Rating: 
Summary: A Portrait of American Greats--who were Human as Well
Review: Mr. Ellis has penned an astoundingly good book. Though in the news of late for apparently misleading his college classes on certain aspects of his life, this should by no means be seen as a reason not to read this book. The affair seems, in fact, something more like the millionaire who is caught shoplifting. Mr. Ellis' genius at portraying the lives of the founding fathers during the decade of 1790 makes one wonder why he would ever feel the need for fiction in his own life.Founding Brothers gives us an inside look that simultaneously shows just how great these people really were, and how human (with plentiful faults) as well. I have long thought George Washington's reputation was overblown. He wasn't particularly smart, in some senses, compared to such men as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. As General, he managed to lose just about every battle he ever led. Winning the Revolutionary War always seemed to me to be a product of American dumb luck and British stupidity. Where, I wondered, was the greatness? Mr. Ellis shows where it was. Washington knew what needed to be done to preserve the greatness of the revolutionary ideas his compatriots were putting forth. Holding the Continental Army together was all Washington needed to do to keep the British from winning the war. And subsequently, steering a course of neutrality at practically any cost, and ensuring the preeminence of the federal government, was what was needed to preserve the ideals of the Constitution and see to it that America survived its birthing pains. Jefferson, meanwhile, has been a founding father I have thought highly of. I still think highly of his ideas, but after reading Founding Brothers, you realize that Jefferson was really not a particularly admirable person. This is not to suggest that Mr. Ellis castigates Jefferson. Indeed, not only Jefferson's ideas, but also Jefferson's duplicity and lying were necessary ingredients for the successful outcome of the Revolution and the founding of a new nation. His faults are shown, but so is the brilliance of his ideas and visions that helped this country maintain and cherish freedom. In Founding Brothers, I learned that Washington was great, as well as human. I learned that Jefferson was human, as well as great. What you will learn will no doubt depend on your own notions about this time and these people. Many of the other founding fathers are also featured in the book, so perhaps you will learn more about your favorite. Whatever the case, I think you will find the book enjoyable. It is very readable, with an entertaining style of writing that immerses you in the lives of these men during the 1790s.
Rating: 
Summary: Worthwhile but read with an open mind.
Review: Ellis' book is a highly readable account of a few of who he sees as the most important men of the time. With all the recent attention on David McCullough's biography of John Adams, it's interesting to note this earlier book also attaches a great amount of weight to Adams' role at the expense of Thomas Jefferson. I found the book interesting as a primer on the roles of the six men in question and it made me want to read further into the lives of Adams and Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr especially to see if the biases in their direction are well founded. While an enjoyable read, I kept feeling that there was more to the story that the author was presenting. If the average reader wants an intro to this early time in our history it's a good beginning...but be forewarned, it WILL make you want to explore further into these men's lives.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting But Fair?
Review: Founding Brothers is in some ways a very good book. As an amateur history buff with admittedly poor knowledge of many of the personalities that have shaped American history, I enjoyed reading Ellis's descriptions of America's "founding brothers" (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, Hamilton, and Burr) and their personal relationships and rivalries, despite the author's often-times overly verbose style. Several of the stories offer fascinating "behind the scenes" insights into some of the momentous decisions of the revolutionary era. For instance, the debate regarding establishment of a "permanent capital" on the Potomac and how that decision was influenced by slavery and other issues was particularly interesting. However, having hoped for a fair and accurate treatment of all of the players, I came away slightly disappointed and feeling that the author had elevated John Adams to a position of greatness far ahead of, and at the expense of, Thomas Jefferson and even George Washington. Much of the book focuses on the relationship between Jefferson and Adams with Adams clearly emerging as the hero and Jefferson coming across as a conniving overly ambitious politician who would be more at home in today's American political environment than as one of the founding fathers. While it may be an entirely accurate conclusion, I'd have enjoyed a less one-sided treatment more.
Rating:
Summary: The definitive account of the Founding Generation!
