Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Insight
Review: Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis is an interesting look at six episodes that shaped the new born American nation. Each event is centered around a very important figure of early America.Ellis's style is not merely to relate the episodes but to let us in on the inner workings of the minds of the people involved, at least as he sees it. From his viewpoint we get a decidely different opinion of two of these characters than history has handed down to us. Thomas Jefferson has been seen as the great American statesman. Jefferson's seminal moment was his penning of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson liked to portray himself as a gentleman farmer who was brought into the revolutionary and political business against his will. Ellis's portrayal of Jefferson is one of a contradictory figure who, while not being power hungry, was certainly not the disinterested figure he made himself out to be. Jefferson was a key figure, along with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, in the creation of the party system that people such as George Washington and John Adams despised. Adams is the other character that Ellis gives us a very different view of than we get from history. Adams has been seen as a closet monarchist who wished to set himself up as a republican king with his son as his successor. Ellis shows us an Adams who never really had this intention and only relied upon his son so much because Adams rarely trusted anyone who wasn't blood. One of the few men whom he did trust outisde of the family was Jefferson; and, that trust was betrayed during the party battles of the late 1790s. This book focuses on five key figures of the early American government: Washington, Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison with fleeting glimpses at two others: Benjamin Franklin and Aaron Burr. The characterizations of the others besides Jefferson and Adams are typical of our historical understanding of them. The most interesting situation that Ellis expounds upon is the deal that was reached between Hamilton, Madison, and Jefferson regarding the assumption of state debts by the federal government and the final placement of the nation's capital. The compromise that was worked out between these parties was key to establishing the credit of the United States and of establishing a means of decision making that has been the hallmark of American republicanism since the nation's founding.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fine and Highly Focussed Account
Review: This book is a gem, and probably the most focussed piece of historical writing I've ever read. Professor Ellis tells us in his two-page introduction that his objective was to write a "modest-sized account of a massive historical subject", implicitly ragging on his professional colleagues who seem inclined more often towards just the opposite. In just 248 pages he takes on the thirty or so years following ratification of the U.S. Constitution, portraying this period as the most politically treacherous in our nation's history. He focuses primarily on the roles of six protagonists: Jefferson, John Adams, Madison, Washington, Hamilton, and Franklin. Aaron Burr appears too, but as a tragic foil to Hamilton more than as a significant player in his own right. Professor Ellis's technique, odd but effective, is to build six short chapters around various interactions among these key figures, arranging them artfully like a series of inter-connected short stories. Each chapter elucidates a key dimension in the political dynamics of the period, and the emotional impact of the book by the end is like that of a powerful piece of fiction, even though the author's adherence to the factual record is scrupulous. What emerges is a picture of the revolutionary nation facing the kind of crisis that undermines most revolutions as personal ambitions and conflicting agendas give rise to new tyranny or ongoing civil war. At one level, these were a group of jealous and bickering men with diverging views on the direction of the republican government they were laboring to craft. Yet in the end it is these very contradictions which allowed the improbable project to suceed, bringing in the diverse political threads necessary to bind the new nation. For divided as these politicians were, everyone of them was haunted by the fear that the cause to which he'd devoted his life was in imminent danger of failing. The great European powers lurked like vultures waiting to re-assert themselves over the divided States, and the "founding brothers" seemed to recognize that their collective talents provided the only effective bulwark against this treat. Hindsight, of course, tells us much more than they knew, and their triumph was to be sealed only following an unimaginable bloodbath forty years after the last of them died. That the union they built was strong enough to survive such a trauma was the ultimate testimony to their skill and perseverance. Professor Ellis has written an excellent and very accessible account of this complex story, and I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Would have been more enjoyable if it had more direction
