Rating: 
Summary: Slow read
Review: This book appears to be written for academia and peers. The author includes many quotes from the revolutionary period and his own narrative smacks of the old English used during that era with the effect being that you feel mired in language and ornate wording rather than entertained by history.
Rating: 
Summary: Founding Brothers ¿The Revolutionary Generation¿
Review: Founding Brothers,"The Revolutionary Generation", is a collection of stories of event in our history. Each of the six chapters focuses was on the experience they went through and events that occurred. This is a great book if you would like to know facts about our history and learn a little more then from reading form a text book.
Rating: 
Summary: if only History books in school were like tihs
Review: An excellent history book - one that makes the men of the American Revolution come alive. History, in its truest and best form, is not merely about names, dates and events, but about the people behind the events. The Why's of history are best answered and understood when understanding the Who's that were behind the events. It not only gives us the best picture of history, but certainly the most interesting.
Ellis's work on Washington was most poignant for me, opening up the stoic figure a bit more than I had ever experienced. Jefferson and Adams are brought alive as well, with the ebbs and tides of their lives and relationships brought before us as if they were just a few cousins away from our own family.
If you love history, you will love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: What a wonderful book. Not to set in the doldrums of minor details, and not set to high as to escape reality. Not only does it show the shining examples of leadership, courage and elegance of some of the founding fathers, but some of their warts too. I enjoyed the break up of the chapters and the vivid attention to the painting of the personalities of the players and how they interacted.I enjoyed the insightful way he wrote about most of the touchy subjects without seeming to have an opinion of them his self. The slavery issue is covered quite well from the state view though somewhat passed over with some of the leading characters I think. Jefferson comes across with not only his stunning intellect and communication skills but with the hidden sourness and backbiting that many history books seem to enjoy skipping over or talking about nonstop. His self-delusion is shown while not tarnishing his other stunning communication abilities. Adams takes such a stubborn feel at first, but ends up coming across as such a "bark worst then his bite" kind of person, who sometimes just cant seem to be quiet at the right moments. His stubbornness seems to later not come from blind ignorance as much as wisdom. The interaction between adams and jefferson is the best I've read - complete with the flightiness of jefferson and the grounding of adams while still talking about their years of personal comflict from their political sliding and disagreement. Washington was wonderful if not maybe I think a bit short, while franklin's part was my favorite. Ellis seems to somehow show so many different sides to these men while keeping the scene true to the times then and not now. What an amazing writer?! Hamilton and washingtons bonding over jeffersons gets its due, and ellis (I think) does a good job of showing the growing anger from jefferson and the creation of the seed of the parties in america. He seems to touch so many theads of the people - from paines biting laters later on washington and hamiltons inside war against his own party. I cant see why more teachers dont use this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Review of the American Begining
Review: Ellis presents the American Revolution in six "bite size" stories. This structure allows the reader to enjoy American History without wadding through hundreds of pages of text. The six short stories presented by Ellis don't make conclusions, but present, in very simple terms, what occurred and presents options as to how the event may be interpreted. A real easy read, especially if you are an American History buff, and a great review on the American Revolution. My favorite story was where Ellis presents the dinner meeting between Jefferson, Madison and Hamiliton on the subject of the federal assumption of the states' debt. Here, Ellis tells us why the Capitol is in Washington, D.C and not Philidelphia. Without elaboration, it was a deal struck between the two Virginians, Jefferson and Madison, in exchange for assumption of states' debts by the larger federal government. Assumption of state debt assisted the northern colonies (Hamilton was from New York and a great financial mind) who had larger debt; moving the Capitol from the north to the new District of Columbia allowed Virgina to have closer access to the nation's Capitol (travel was difficult in these times and, right after the war, there was concern with having a government so far away) as well as an economic boost. The story is conveyed effortlessly and well and leaves the reader feeling as though he or she were sitting like a fly on the wall listening to these intellectual giants discuss this deal. I would recommend this book strongly and, read together with John Adams by David McCullough, providers a great backround in the American Revolution. If the reader decides to read only one of these, the Founding Fathers is really a short and great priemer on the American Revolution. Thanks go to Ellis for providing such a good read on the American Revolution.
Rating:
Summary: Attention All Historians . . .
Review: This book is a must read for all historians, especially early American historians. Ellis takes well known historical stories and events and explains the reasons, history, and motives behind the actions of the founding fathers of the United States. This is not that long of a book and is full of interesting facts and stories. Thank you Joseph Ellis for your research.
Rating:
Summary: Another Book on the Revolution?
Review: If you're like me, the first question you want answered in approaching a new book on the American Revolution is "What does this book have that the other countless volumes on the same subject do not?" From reading the preface, it's clear that Ellis himself wrestled with this issue. H Ellis's accomplishment is in illustrating the genesis of America's ideological war between federalism and state's rights through a facinating study of the founders' character. Not only do we learn of the personalities
Rating:
Summary: Insightful, Moving, Scrupulous
Review: My favorite among the chapters of this book is the second, "The Dinner." It tells much about how key points in Hamilton's financial project became law, and the opposition that was building over the Hamiltonian vision even before the big fight over a central bank. Jefferson became the chief opponent of Hamilton's bank, of course. But in June 1790, matters hadn't gotten that far. Hamilton was trying to regularize the debts of the various states, incurred in the course of the revolution, consolidate them into one national debt and account for it responsibly. This consolidation already looked suspicious to Madison and in THIS stage of the conflict, Jefferson appears not as a combatant but as the mediator. Ellis tells the story well, and insightfully. One passage about the attitude toward debts, and toward money in general, among the Virginian landed aristocracy is priceless -- Ellis explains convincing why a certain sort of gentleman took "considerable pride in not having the dimmest understanding of what Hamilton was talking about."
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Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: I have always been fascinated with American history. Since I was a boy American history was the subject that kept me intrested with school. When I got to college my survey courses in American history expanded my fascination with the subject. At first, the Civil War was the area I wanted to immerse myself in. And immerse myself I did. A few upper level Civil War history courses and some outside reading from the experts satisfied my quest for American history knowledge. After graduating my fascination started to dwindle. I figured I was out of school so why read. This changed when I read a short history of the American Revolution. After reading that book my fascination with the subject re-surfaced and while my mind was drifting back to the surface of American history footnotes lead me to Joseph Ellis. His book, The Founding Brothers is a masterpiece! It is a must read for every American who wishes to know a bit more about the founding memebrs of our nation. His prose is fantastic. At times, putting the book down was a struggle. He takes the subject matter and explains it for all to understand. This book has lead me back to American history and I am pondering a trip back to school and have already purchased another book written by Ellis.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Read
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I felt it captured the critical period of the 1790's wonderfully.
There were so many facts I was unaware of.
Thank you Mr. Ellis
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