Rating: 
Summary: A Real Kick in the Pants
Review: When I first started reading this book I did not know what to expect. As I continued to read, it began to really intrigue me as to why Benjamin Franklin Bache (Ben Franklin's Grandson) and William Duane would write some of the things they did in their paper called the "Aurora." Apparently, they knew some things that were occurring in early American affairs that we were obviously not taught in school several hundred years later, and in their attempt to report these events functionaries in very high places of the U.S. government (Washington, Adams, and others) were trying to keep these things from leaking out. Bache and Duane were accused of sedition by both John Adams (whom they spilled wanted to be King and begin a monarchy as opposed to a democracy. This was something that I had already actually studied in my undergrad work) and George Washington. Adams and Washington apparently tried to have Bache and Duane put in jail for sedition and their "heretical" opinions and reports of the U.S. government. While much of what these men actually reported would not be considered so controversial today, it was apparently very controversial 200 years ago.The book is simply a compilation of the Newspaper "Aurora" from Thursday, March 1, 1798 to Wednesday, March 4, 1801, with notes and comments from the editor Richard N. Rosenfeld. The book (or rather the newspaper) discussed such issues as new laws that were implemented and their impact on certain situations, the lives of John Adams, and George Washington, certain wars that were occurring overseas and what America's role was in these events, freedom of speech issues, and much more. I think the most intriguing aspect of the book was being able to actually read a public newspaper that existed 200 years ago and to see what was on the minds of the people, and what was actually taking place at that time. Overall, this book was strangely informative and surprising. These men (Bache and Duane) were simply reporting stories what they thought the American people had a constitutional right to know during a time when the ideas and philosophies of the American constitution were being tried and fitted. This book is definitely not your run of the mill "history textbook" that seems to demonstrate a "prim and proper" history of the U.S.. No, this book is all the warts and scabs that are apparent in a country that was founded on controversial issues and events. This is, as the back cover totes, "The American History that We Weren't Suppose to Know."
Rating:
Summary: Irritating at first but when it gets going, it's great.
Review: You will notice that even the reviewers that hate this book are passionate in their hatred. Which is more than you can say for those damn text books that went something like Our FOUNDING FATHERS blah blah, Founding fathers blah blah, etc... that's because this book fleshes out these historical figures, makes you like them and hate them. Part One sets the stage with the initial articles of The Aurora claiming that Adams is a monarchist who only wants to be king. Published by William Duane and Benny Bache (grandson of Benjamin Franklin) the Aurora pulls no punches and neither do its detractors. The historical background is told from the perspective of Duane which is irritating at first because you feel like you are being confronted rather than informed. The articles seem just a little bit like a radical college student rambling on about how bad everything is (Gore Vidal's history books are like this as well). Part Two goes back to before the Revolutionary War to trace the personal and professional conflict between John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. Adams wants a government like England's while Franklin sees a one house parliament as ideal (much like Revolutionary France). Not only are they split in the professional sense but they don't like each other either. Washington is seen as a spoiled elitist who spends all his time whining about the army when its Franklin that wins the war by involving France. Part Three comes up to the 1800s in which Adams' Sedition Law is in effect and one by one papers that are seen as disloyal face jail sentences and high fines. Most are shut down. Aurora stays in business even though the publisher has to go into hiding. There are street brawls and open hostilities as every article of the bill of rights is challenged by the Adams administration. The problems don't end until Jefferson's election. Important things in this book -- many of the Founding Fathers hated each other. Washington was a popular president more due to reputation than anything presidential. Adams could be compared to George Bush in many ways (vice president for mediocre popular president, mediocre president, loses election to charismatic whoremonger, son goes into politics), History is a LOT more interesting than the high school textbook would have you believe. Love this book or hate it, you won't come away neutral.
| 