Review: After listening to Joseph Ellis speak on C-Span, I bought his book, and I was not disappointed. Ellis' book is one of the most informative and truthful looks at out Founding Fathers that I have read. His view point of that generation is a refreshing look at the history of our nation as it should be. Despite what some people would like to claim, our revolution and founding was enacted by a group of highly intelligent, highly able men. It was they, not the common people of the nation that designed our government and that put that government into effect. It was through the genius of these men that our government succeeded in the way it did. Ellis brings out this point wonderfully. My favorite section of his book is the chapter 'The Farewell'. Ellis illustrates the necessity of Washington, and how the national experiment might not have even succeeded without his influence. Ellis explains the different views of the revolution possessed by the Founders in a highly descriptive way, and his explanation of the hostility then reconcilliation between Jefferson and Adams is a perfect way to illustrate his point on how the revolution was viewed differently by those who created it. A highly recommended work on the most important era in American history and the men who brought us to be the nation we are.
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Book -- Unmarred by Author's Personal Mistakes
Review: This is a truly brilliant account of the lives of our most important forebears and the complicated relationships that helped define our nation. The author writes fluidly, with ease and beauty. He is one of America's best, as both the Pulitzer and National Book Award Committees have recognized. He is also a human being, who made a mistake in misrepresenting his military service. And he has apologized. Efforts, by some reviewers here and by journalists across the country, to discredit his academic work are mean spirited and small minded. Who among us can afford to cast the first stone?
Rating:
Summary: A compromised union
Review: I especially enjoyed the frank discussion of the avoidance of the topic of slavery at our Constitutional Convention and the early Faustian bargains producing a fragile Union that really lasted only 75 years. Since that time there has been a bloody struggle (Civil War) and political mess (Reconstruction and Jim Crow) and the pattern of red and blue on our most recent electoral map. We really are two countries, morally and geographically, living in uneasy proximity. To me the most important part of this book is showing why that is so, and the personalities of the men who made it so.
Rating:
Summary: intellectually stimulating
Review: Founding Brothers is a well-written and engaging account of the relationship of the founding fathers (and mother) of the United States. While it takes the form of a group of stories that involve the founding fathers, many of them overlap and they all give a detailed explanation of the history of each person and the situation in which each story takes place. For a person who has read extensively on early American history, this book ranks among the top of the list of books on this subject. It is not only a great description and analysis of the events of the birth and early years of this country, but also an exploration of many facts about the founding fathers that most people are not aware of.
Rating: 
Summary: Founding Brothers
Review: When I was in Junior and Senior High School over 60 years ago we did not have only one specific history text book for each class because the teachers taught "History, as written, depends on the bias of the writer.". We were required to read books by several different authors. In reading Professor Ellis's "Founding Brothers", I sensed he has a bias against, and a dislike for, Tom Jefferson and the Republican Party. Then I learned the Professor also lied to his students about his "combat experience in Vietnam".
Rating: 
Summary: Well done, but lacks detail of subject except for beginner
Review: Joseph Ellis is a top scholar of the "founding fathers" but it seems not of the 20th century. One of the reviewers--a John W. Morrissey of Downers Grove, IL has written a review that has nothing whatsoever to do with the book, but is a personal attack on Mr. Ellis standing as a historian at all. This is strange as I have yet to see an established historian that hasn't praised his research or writing (and as historian by avocation for 50 yrs. and a retired professor I suspect JW is a frustrated teacher/"intellecutal" himself). Incidentally, the Boston Globe writer of the major story was interviewed on CSPAN and let slip his political bias, which makes HIS writing suspect.
Rating:
Summary: Ellis slices and dices Jefferson into a sweet puree
Review: You will enjoy this book if you are a member of the John Adams fan club. The undercurrents bode strongly against the anti-federalist camp. Ellis highlights the fatherly side of Washington trying to fend off the short sighted Jefferson crowd .Washington is always depicted as the overachiever trying to administer his will to help forge the states together. Ellis is not afraid to hit you over the head with his depiction of Jefferson being one big dichotomy . In the 1790's Jefferson could not cut the proverbial umbilical cord with France . Washington and Adams realized before anyone else that there must be a balance in relation to our European counterparts. Even though the author points out the good deeds of the third president : they pale in comparison to his polite ridicule of this quiet dreamer. Ellis tops himself once more. Buy it.
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