate in which religion is used as a device to divide people and history is revised for political purposes.
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Subjects:  1. 18th century    2. Deism    3. General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History - U.S.    7. History: American    8. Political    9. Religious life    10. Statesmen    11. United States    12. United States - 18th Century    13. United States - Revolutionary War    14. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    15. Christianity    16. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)    17. History of religion    18. Religion & Theology | History of Christianity | American    19. USA   

Reviews (2)