Subjects:  1. History    2. History - General History    3. History - U.S.    4. History: American    5. Rape    6. Sex crimes    7. United States    8. United States - Colonial Period    9. United States - General    10. United States - Revolutionary War    11. Violence in Society    12. Women's Studies - General    13. Crime & criminology    14. History / United States / Colonial Period (1600-1775)    15. Social history    16. USA    17. c 1700 to c 1800    18. c 1800 to c 1900    19. coerced sex; sexual coercion; rape; forced sex; sexuality; sexual power; patriarchy; social hierarchy; rape prosecution; sexual norms; seduction; sexual access; sex and patriarchy; colonial subordination; race and rape; statutory law; sexual ideology; rape prosecution; sexual behavior   

Reviews (5)

Please read this, the book was very poorly done
I feel bad saying this, but I was severely disappointed with this book. As a physician and early American history buff I was really looking forward to learning more about Benjamin Rush.
Benjamin Rush and the Revolution
Benjamin Rush: Patriot and Physician draws a fascinating picture of one of the United States "Founding Fathers" and "Founding Physicians". Although from humble background, Dr. Rush was able to get the best possible medical education in the world and practiced in Philadelphia for the majority of his adult life. In addition to teaching at the new Medical College in Philadelphia and thus training a whole generation of physicians, he actively participated in the deliberations of the First and Second Continental Congresses and signed the Declaration of Independence. He was a tireless writer, contributing articles on the need of independence from England and the structure of the new government. His contributions were in his own name, but often under another name, in part because of the strength of his beliefs (religious, medical, and political). Rush was a prolific correspondent and he played a crucial part in the reconciliation of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson after their retirements from active politics.Alyn Brodsky presents a sympathetic, but critical, appraisal of a key figure in the emergence of the United States. Further, the history of the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War is wonderfully told through the eyes of one who participated in the Revolution first hand.

Physician and Patriot
Modern day Constitutionalists, in their passion to defend this document against ill-conceived modern-day dilutions, sometimes make the mistake of viewing the Founding Fathers of the United States as a pantheon. They were heroes, to be sure, but they had feet of clay and sharp disagreements. Some of the issues for which a compromise was found in the Constitution are worth revisiting today.
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Subjects:  1. 1746-1813    2. 1775-1783    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Historical - General    8. Medical - General    9. Politics and government    10. Revolutionaries    11. Rush, Benjamin,    12. Statesmen    13. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)    14. United States   

Subjects:  1. Americas (North Central South West Indies)    2. History    3. History - U.S.    4. History: American    5. Revolution, 1775-1783    6. Sources    7. United States    8. United States - Revolutionary War    9. American history    10. History / General    11. The Americas    12. USA   

Reviews (3)

The soul of the American pragmatic spirit
For many this is this Letter of advice from Franklin to his son is the perfect embodiment of wisdom of American business success. For D.H.Lawrence however it showed the 'shop-keeping ' lack of soul, of Franklin and he mocked him in his 'Classic Studies on American Literature'.
Franklin in his own words
Personal letters of Franklin to his son which recounts his experiences in the fledgling republic which became America.Limited scope of writings prevent true insight and understanding of Franklin, but what is present shows the more personal side of him.Following his autobiography, a compilation of his other writings is included.As with any autobiography, caution against vanity is needed when reading, but not in Franklin's case.He does attempt to glorify his actions or a better image.

The First American
Having been impressed for some time by the life story of Benjamin Franklin, I thought it would be fun to read his autobiography, as well as the other writings found in The Autobiography and Other Writings. On the whole it was, but with some caveats. The autobiography itself seemed awfully short and jumpy coming from a man who wrote so much and so well. In the introductory notes I noticed that this particular work is in fact considered not representative of his style (or something to that effect, namely that it comes off as rather reserved). Having read this and the other pieces included in this short volume, I have to wonder if any piece of writing is truly representative of Franklin.
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Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Classics    3. Fiction    4. Historical - U.S.    5. Literary    6. Literature: Classics    7. Political    8. United States - Revolutionary War    9. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents    10. Biography: general   

Reviews (4)

Adams: History of the US - Madison Administration (2)
Although dated, these volumes remain a must. They are dated (1889-1991) but they provide a glimpse about the past history of the US. Following this time, with the end of the Spanish-American war documents came to light providing sometimes different views of historical moments such as the role of Gen. James Wilkinson with the Spaniards.

