From the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner; a fresh; authoritative history that recasts our thinking about America’s founding period.The American Revolution is often portrayed as a high-minded; orderly event whose capstone; the Constitution; provided the ideal framework for a democratic; prosperous nation. Alan Taylor; two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize; gives us a different creation story in this magisterial history of the nation’s founding.Rising out of the continental rivalries of European empires and their native allies; Taylor’s Revolution builds like a ground fire overspreading Britain’s mainland colonies; fueled by local conditions; destructive; hard to quell. Conflict ignited on the frontier; where settlers clamored to push west into Indian lands against British restrictions; and in the seaboard cities; where commercial elites mobilized riots and boycotts to resist British tax policies. When war erupted; Patriot crowds harassed Loyalists and nonpartisans into compliance with their cause. Brutal guerrilla violence flared all along the frontier from New York to the Carolinas; fed by internal divisions as well as the clash with Britain. Taylor skillfully draws France; Spain; and native powers into a comprehensive narrative of the war that delivers the major battles; generals; and common soldiers with insight and power.With discord smoldering in the fragile new nation through the 1780s; nationalist leaders such as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton sought to restrain unruly state democracies and consolidate power in a Federal Constitution. Assuming the mantle of “We the People;†the advocates of national power ratified the new frame of government. But their opponents prevailed in the presidency of Thomas Jefferson; whose vision of a western “empire of liberty†aligned with the long-standing; expansive ambitions of frontier settlers. White settlement and black slavery spread west; setting the stage for a civil war that nearly destroyed the union created by the founders. 37 illustrations; 10 maps
#1524466 in Books 1998-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.75 x 6.50 x 1.75l; #File Name: 0393046729910 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Highly interesting; Thoroughly-researched; Desperately in need of an edit for brevity/missing/imperfect terminologyBy Catherine ElizabethI knew next to nothing about the exploration of the Middle East or Africa during the mid- to late-1800's before I read this book. Obviously; that meant I knew nothing about Richard or Isabel Burton; the primary subjects of the book.I really appreciated the thoroughness of the author’s research. Every single available detail of the Burton’s lives from beginning to end is included or at least referenced in the book. Very often; the author includes detailed explanations as to where she acquired the source material; giving the book a true feeling of authenticity which is often lacking in biographies.This book should have been a 5-star book; but by the time I was halfway through it; I was seriously considering stopping; and by the time I was finally finished; I nearly hated it. I normally love to read historical biographies. I am not a historian; so I fully expect to come across terms; names; cities; etc. that I won’t be familiar with. As I read; I keep a list of names/terms I don’t recognize so I can look them up later.This book gets 3 stars primarily because I had to look up nearly 1;000 terms (I kept my list for reference) while reading the book. The author constantly used archaic; outdated; and obscure terminology; she referenced names of people and places with no follow-up; she threw in hundreds of foreign words without corresponding translations. I was frustrated and irritated with constantly having to stop and Google words like Bashi-bazouk; Biafra; gazetted; Hajji; orchitis; and Sufism. A glossary or explanatory footnotes is sorely needed.The book also gets 3 stars because it is; quite simply; too long. The author should have decided whether she was writing biographies (which would certainly reference adventures); or a detailed description of Richard Burton’s explorations. She swings from detailed personal information about Richard or Isabel; to long and overly-specific passages about an individual adventure. The book is really two books in that sense; which makes it too long and added to my frustration when reading it.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. At last a good Bio of Sir Richard and his wifeBy CustomerAt last a good Bio of Sir Richard and his wife. As I thought she was truly his friend and companion as he was to her. A solid good marriage that speaks to love that Isabel had for him and her illness and real joy to join her husband in which became their travel`s.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. It's ok but a bit longBy Peter D. BelloneI just finished this one and I believe it could have been half the length. Overall it is a good read but I found it lacking regarding the subject of sex and his interest and research into the topic. Does anybody have a recommendation for more a juicier biography of his life?
