Rating: Summary: Excellent source of quotes on God and America Review: "America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations" is exactly as the title proclaims, a collection of quotations that refer to God and especially as related to America. William Federer has done an excellent job of collection these quotations, documenting his sources, and giving some background on the individuals. That does not mean that there are not some curious quirks in the book. For example, for many of the people quoted he has included a small picture of them. However, at the entry for William Henry Seward, who was Secretary of State under Lincoln, there is no picture of Seward, but one of Lincoln.Entries are listed alphabetically by the person being quoted. Which is great if you are looking up a quote by someone in particular like Abraham Lincoln. What if you don't know who made a quote but want to look it up by subject? No problem, as the author has also included a subject index at the back of the book. This is an excellent book and a recommended resource for those who might be looking for a particular quote from a founding father, court, state constitution, or more modern person such as Martin Luther King, Jr. However, it should be understood that it many not accurately portray the complete attitudes of our nation at any given time. If someone from another country were to read the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. and conclude from these words that the United States was a haven of peace in the 1960's with non-violence being the rule we would all be quick to point out how wrong they were. However, there are no quotes in this book from that time period that would indicate otherwise. This is true to the author's stated intent - these are quotes about "America's God and Country" and any other items are not included. To realize that a conclusion like the one about the United States during the time of Martin Luther King, Jr. is completely a farce and still race to make the same conclusion about our Founding Fathers is ludicrous. And yet, I see that as the greatest problem with this book; people will use it for the purpose of "proving" that the United States was based on a Judeo-Christian philosophy without any consideration of the social context, habits, or other writers, statesmen, or leaders of the time. Still, I rank it a highly recommended read as the author has done an excellent job of doing just what he purposed to do with the book. Well researched, well documented, and well organized it should be in most libraries.
Rating: Summary: Excellent source of quotes on God and America Review: "America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations" is exactly as the title proclaims, a collection of quotations that refer to God and especially as related to America. William Federer has done an excellent job of collection these quotations, documenting his sources, and giving some background on the individuals. That does not mean that there are not some curious quirks in the book. For example, for many of the people quoted he has included a small picture of them. However, at the entry for William Henry Seward, who was Secretary of State under Lincoln, there is no picture of Seward, but one of Lincoln. Entries are listed alphabetically by the person being quoted. Which is great if you are looking up a quote by someone in particular like Abraham Lincoln. What if you don't know who made a quote but want to look it up by subject? No problem, as the author has also included a subject index at the back of the book. This is an excellent book and a recommended resource for those who might be looking for a particular quote from a founding father, court, state constitution, or more modern person such as Martin Luther King, Jr. However, it should be understood that it many not accurately portray the complete attitudes of our nation at any given time. If someone from another country were to read the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. and conclude from these words that the United States was a haven of peace in the 1960's with non-violence being the rule we would all be quick to point out how wrong they were. However, there are no quotes in this book from that time period that would indicate otherwise. This is true to the author's stated intent - these are quotes about "America's God and Country" and any other items are not included. To realize that a conclusion like the one about the United States during the time of Martin Luther King, Jr. is completely a farce and still race to make the same conclusion about our Founding Fathers is ludicrous. And yet, I see that as the greatest problem with this book; people will use it for the purpose of "proving" that the United States was based on a Judeo-Christian philosophy without any consideration of the social context, habits, or other writers, statesmen, or leaders of the time. Still, I rank it a highly recommended read as the author has done an excellent job of doing just what he purposed to do with the book. Well researched, well documented, and well organized it should be in most libraries.
Rating: Summary: GREAT BOOK Review: An excellent read for anyone educated since the 60's. Learn what they never taught you in school. I am amazed at the insight I've gained into the founding fathers' vision and intent for the government they created. Definitely only for those with an open mind and a desire to know the truth.
Rating: Summary: Christian supremacy handbook Review: I skimmed the copy of a friend and hope to read it in more detail soon. Usually, when a book has so many extremely positive reviews, it's a polemic or simple entertainment. I was disappointed to see the content is 90% white males. Among the token blacks Frederick Douglass received 1/4 the text of James Dobson. Who struggled and overcame more hardship? Women are covered, usually as appendages of a man, with some exceptions such as Helen Keller. Of course, this is not a collection of the complete writings of the Founders. The author picks and choses carefully to supply arguments implying we have always been and must need a theocracy of Judeo-Christianity. It is not balanced but is informative of a certain perspective - one that leaves out a significant input by women or natives or persons of color. I'd like to see an alternative equivalent - quotes against excessive religious zeal by some Founders and their contemporaries.