American stature grows with Madison in the background
It is hard to write a concise review of a volume of 1500 pages, and I did read the whole volume.When I subscribed to Library of America this was a volume that really interested me.I can say that it exceeded my expectations as a marvelous narrative history of an overshadowed era of American history.This volume has filled in my knowledge of this period and at the same time provided hours of entertainment.
A Pivotal Age in American Politics
Unlike the first volume where Jefferson dominated every page, Madison is virtually invisible in the first 400 pages. During his administration, his principles and acts were either thwarted by a bungling 13th Congress, or superseded by an energetic 14th Congress. As well (according to Adams) this was the last age in which ambassadors and envoys carried so much weight in the administration. Afterwards the Congress became the premier power in the United States, with ambassadors playing important but less conspicuous roles, and the President becoming less of a political force. In the first 400 pages, Adams painstakingly describes the diplomatic engagements that embroiled us into a war with England and France, and then brilliantly describes the naval and land battles that occurred during the War of 1812. After Washington was burned (for which Madison was jeered and vilified when passing from village to village), the United States broke into an economic vitality not known before (which tended to make the public forget the burning of Washington). Massachusetts, which had threatened secession with Connecticut and Rhode Island, was humbled by the new Republican Treasurer, whose autocratic policies helped to reduce one state's superiority over another. An interesting and energetic portrayal of life in early America, and the sudden maturation process of our diplomatic and economic infancy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1783-1865    2. 1809-1817    3. History    4. History - U.S.    5. History: American    6. Politics and government    7. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)    8. United States    9. United States - 19th Century    10. United States - General    11. United States - Revolutionary War    12. History / United States / General   

Reviews (47)

Solid
This is an excellent biography, covering Washington's entire life in a single volume. Its 'readablity' is fairly high for a history book. It is considerably less dry than your average text book, but a bit less readable than a historian with more mass appeal like Ellis. All good history books have a balance between 'fact' and interpretation, and in this one Flexner tends to keep the scales tipped a bit toward the factual side. This is great for gaining a solid understanding of what happened in Washington's life, but it does render a work a bit less readable than your typical airplane novel.
Top Washington biography
Washington and the other participants in the Revolutionary War have been my main interest in historical study.Unfortunately, many of the facts regarding members of this era are spun by emotion to show how great they were in creating the great nation of America.This is not necessary with the men and women who founded the nation, because the facts of their deeds alone are extraordinarily impressive without any spin.James Flexner gets that.He writes a very fair book that discusses the life of President Washington without spinning the facts to make him look better than he already is.Flexner's writing is almost like reading a novel.It flows easily and discusses all aspects of President Washington's life, beginning with his ancestry.He does not focus any era of his life disproportionately, and there are few weaknesses in this book.
The man of history comes alive
Too short. That's actually the impression I had when I finished reading Washington: The Indispensable Man. A distillation (but not an abridgement) of author James Thomas Flexner's longer four volume work on Washington, this book left me wanting more because four hundred pages is simply not enough to do justice to the man.
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Subjects:  1. 1732-1799    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Historical - U.S.    6. History: American    7. Presidents    8. Presidents & Heads of State    9. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)    10. United States    11. United States - Colonial Period    12. United States - General    13. Washington, George,    14. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents    15. USA    16. World history: c 1750 to c 1900    17. c 1700 to c 1800    18. c 1800 to c 1900   

Editorial Review

"These are the times that try men's souls," beginsThomas Paine's first Crisis paper, the impassioned pamphlet thathelped ignite the American Revolution. Published in Philadelphia in Januaryof 1776, Read more

Reviews (41)

