91大神

Book Reviews

From the Minnesota Star Tribune:

Declaring Independence, Edward J. Larson

Get ready for a million books about 1776, in anticipation of our country鈥檚 250th birthday next year. This one, from a Pulitzer Prize winner (for his brilliant book about the Scopes monkey trial, 鈥淪ummer for the Gods鈥�), focuses narrowly on that pivotal year. Larson traces the events that took the Founding Fathers from barely thinking about the idea of independence in January to declaring it just a few months later. Subtitled 鈥淲hy 1776 Matters,鈥� the book also argues that July wasn鈥檛 an open-and-shut declaration, with the following months producing lots of colonial handwringing. (Nov. 11)

“Declaring Independence is a brilliant illumination of the self-evident truths that inspired America鈥檚 revolutionary war against the tyrannical British monarchy. On the eve of our 250th anniversary, if we are to reclaim our founding ideals of democratic self-government and rule by law, we should begin by poring over every studied page of Edward J. Larson鈥檚 anniversary gift to America.”鈥� J. Michael Luttig, former U.S. Court of Appeals Judge

“At a time when the guardrails of our democracy are being tested, it is vitally important to understand the foundations of American government. Edward J. Larson has written a magnificent book that explains how pivotal 1776 was for liberty, equality, and democracy. This beautifully written history is stunning in its lessons for today.”鈥� Erwin Chemerinsky, author of No Democracy Lasts Forever

“Edward J. Larson鈥檚 eloquent and illuminating Declaring Independence ranks as the indispensable history to read as Americans prepare for our 250th anniversary as a nation.”鈥� Douglas Brinkley, author of Silent Spring Revolution

“A profound account of a pivotal year, 1776, with special emphasis on the generative state constitutions and state declarations of rights that took shape that year. If you want to understand America鈥攁ll of it, deeply, widely, then, now, and in between鈥攔ead Larson.”鈥� Akhil Reed Amar, author of Born Equal

“Timely and timeless.”鈥� Susan Dunn, author of Jefferson’s Second Revolution