While the thirteen colonies came together and agreed to secede from the. Ellis has done with a crucial moment in our revolution story, what jay winik did with our civil war story to such successful impact in april 1865. Elie wiesel spent his early years in a small transylvanian town as one of four children. Ellis tells that story with his characteristic clarity and insight, taking events. Ellis tells that story with his characteristic clarity and insight, taking events we think we know about and making them fresh and compelling. In his latest book, joseph ellis once again looks back to the american founding for wisdom from jefferson, adams, madison, and washington. Ellis american creation, american sphinx, first family, founding brothers, his excellency, revolutionary summer joseph j. The author of seven highly acclaimed books, joseph j. Jun 04, 20 a distinctive portrait of the crescendo moment in american history from the pulitzerwinning american historian, joseph ellis. Its the summer of 1776 when the colonies declared their independence. The birth of american independence ellis, joseph j. The main political actors in joseph elliss book are the usual suspects. With his careful attention to detail and his lyrical prose, ellis has set a new standard for biography.
The birth of american independence joseph ellis writes, in truth, no shared sense of american nation had existed in 1776, even though the continental congress and the continental army can be regarded as embryonic versions of such. Revolutionary summer the birth of american independence book. Jun 30, 20 if you know the musical 1776, you know the plot of joseph j. He lives in amherst, massachusetts with more about joseph j. National book award for american sphinx, a biography of thomas jefferson.
Ellis vividly recounts the political activities of the continental. The birth of american independence by joseph j ellis online at alibris. Jun 04, 20 elie wiesel spent his early years in a small transylvanian town as one of four children. The revolutionary generation and the national book awardwinning american sphinx, a biography of thomas jefferson. The character of thomas jefferson won a national book award and founding brothers. Ellis has crafted a landmark biography that brings to life in all his complexity the most important and perhaps least understood figure in american history, george washington. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. Ellis revolutionary summer, is simply another example of replacing fiction with fact. The character and legacy of john adams passionate sage is elliss best book. Ellis penned the national book awardwinning american sphinx and the pulitzer prizewinning founding brothers, a fixture on the new york times best seller list for an entire year, and one of the most popular history books of all time. Ellis offers a stirring account of the fateful summer of 1776 when.
He was the only one of the family to survive what francois maurois, in his introduction, calls the human holocaust of the persecution of the jews, which began with the restrictions, the singularization of the yellow star, the enclosure within the ghetto, and went on to the mass deportations to the ovens. Like many of us, historian joseph ellis long considered george washington a distant, almost unapproachable icon, aloof and silent, like the man in the moon. Joseph ellis talked about his book, revolutionary summer. Ellis vividly recounts the political activities of the continental congress and the military actions of the continental army in the middle months of 1776, leading up to the first major clashes with the combined army and navy of england, then the worlds most powerful nation. But the most immediate threat is the military might of britain. In the long run, their greatest challenge is the problem of slavery. Theres a world of new ideas in every books newsletter. The birth of american independence, in which he recounts the beginnings of the revolutionary war. Ellis explores how a group of greatly gifted but deeply flawed individualshamilton, burr, jefferson, franklin, washington, adams, and madisonconfronted the overwhelming challenges before them to set the course for our nation. Jun 09, 2014 the summer of 1776 witnessed the most consequential events in the story of our countrys founding. Best of all, he captures the subtle and often complex interplay between the lofty rhetoric pouring forth from the continental congress in philadelphia and the. Pulitzer prizewinning author joseph ellis discusses his book revolutionary summer and the. In retrospect, it seems as if the american revolution was inevitable.
The character of thomas jefferson, which won the national book award. Ellis is the author of many works of american history including founding brothers. Walter isaacson, author of steve jobs in revolutionary summer, joseph j. He is the author of the pulitzer prizewinning founding brothers. Pulitzerwinning american historian joseph ellis tells an old story in a new way, with a freshness at once colorful and compelling. Publishers summary a distinctive portrait of the crescendo moment in american history from the pulitzerwinning american historian, joseph ellis. Ellis is a renowned historian and leading scholar of american history. In this book, he takes a short time frame, may, 1776 until october, 1776, to give us a dual perspective of the birth of american independence.
The most lovable and most laughable, the warmest and possibly the wisest of. This new book is revolutionary summer covering the momentous events of the fateful summer of 1776. Ellis reveals that many of those truths we hold to. Ellis, a master historian of early american history, writes in his magnificent new book revolutionary summer, the political and military aspects of the revolution are two sides of a single story, which are incomprehensible unless told together. Another solid entry by ellis dealing with the revolutionary period. Then ellis began research for a chapter about washingtons farewell address in founding brothers, his brilliant, pulitzer prizewinning bestseller about americas revolutionary generation. If you know the musical 1776, you know the plot of joseph j. Joseph john ellis born july 18, 1943 is an american historian whose work focuses on the lives and times of the founders of the united states of america. Read this book and understand how america was born. Setting the stage for his fascinating revolutionary summer. A distinctive portrait of the crescendo moment in american history from the pulitzerwinning american historian, joseph ellis. Ellis captures this critical moment in our history with clarity, as well as a softspoken authority that is endearing. Ive read quite a few books and biographies of the american revolution time period and this is one of. The revolutionary generation, which was awarded the pulitzer prize, and american sphinx.
I mean it in the best possible sense when i say that revolutionary summer. What did the words the pursuit of happiness and we the people mean then, and what do they mean now. Revolutionary summer reads like a good yarn by a kindly uncle who, the listener comes to feel, may well have been a participant in the events he describes. The author of nine books, ellis was awarded the pulitzer prize for founding brothers. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read revolutionary summer. Ellis serves up the spirit of 1776 with sparkling prose, lucid analysis, and knowing portraits of washington, jefferson, franklin, and adams. The birth of american independence reads like a good yarn by a kindly. Elliss contention in his fastpaced new book, revolutionary summer, that the period between may and october of 1776 was the crescendo moment in american history, when a. It turned out much better than i expected, so hopefully youre not disappointed.
In this landmark work of history and winner of the pulitzer prize, joseph j. Ellis, the pulitzer prize and national book awardwinning biographer and historian, traces the chain of events that built momentum for the. Ellis, who deservedly won the pulitzer for his great founding brothers, equally deserves that accolade for this excellent revolutionary summer. His biographies of such founding fathers as thomas jefferson, john adams are other patriots have earned him a pulitzer prize. The summer months of 1776 witnessed the most consequential events in the story of our countrys founding. John adams is the catalyst behind the cause the independence. If you knew how the journey was going to end, you could afford to be patient along the path. The birth of american independence kindle edition by ellis, joseph j download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The birth of american independence ebook written by joseph j. His portrait of thomas jefferson, american sphinx, won the national book award.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading revolutionary summer. Ellis is one of the nations leading scholars of american history. A handful of famous men struggle to create a republic against insurmountable odds. Joseph ellis is one of americas best known historians of the american revolution. This book looks at the summer of 1776 with a focus on the political aspects of congress, parliament, and the leading generals on.