So You Wanna Start a Revolution?
Common Sense is a must read for all citizens of the USA and world seeking liberation from long established regimes. In this short, but well written published pre-revolutionary work, Paine makes the argument for a complete separation from England.
Good Version
This is a reprint of Thomas Paine's Common Sense pamphlet originally published in February 1776 (Paine had also published a prior version).Dover does a nice job of maintaining the original stylistics, e.g. spelling, italics, etc. Potential buyers should note that this edition does not contain any contemporary commentary (which is often the case and sometimes helpful), but rather is limited to the original text.
Common sense about Common Sense
Not a bad book, a bit of a challenge to read and that's comming from someone who is well versed in the literary field. I'm sure it makes good arguments, I'm just waiting until I can stay awake past the introduction. Still, though, I reccomend buying this book as it is a cornerstone of American history. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1775-1783    2. 18th century    3. General    4. History    5. History & Surveys - 17th/18th Century    6. History & Theory - General    7. Monarchy    8. Philosophy    9. Political    10. Political Science    11. Politics and government    12. Politics/International Relations    13. United States    14. United States - Revolutionary War    15. Literary Collections / General    16. Other prose: 16th to 18th centuries    17. Political science & theory    18. USA   

Reviews (2)

ever wonder why....
Have you ever wondered about the thirteen colonies decided to fight for to become an independent country in 1776 while other British colonies in the Caribbean such as Trinidad and Tabago and Jamaica did not? O'Shaughnessy attempts to explain these differences by look at the conditions of the 13 colonies and the British Caribbean such as trade, slave populations and cultural differences. He also looks at how American independence affected the British Caribbean by cutting of vital trade roots and reducing its influence in London Parliament.

Fascinating
A thorough treatment of a topic that few people (or at least me) had ever considered.Far from being insignificant islands, the Caribbean colonies were just as important to the British as the American colonies, and O'Shaughnessy makes a convincing case that the difference in the colonies' attitude towards Britain (and indeed, the principal reason for the American Revolution in the first place) is principally due to economic factors.Read more

Subjects:  1. 18th century    2. Caribbean & West Indies - General    3. Great Britain    4. History    5. History - U.S.    6. Influence    7. Military    8. Relations    9. Revolution, 1775-1783    10. United States    11. United States - Revolutionary War    12. West Indies, British    13. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    14. Caribbean islands    15. USA   

Reviews (9)

Written with a strong anti-American bias
If you like your history served up anti-American style, this book is for you.But if not, keep looking.Like so many modern authors of American History books, Boatner is on a mission to counter the overly pro-American history books used in schools for many years.So he wrote this with an at least as bad anti-American bias.Sorry, two wrongs don't make a right.Does ANYONE write balanced history books?I'll leave you with a very interesting FACT (though untold in any review or description of this book):He lived in Paris when he wrote this book and did *all his research* there.That's Paris, FRANCE.Should tell you all you need to know.

A definite must have!!!!
Anyone who is mildly intersted or intensely obsessed with the American Revolution needs to have this reference on their bookshelf!!

Essential........
Mark Boatner's "Encyclopedia of the American Revolution" is an indespensable guide for understanding those who participated, battles that were fought and leaders whom, even though they may have played a smaller role, guided the republic, fought the republic and observed the republic from its inception.
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Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. History: American    5. Military - General    6. Revolution, 1775-1783    7. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)    8. United States    9. United States - Colonial Period    10. United States - Revolutionary War    11. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    12. Reference works    13. Revolutions & coups    14. USA    15. c 1700 to c 1800    16. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (2)

Paine: One of America's first Public Intellectuals
Paine was a latecomer to pre-revolutionary America, arriving in November, 1774. But he had already been somewhat involved in struggles against oppressive conditions in Great Britain, where he had become acquainted with Benjamin Franklin. Having paid his way to America (not arriving as an indentured servant), Paine quickly became a key figure in revolutionary Philadelphia through his writings for a newspaper, his position being secured by a letter from Franklin, and through the publication of "Common Sense," perhaps the most influential and widely read pamphlet of the times. The author makes clear that Paine did not accept the commonly held view that the balanced government of Great Britain involving monarchy, nobility, and commoners was the ideal form. In "Common Sense," he denounced the entire idea of hereditary monarchy and advocated for republican government with near universal voting rights, of course, only among free, white men. In his scheme, the main element of government should be a unicameral legislature, eschewing the notion of conflicting class interests. He made clear that there were no valid reasons to not seek independence.
Paine in the context of his time.
I had bought this book because I wanted to learn more about Tom Paine. Paine is one of those historical characters who keeps popping up on the edges of discussion, and about whom I knew very little. I became a lot more aware of him through my media studies, given that he was one of the first radical figures to use media effectively as a weapon.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1737-1809    2. 1775-1783    3. General    4. History & Theory - General    5. History - General History    6. History - U.S.    7. History: American    8. Paine, Thomas,    9. Politics and government    10. United States    11. United States - Colonial Period    12. United States - Revolutionary War    13. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    14. History, American | Colonial & Revolutionary    15. USA   