Rating: Summary: THE prerequisite to reading all founding documents Review: In all my studies throughout my childhood, schooling, military service, college, community activities, and charitable organization work. During which I tried to comprehend and understand, our great country and it's beginnings. I have found nothing more equal to this book. In my attempt to decern the true meanings of our founding documents and our founders most basic intentions, I began at the end with the Constitution and worked backwords. How much easier it would have been to have Mr. Federer's book at the beginning. Throughout my search and in all the documents and books I have read, I have attempted to understand the inner souls of our founders, their families, their philosophies, their beliefs and their hopes. It saddens me greatly, that I did not have this book to read prior to starting that great and rewarding adventure. For it confirms what it has taken me a youthful lifetime to find out for myself and to develope an in depth understanding which I believe I have finally arrived at. This book is the quentisential prerequisite to understanding the true American Dream, it's purpose and our founders original intentions in all their thoughts, words and deeds. American youth, parents, administrators, scholars, and politicians need this book to bring them back to the true founders path. That path based upon the realities of their understanding and not the falsehoods of our hypocritical scholars of today. America's God and Country should be required reading in every single school room, every office building, every legal office and should sit on the bench beside every single Judge in this land. Especially the United States Supreme Court whom seem to have completely lost their way, their duty and their limits of interference. For it cast a disgusting shadow over the degeneracy of our Judical, legal and political system which have terribly gone far astray today. I would recommend that this book, "America's God and Country" be the first book some one read prior to embarking upon an exploration of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution of the United States, the Northwest Ordinance and the Federalist Papers, all essential documents to our heritage. This book will without question, give the reader the preliminary and basic understanding from which all other issues flow. After which a reading of some of those current books by William Bennett and other such authors will make much more sence. Without it's indespensible wisdom the reader has no foundation or superstructure form which to begin. It is the wisdom of the ages inculcated in a single book. A must read for anyone who seeks the truth.
Rating: Summary: THE prerequisite to reading all founding documents Review: In all my studies throughout my childhood, schooling, military service, college, community activities, and charitable organization work. During which I tried to comprehend and understand, our great country and it's beginnings. I have found nothing more equal to this book. In my attempt to decern the true meanings of our founding documents and our founders most basic intentions, I began at the end with the Constitution and worked backwords. How much easier it would have been to have Mr. Federer's book at the beginning. Throughout my search and in all the documents and books I have read, I have attempted to understand the inner souls of our founders, their families, their philosophies, their beliefs and their hopes. It saddens me greatly, that I did not have this book to read prior to starting that great and rewarding adventure. For it confirms what it has taken me a youthful lifetime to find out for myself and to develope an in depth understanding which I believe I have finally arrived at. This book is the quentisential prerequisite to understanding the true American Dream, it's purpose and our founders original intentions in all their thoughts, words and deeds. American youth, parents, administrators, scholars, and politicians need this book to bring them back to the true founders path. That path based upon the realities of their understanding and not the falsehoods of our hypocritical scholars of today. America's God and Country should be required reading in every single school room, every office building, every legal office and should sit on the bench beside every single Judge in this land. Especially the United States Supreme Court whom seem to have completely lost their way, their duty and their limits of interference. For it cast a disgusting shadow over the degeneracy of our Judical, legal and political system which have terribly gone far astray today. I would recommend that this book, "America's God and Country" be the first book some one read prior to embarking upon an exploration of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution of the United States, the Northwest Ordinance and the Federalist Papers, all essential documents to our heritage. This book will without question, give the reader the preliminary and basic understanding from which all other issues flow. After which a reading of some of those current books by William Bennett and other such authors will make much more sence. Without it's indespensible wisdom the reader has no foundation or superstructure form which to begin. It is the wisdom of the ages inculcated in a single book. A must read for anyone who seeks the truth.
Rating: Summary: GREAT BOOK Review: This book is a great collection of quotes, historical documents, and early court decisions that show the Godly Nature of our Founding Fathers. The book is arranged in alphabetical order and provides quick and easy reference. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the true history of our nation, and who wishes to debunk the revisionist historians in our modern day.
Rating: Summary: America's true past (now missing in history books) Review: This book is an EXCELLENT reference book - these quotes and ideas are what this country was founded on - they are not just non-religious bits & pieces found in today's history books. Whether you agree or disagree with each statement, this is history: these are the ideas of the Founding Fathers and the ideals that the country were founded upon. You can pick up this book anytime, open to any page, and read some of the best material you can ever find.
Rating: Summary: Required Reading For All Americans ! Review: This book proves from the mouth of the founding fathers that America, so revered now by all the countries of the world (Evey one wants to move here), was built upon Biblical Principles. Blesses are the people whose God is the Lord ... And nations that Forget God will be turned into hell (KJV Psalms). This book is not some man's interpertation of History, it is full of facts on how God made a wilderness into a fruitful land. In 400+ years the blessings of Jesus Christ made America the most prosperous land on Earth. If America forgets its Christian hertiage it will become a Wilderness again.
Rating: Summary: dogma disquised as history Review: This is not so much an encyclopedia as it is an encyclopedic religious polemic. Its "Topical Index" contains an entry on almost every Christian sect in America from the Quakers to the Romans, but not a single reference to any branch of Judaism, (or any other non-Christian faith for that matter). However, atheism, paganism and cannibalism DO get their own entries! Go figure.
There are few quotes in here from non-Christians. No Jewish Supreme Court Justices, or Jewish statesmen or Jewish military leaders are quoted, but Conrad Hilton, a Christian hotel manager and playboy gets half a page. Non-Christians like Albert Einstein only get a couple of short, out-of-context blurbs.
If you agree with folks at Amerisearch, the publishers of "America's God and Country" and believe that the Founding Fathers were just joking around about the First Amendment. then you will have no problem with this book. But if you need a more inclusive reference work on the religious, and philosophical fabric of the United States, move on, this one has tunnelvision. It is very biased, to the point of creepy, with gaping omissions and therefore too compromised to be useful as a legitimate reference. Perhaps in the next edition they'll have a nice quote from Paris Hilton.
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