A fluent; intelligent history...give[s] the reader a feel for the human quirks and harsh demands of life at sea.―New York Times Book Review Before the ink was dry on the U.S. Constitution; the establishment of a permanent military became the most divisive issue facing the new government. The founders―particularly Jefferson; Madison; and Adams―debated fiercely. Would a standing army be the thin end of dictatorship? Would a navy protect from pirates or drain the treasury and provoke hostility? Britain alone had hundreds of powerful warships. From the decision to build six heavy frigates; through the cliff-hanger campaign against Tripoli; to the war that shook the world in 1812; Ian W. Toll tells this grand tale with the political insight of Founding Brothers and the narrative flair of Patrick O'Brian.
#1084096 in Books 1997-01-17 1997-01-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x 1.00 x 6.10l; 1.17 #File Name: 039331510X368 pages
Review
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Science Literacy=Understanding our Founding FathersBy C. M. LevinCohen does an excellent job in describing how the Founding Fathers based so much of our country's most vital documents-the Declaration of Independence the Constitution- their other writings; such as the Federalist Letters; on the science of their time; which Franklin Jefferson had a great part in the making. In our time; as we look at the sad state of scientific literacy; are we in danger of losing our grasp of thse documents because the underlying concepts of science aren't understood?