Reviews (4)

A big book in a little box
This excellent biography distills so much from Washington's life into 123 pages.I've read much longer volumes, yet still learned new things about Washington from this book.The author captures the essence of the man in all phases of life with admirable brevity.Yet the picture he paints is rich in depth. Highly recommended.
Superb short biography
Paul Johnson is a British historian who admires the United States and wrote a lengthy history of the United States. Now, he has written a very short biography of George Washington. Mr. Johnson is clearly an admirer of his subject, particularly of his military record. In just 123 pages, Johnson covers Washington's entire career, from his days as a surveyer, to his early military career in the French and Indian war, to his Revolutionary War generalship, to his chairing the constitutional convention and to his presidency. Naturally, Johnson cannot go into much detail but he certainly provides a good overview.
A Paragon of Paradox
This is one of several volumes in the HarperCollins Eminent Lives series. Each offers a concise rather than comprehensive, much less definitive biography. However, just as Al Hirschfeld's illustrations of various celebrities capture their defining physical characteristics, the authors of books in this series focus on the defining influences and developments during the lives and careers of their respective subjects. In this instance, George Washington.
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Subjects:  1. 1732-1799    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Generals    7. Historical - U.S.    8. History    9. Presidents    10. Presidents & Heads of State    11. Revolution, 1775-1783    12. United States    13. United States - General    14. United States - Revolutionary War    15. Washington, George,    16. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents   

Reviews (13)

Conscientious, scholarly, and accessible.
John Jay [1745-1829] has long deserved a full-length scholarly biography and here he receives one that does honor to subject and author alike.First-time author Walter Stahr, a practicing attorney specializing in international law, has done prodigious work in the original sources and the scholarly literature and presents his findings capably and responsibly.He blends rigorous scholarship with clear and direct prose.His work deserves a wide and grateful audience.I have one caveat.Having worked on John Jay myself, I respectfully dissent from Mr. Stahr's argument that historians have neglected Jay because of his religious and political conservatism.I think, rather, that there are three major reasons for the previous neglect of Jay.First, until the great body of his papers found a home at Columbia University, thanks to the labors of Richard B. Morris, the sources needed for a fuller understanding of Jay and his career were not readily available, and the availability of sources often shapes the kinds and varieties of scholarship that historians and biographers can undertake.Second, by one of those unfortunate historical accidents, Jay was not a signer of either the Declaration of Independence [indeed, he was a reluctant revolutionary until 4 July 1776] or the Constitution of the United States.Signers and Framers tend to get more attention from later writers than those who were neither signers nor framers.Third, not only Jay but all members of the early [pre-1801] Supreme Court have been eclipsed by the titanic figure of John Marshall.In any event, Stahr's biography should spark a reconsideration of Jay's life and career and a re-evaluation of his place in the establishment of the United States.

Long Overdue
Ask any group of American historians who the ten most important figures of the founding era were, and, sadly, the name of John Jay would be absent from a lot of those lists. I had never heard of author Walter Stahr before finding JOHN JAY: FOUNDING FATHER, so I had no idea what to expect, and though he may lack the flowing narrative of an H.W. Brands or Stephen Ambrose, a few more books like this will make Stahr a household name among history buffs.
An important man, but not a well known man
John Jay - most people know precious little about the man who is rightly considered to be one of the most important of the "second tier" of founding fathers (people like Washington, Adams, Jefferson, & Franklin make up the first tier).Prior to reading this book, I must admit that I also knew precious little about John Jay except that he was the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
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Subjects:  1. 1783-1865    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Historical - General    5. Historical - U.S.    6. History    7. History: American    8. Judges    9. Politics and government    10. Statesmen    11. United States    12. United States - Colonial Period    13. United States - Revolutionary War    14. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    15. Biography: general    16. Constitutional & administrative law    17. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)    18. Political science & theory    19. USA    20. c 1700 to c 1800    21. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (10)

An amazing book
This book is like having our founding fathers in the room and talking to you. It's history as told by the participants, not filtered through another author's interpretations. If you care about our country and want to know what really happened, read this book. You'll come away understanding why we fought the war of independence, and you'll also see the roots of both the Bill of Rights and the Civil War as well. I've given away perhaps 10 copies of this book to judges, attorneys and politicians and they all rave about it. Open your mind and find out what really happened to make our country great.

