The Bukwyrm

Posted 8:33 AM by FaerieKissed
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J Ellis

I read this book about two years ago, but picked it up again for a class offered on Barnes & Noble University online. This book is an excellent introduction to early American politics. Ellis's premise is that the political world of the 1790s through 1800s was based on character and personal interactions.

The book is divided into six sections. The first section, The Duel, examines the events that led to the Interview at Weehawken between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. Ellis reveals the characters of both men and shows how their ambitions led them to that fateful morning. This vignette intrigued me so much that when Thomas Fleming's Duel was released, I had to buy it to learn more.

The second section, The Dinner, is based on Thomas Jefferson's account of a dinner he held with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison to finalize a compromise where Hamilton's plan for the Federal government to absorb all of the state's Revolutionary debts and tax them accordingly was resolved in regards to the Commonwealth of Virginia (which had paid most of its debts and didn't want to be responsible for the debts of other states) and where the location for the national capitol was agreed (along the Potomac).

The third section, The Silence, describes how one of the most respected men of the era, Benjamin Franklin, could not break the silence imposed by the new government on itself regarding slavery. This section clearly explains why the founding fathers deliberately took it off the table.

The fourth section, The Farewell, examines George Washington's Farewell Address and its historical impact. Ellis really uses this section to bring out the theme of personal character. Washington is an example of the ideal leader for the fledgling nation. A person who is always willing to relinquish his power for the greater good.

The fifth section is entitled, The Collaborators and explores the early collaboration of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson and the eventual division between the two. Ellis also focuses on the later collaborations of John Adams and his wife, Abigail, and the collaboration of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. This section is one of the few times I have read much of anything regarding the Adams presidency (outside of his biographies). Ellis states what every political figure of the time knew, that whoever followed Washington into the presidency was ultimately destined for failure.

The sixth section, The Friendship, chronicles the road to reconciliation between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Ellis frames his book between two different methods of resolving differences and makes the comparison between the two situations very clear. Burr and Hamilton cannot get past proving themselves in the right and the other in the wrong. Adams and Jefferson agree to explain themselves to each other (and for posterity) and recognize that they will never reach an agreement.

All in all, the book gets a bit dry in parts. Ellis provides a lot of information as background for the events he discusses. I think I got much more out of the second reading and will probably get more with each future re-reading.

Posted 7:53 AM by FaerieKissed
Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

This is the July selection for the Friends of the Library Book Club. They decided to read a children's book in July as something light and wouldn't take much time. I liked this book. It is a story of an 11 year old boy who is in search of his father whom he believes is a leader of a jazz band. It is told in the first person point of view, and I found the voice to be believable.

Curtis sets his story against the Great Depression. This background provides a wonderful way for him to have his readers experience what living in the 1930s may have been like for a young black boy. In the afterword, Curtis encourages his young readers to talk with their grandparents and listen to their stories about their lives. For it is in the handing down of these stories that the past becomes immortal.