In this original and illuminating book; Denise A. Spellberg reveals a little-known but crucial dimension of the story of American religious freedom—a drama in which Islam played a surprising role. In 1765; eleven years before composing the Declaration of Independence; Thomas Jefferson bought a Qur’an. This marked only the beginning of his lifelong interest in Islam; and he would go on to acquire numerous books on Middle Eastern languages; history; and travel; taking extensive notes on Islam as it relates to English common law. Jefferson sought to understand Islam notwithstanding his personal disdain for the faith; a sentiment prevalent among his Protestant contemporaries in England and America. But unlike most of them; by 1776 Jefferson could imagine Muslims as future citizens of his new country. Based on groundbreaking research; Spellberg compellingly recounts how a handful of the Founders; Jefferson foremost among them; drew upon Enlightenment ideas about the toleration of Muslims (then deemed the ultimate outsiders in Western society) to fashion out of what had been a purely speculative debate a practical foundation for governance in America. In this way; Muslims; who were not even known to exist in the colonies; became the imaginary outer limit for an unprecedented; uniquely American religious pluralism that would also encompass the actual despised minorities of Jews and Catholics. The rancorous public dispute concerning the inclusion of Muslims; for which principle Jefferson’s political foes would vilify him to the end of his life; thus became decisive in the Founders’ ultimate judgment not to establish a Protestant nation; as they might well have done. As popular suspicions about Islam persist and the numbers of American Muslim citizenry grow into the millions; Spellberg’s revelatory understanding of this radical notion of the Founders is more urgent than ever. Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an is a timely look at the ideals that existed at our country’s creation; and their fundamental implications for our present and future.
#558974 in Books Sears David 2011-10-04 2011-10-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .98 x 6.00l; 1.20 #File Name: 0306820102432 pagesSuch Men as These The Story of the Navy Pilots Who Flew the Deadly Skies Over Korea
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The men who made up the characters that were in "The bridges of Toko-ri"By Charles B.This was a really great book that covered an interesting bit of history; which is why it should be 3.5 and maybe pushing 3.9 on the star rating system. There are a few downers; first is the huge cast of people the author introduces; which you lose track of who is who after the author spent some chapters development on their background. While a couple of folks mentioned in the opening; some famous aviators and astronauts get passing mentions later in the book. Then the biggest fault is the lack of maps. The mention of towns; airfields and operating areas were prolific in the book; but without good maps you could be anywhere when the stories of pilot rescue or survival were mentioned. No frame of reference as to how dangerous an aircraft that has seconds to stay aloft is when the description of a town could place you over Trenton on the way to Philadelphia or deep over the mountains and the nearest civilization is a week hike south. So the lack of maps really frustrated me in reading this book. Finally; what kept it from being a four star was the typos. From names being misspelled in one paragraph and spelt right the next down to some designation of aircraft or units that were done right and wrong multiple times on the same page.That said this is a good book that tries to humanize the air war over Korea from the men who flew off the USN carriers. Most of them were reservists who either just missed being in WW2 or had served and when the post WW2 drawdown occurred wanted to keep flying but couldn't on active duty. If you are a history buff and have read anything of Naval Aviation after WW2 then some of these stories you have heard. From the Jesse L. Brown story and his wingman Tom Hudner who crash lands in the same mountains to save the first black aviator; to the use of torpedoes against a dam that the Chinese controlled; to the attempts to bomb the rail and roads and starve the Communist armies. Intermixed in these stories is the arrival of Michener an author of note who was working as a newspaper correspondent and spent almost a year on the Navy carriers getting stories. Some of which would form the bones of the novel Michener would later write. Also; mixed in this was the history of the Korean War. It's a good book if only to make more readable and accessible some of the stories that history buffs and drier history tomes have told of the U.S. Na y and it's Naval Aviators over the skies of Korea. This book ready humanized those folks stuck with both jets and props as the planes they would fly in those skies.14 of 14 people found the following review helpful. No mention of CVG-7 in this fine book?By Richard E. CaldaroneI found "Men Such as These" to be very well-written. However; as a member of fighter squadron VF-72; an F9F Panther jet squadron in CVG-7 aboard the BON HOMME RICHARD CV-31; Task Force 77; I was disappointed that there was no mention at all of our 7 month tour off Korea operating out of Yokosuka; Japan. Our ship and the CVG-7 squadrons played a significant role in naval operations during the war.BON HOMME RICHARD departed San Diego on 10 May for the Far East. She joined TF-77 off Korea on 29 May and launched her first air strikes 31 May. BON HOMME RICHARD continued operations with TF 77 until 20 November 1951. The carrier reached San Diego in mid-December 1951 and on 20 May 1952 was off again to the Far East.She joined TF 77 once more on 23 June 1952 and took part in the heavy strikes against the North Korean power complex (24-25 June) and the amphibious feint at Kojo (12-16 October). She continued operations against North Korean targets until 18 December 1952 and then steamed to San Francisco where she arrived 8 January 1953. Her classification was changed from CV 31 to CVA 31; 1 October 1952.Despite this omission; I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of naval aviation in Korea.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A "must have" Korean War BookBy T. BallouThis is an excellent and well researched short history of the carrier war in Korea; targeted mainly; as is most Korean War history; at the first brutal; terribly desperate year of the war. It tells the stories of a group of very brave men pulled from their peacetime lives to fly mostly obsolete WWII aircraft pulled from mothballs off WWII aircraft carriers into one of the harshest environments they had ever experienced. My dad was there on the Carrier USS Leyte in the fall and winter of 1950 (I was in the first grade and didn't understand it at all) and I've always been interested in the war stories he would never tell. He took the loss of each of those pilots personally. You'll find buried here the real story of the "Bridges at Toko-Ri"; a Michener tale that; as with most of Michener's work; wasn't far from the tragic truth. It's a great book and I give it 5 stars. It has a prominent place in my military history collection.
