Founding Brothers

The Revolutionary Generation (Pulitzer Prize Winner)

By: Joseph J. Ellis

Narrated by: Bob Walter

Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

An illuminating study of the intertwined lives of the founders of the American republic - John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington.

During the 1790s, which Ellis calls the most decisive decade in our nation's history, the greatest statesmen of their generation - and perhaps any - came together to define the new republic and direct its course for the coming centuries. Ellis focuses on six discrete moments that exemplify the most crucial issues facing the fragile new nation: Burr and Hamilton's deadly duel and what may have really happened; Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison's secret dinner, during which the seat of the permanent capital was determined in exchange for passage of Hamilton's financial plan; Franklin's petition to end the "peculiar institution" of slavery - his last public act - and Madison's efforts to quash it; Washington's precedent-setting Farewell Address, announcing his retirement from public office and offering his country some final advice; Adams' difficult term as Washington's successor and his alleged scheme to pass the presidency on to his son; and finally Adams and Jefferson's renewed correspondence at the ends of their lives, in which they compared their different views of the Revolution and its legacy.

In a lively and engaging narrative, Ellis recounts the sometimes collaborative, sometimes archly antagonistic interactions between these men and shows us the private characters behind the public personas: Adams, the ever-combative iconoclast whose closest political collaborator was his wife, Abigail; Burr - crafty, smooth, and one of the most despised public figures of his time; Hamilton, whose audacious manner and deep economic savvy masked his humble origins; Jefferson, renowned for his eloquence but so reclusive and taciturn that he rarely spoke more than a few sentences in public; Madison - small, sickly, and paralyzingly shy yet one of the most effective debaters of his generation; and the stiffly formal Washington, the ultimate realist, larger than life, and America's only truly indispensable figure.

Ellis argues that the checks and balances that permitted the infant American republic to endure were not primarily legal, constitutional, or institutional but intensely personal, rooted in the dynamic interaction of leaders with quite different visions and values. Revisiting the old-fashioned idea that character matters, Founding Brothers informs our understanding of American politics - then and now - and gives us a new perspective on the unpredictable forces that shape history.

©2003 Joseph J. Ellis (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Founding Brothers is a wonderful book, one of the best ... on the Founders ever written.... Ellis has established himself as the Founders’ historian for our time.” —Gordon S. Wood, The New York Review of Books

“Vivid and unforgettable ... [an] enduring achievement.” —The Boston Globe

“A splendid book—humane, learned, written with flair and radiant with a calm intelligence and wit.” —The New York Times Book Review

Really insightful!

Good read. Goes by quick as you get see how all the founding fathers worked together during that time frame.

Fabulous Deep Dive!

This is a marvelous book! I learned so much. The author provides analysis of specific events in our history and even better, he does a deep dive into the backstory and psyche of the participants. Thoroughly entertaining and fascinating, beautifully written.

The quality of the writing style and fine attention to detail.

The unconventional structure of the book beginning with the Hamilton-Burr duel, concluding with the Adam’s-Jefferson friendship, and the conflicts in between that challenged our nascent nation was intriguing and fascinating.

The beautiful and eloquent writing style of Ellis made for entertaining and captivating read.

Intricately Woven Historical Scholarship

The richness of detail applied in this tightly constructed narrative on the events and motivations navigated by the key figures of the founding fathers of the US government is such that it is difficult to choose a convenient point to pause lstening without interrupting the flow. Each sentence follows intricately upon the next. Chapter breaks remain the best option. Events and differences perspectives on issues guide the narrative through an understanding of the key personalities.

Enjoyed listening!

I read this book years ago. Being able to listen to it was wonderful! Great!

excellent

an excellent excellent excellent book. Perfect Companion to the Hamilton musical to explain some more complicated passages of History.

magnificent

fascinating, detailed, covers stories that most biographies miss. i was sorry when it ended. simply great

Best version of Adams and Jefferson Critique

Exhaustively researched, and professionally performed the masterful evaluation of characters, events and legacies each man left.

Required reading but enjoyed

Overall enjoyed the story but this unabridged version really includes some irrelevant words and information that add to the overall sound but not important content.

Band of Brothers indeed [sic]

Excellent. This is a current state of art book of history and history has become way more than chronological tell of some event. All standard troupes of scholarly writing are gone. Literature at its finest. I was extremely moved by this book what it says and how. The narrator and narration are perfectly matched. I’m