Review: AUthor goes through tying in the lives of the founding fathers. Talked of Burr and Hamilton Duel, Adams and Jefferson's friendship and various things like that. Interesting to get the view of the founding fathers on slavery which inevitably lead to the civil war. Interesting to see their conclusions on the issue Either I missed something or it seemed like this book had little direction. I could never quite get the author's point. I am an avid reader of history books and this one seemed more boring than most. I wanted to like it but oculdn't quite
Rating:
Summary: Reviving the Ancients
Review: For readers who look at the portraits of the Founders and think "dull, dry and ponderous", think again! This is the book for you. Author Joseph Ellis brings these ancients to life in a powerful narrative arranged around several specific intersections of the lives of Washington, Madison, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, Burr, and Hamilton. I often wondered what these men thought of each other and what were their interrelationships. Ellis answers our questions and reports on these 200-year old events as if they happened last week. Why did Burr and Hamilton, two intelligent and rational men, agree to duel? Why is the District of Columbia located on a swamp in the Potomac basin? Was Washington as perfect as we today assume he was? And why was Adams always so jealous of Thomas Jefferson? When these and many other questions have been answered, a residue of inspiration remains that motivates us all to carry on the Revolution!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent, readable account of the men of the Revolution
Review: For those who are interested in the men of the American Revolution, and those who have some knowledge of the events and men of those times, you will find this book a unique, insightful and entertaining read. Rather than following the standard chronological path through the crucial 1790's (the first precarious years of the new republic), Ellis instead chooses to define the times and issues by focusing on 6 key events which affected each man. Unlike some reviewers' posts here, I found the first 47 pages recounting the Hamilton-Burr duel fascinating. Ellis presents his subjects in a very human light. I, for one, finished the book with an even higher admiration for Washington; greater knowledge of Hamilton (whose genius and arrogant ambition reflected the best and worst of his times), greater appreciation for the significant contributions (and self absorbed vanity) of Adams, and finally, insight into the the duplicity and later redemption found in Jefferson. My only disappointment was that Franklin only received minor treatment in this book. The chapter on Washington's Farewell, and Ellis's treatise on the Slavery question are excellent. Full appreciation of the book does require some knowledge of the Revolution and early US History. Ellis's writing style is easy to read and absorb--and comes with great insight. I highly recommend this book to any student or fan of Early American History.
Rating:
Summary: History at it's best
Review: I thought the book was fantastic. The essay regarding the duel between Hamilton and Burr was excellent. It kept me hooked for the rest of the book. Jefferson's behind the scenes manuevering with Madison and the resultant birth of the modern political party was fascinating. It helped me understand the reasons for the acrimony (much of it well deserved) between Jefferson and Adams for all those years. My favorite essay was "The Friendship" wherein both Jefferson and Adams resume their correspondence and friendships with one another. Adams rather poignantly writes in an earlier letter: "You and I ought not to die before We have explained ourselves to each other." This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in years. I highly recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in the American Revolution.
Rating:
Summary: An Exceptional Historian
Review: An exceptional book is like an exceptional teacher; an academic career may only provide one or two memorable teachers, while books because of their constant renewal offer many opportunities for memorable Authors/Teachers. Mr. Joseph Ellis has produced just such a literary rarity with his work, "Founding Brothers". The events surrounding The American Revolution are familiar in generalities to most, and the information is generally romanticized beyond recognition. The Author has a very informative as well as a strong, appealing narrative style that communicates a wealth of facts but does not induce the drowsiness of many historical works whose pages turn as if made of lead. Some have taken issue with the Author's style as being too loose or informal, and by implication arguably less than accurate. The notes at the book's end are not normally an area I spend a great deal of time with, however in this instance the Author shares his philosophy toward providing "sensible" documentation to his book. I believe this is refreshing and answers any critics. Firstly, a complete listing of references would be longer than the book, and a completely honest disclosure would require that he dredge up every piece of information that he has read and been influenced by for 30 years. Finally, he comments on those sources he has found to be particularly useful to his work, and they were interesting enough for a reader to enjoy as well. Everyone will have their favorite from amongst the six sections of the book. I believe they all are uniformly excellent, however two were of greater interest to me. "The Duel" that took place between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton in 