Source Documents of our Revolution with great helps
No matter what you have learned about the American Revolution, this terrific volume from the wonderful Library of America will give you a richer understanding of how it happened and who was involved and when.It is full of documents that are contemporary with key events of the Revolution from various points of view.They are from diaries, newspapers, letters, speeches, key official documents, excerpts from books, and so on.
A New Understanding of Our Past and Many Surprises
When I finished this book I had a new understanding of the Revolutionary War.The book contains writings from all perspectives about all aspects of our fight to be born as a nation.At the end I felt a real sense of suprise in my new understanding of what this struggle meant to the participants as it was occurring.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1775-1783, Revolution    2. American - General    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. History: American    6. Military - General    7. Personal narratives    8. Revolution, 1775-1783    9. Sources    10. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)    11. United States    12. United States - Revolutionary War    13. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)   

Reviews (1)

The second volume of essential writings by one of our essential revolutionaries
This fine volume from the wonderful Library of America, is a collection of the great Benjamin Franklin's later writings.It is the second volume of what used to be a single huge book from the LOA.This volume begins with Franklin's letters from his time as a diplomat in London, and then his pamphlets, political satires, and other writings when he represented our Revolutionary Government from 1776-1785 from Paris at the doomed court of Louis VI.His writings from the Constitutional Convention and writings from Philadelphia after his return to the United States are also included.Probably the most popular items included will be the Preface and Maxims of the Poor Richard's Almanac and the FOUR parts of his autobiography.Franklin is simply an amazing man.
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Subjects:  1. 1775-1783    2. American - General    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Historical - General    7. Literature - Classics / Criticism    8. Politics and government    9. Statesmen    10. To 1775    11. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)    12. United States    13. Franklin, Benjamin    14. Literary Collections / American / General   

Reviews (21)

The past revealed.
Mention slavery in American history and no doubt you will conjure up visions of middle passage slave ships feeding the rotting black bodies to the sharks, abusive slave owners on southern plantations and perhaps even Kunta Kinta being whipped at the stake for refusing his newly assigned name. Few people would even entertain the notion of white slaves in American history, but Michael Hoffman's 1993 book, THEY WERE WHITE AND THEY WERE SLAVES exposes little known facts about the abhorrent practice of slave owning in America.
Forgotten Knowledge
I highly recommend "They Were White and They Were Slaves" because this information seems to be either forgotten or ignored.
Poorly researched
This account of the so-called "Barbary captives" calls attention to a forgotten area of U.S. history, but the book is not well researched or well written.For a better analysis of Barbary captives' narratives (as well as several narratives) see Paul Baepler's anthology, White Slaves, African Masters.Robert Allison's The Crescent Obscured also has an informative chapter on Barbary captivity. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History - U.S.    2. History / United States / Colonial Period (1600-1775)    3. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)    4. History: American    5. United States - General    6. History    7. Slavery    8. United States - Colonial Period    9. United States - Revolutionary War   

Reviews (8)

Glenn Williams' review
My comments concern Mr. Williams' unfavorable review of this book. While Williams has done a capable job outlining his quibbles with the book, and its obvious he read the book in detail, his points are actually peripheral to Holton's main points. Yes, he may have failed to stress what was a skirmish and what wasn't.Or maybe someone could argue that such-and-such a treaty meant this rather than that. But Williams' points actually are fairly trivial, and do not get to the heart of the thesis.I mean, if Holton doesn't get the nuances of the Virginia militia exactly right (or to Williams' definition of right) does it really matter all that much?No.
FORCED ARGUMENTS
While the book is a "good read" and "thought provoking," I have serious contentions with Holton's interpretation and analysis on many levels, not the least of which center on his lack of understanding and/or misinterpretation of the military and Indian issues which he attempts to cite as supporting his thesis, and which in turn causes me to question his other conclusions in "Forced Founders."
Who Were America's First Freedom Fighters?
In Forced Founders, Wood