1804 is an oft-mentioned bit of this Country's History. I have read many accounts of the event and none approach the level of detail and perceptive commentary that Mr. Ellis has presented. This death of one man, and the death of another's career is a vastly complicated event. It is true the actual discharging of weapons took only a moment, and that is usually where the analysis stops, and then the consequences that follow are listed. Happily in this work this is not the case as the Author brings nearly 2 decades of acrimony between these two men to bear on why they eventually found themselves in mortal conflict. This background is documented with depth but also with restraint, all the information without needless additional commentary. Mr. Ellis writes very well. He can enjoy an economical use of words, as he does not suffer from the impairment of being fascinated with the sound of his thoughts. "The Friendship" has to be one of the most eloquent expositions of the final years of relations between 2 former Presidents, Adams and Jefferson. They may have been writing to one another, however they also documented their ideas of what the Revolution was for and what it meant, that the two men were polar opposites, from their style of speech, to their politics, personal conduct, and what they believed they had done for History, only makes the reading all the better. Again the Author communicates grand theories of these men, without getting tangled in minutiae. The Author clearly knows his subjects and he shares and expands his reader's knowledge with the skill that he employs with his pen. He is not a man who suffers from hero worship, nor is he a revisionist. Mr. Ellis does not present these Revolutionary players with the façade of Patriotism hiding faults, nor does he lack the objectivity to present all the players with scholarly detachment. If more Historians wrote in this style we would not be subject to the surveys that routinely demonstrate how Historically illiterate our Children and many adults are. History can be fascinating, or lethally dull. Those who present it will determine what we will know of our past, and happily Mr. Ellis is at the forefront of documenting History with style that is enticing to read, and with content that is meticulous and objective. Unconditionally recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Good History is good story telling
Review: This is a wonderful and fascinating history book dealing with the first decade of the American Republic and the key players in making it happen: Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, George Washington, and James Madison. Ellis treats this decade and the overlapping years as six events, each crucial to the survival of the fragile new nation: The Duel, The Dinner, The Silence, The Farewell, The Collaborators, and The Friendship. The most interesting to me are The Dinner and The Silence. Can you imagine a dinner hosted by Jefferson and attended by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, not exactly political allies? At the dinner a deal was struck which affects us to this day. Hamilton got what he wanted as did the Virginians. You may know what it concerned, but, if not, I don't want to give it away in this review. It may very well have been the most momentous political deal in American history. Now, consider the newly born US Congress in 1790: Two delegations to the House of Representatives presented petitions calling for an immediate end to the African slave trade. Two years prior it required a "deal with the devil" to secure the agreement of the Southern Slave States to the new Constitution. What happens when these delegations present the petitions? That is what the silence is all about and reading this interesting Chapter will give you a greater understanding of the events, starting in these early years of our republic, which led to the Civil War. This book, to me, makes history come alive. Ellis has the knack of the storyteller while losing nothing of the historian's acute requirement for accuracy.
Rating:
Summary: Great approach, fair presentation
Review: I loved the selection of stories that Mr. Ellis uses to depict the origins of this country. After I finished the book I could not help but feel like he had assumed more creative license than fact. Some of the interpretations he presented could not be reconciled. This is most evident in the way he translated some correspondence between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. I read "American Sphinx" and would never have thought the author of that book was the same as the author of this book. Founding Brothers is a good read, but a little frustrating at times.
Rating:
Summary: Simply superb
Review: Top notch--at least one nonfiction work that deserves its place on the bestseller lists. Joseph Ellis puts us as close to the hearts and minds of the Founders as we are ever likely to get. Although I wouldn't want to ascribe any particular agenda to Ellis' efforts, his scholarship helps to deflate the smug, self-righteous dismissals of men like Washington, Madison and Jefferson by many of our "postmodern" historians and their vulgarized followers. Ellis tries to approach these men and their world as they saw it--with all its uncertainties and dangers, without the benefit of hindsight we possess today. The results are astoundingly good, and Ellis' mastery of language is more than a small part of his success. Highly recommended.
| 
