Posted on 03/17/2008 6:33:43 AM PDT by deadrock
Sorry for the vanity - but I can't think of a better resource than FR regarding this topic. I don't trust Amazonian recommendations.
Please, if you can, recommend the best book/s detailing the American Revolution. Not just the battles, but the politics leading up to the war, the writing of the Declaration of Ind., who the signers were ...etc.
I'd appreciate any input. Thanks for your time.
Primary sources. Googlebooks is pretty incredible. Limit your search to anything written before 1830.
“Paul Revere’s Ride” by Fischer is excellent. I did not find “1776” as fantastic as, apparently, everyone else. “The Glorious Cause” by Middlekauf remains a classic. Just go to the Revolution chapter in our “Patriot’s History of the United States” and you’ll find about 100 endnotes of good stuff.
“Wahington’s Crossing”. One of the best books I’ve ever read. Period.
Seconded!
In addition to some of the others already mentioned, my own favorites include a)Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis, b)His Excellency George Washington by Joseph Ellis, c)John Adams by David McCullough, and d)Battles of the Revolutionary War 1775-1181 by W. J. Wood.
Watched HBO’s “John Adams” last night: pretty good, but I don’t know much about the real history of this patriot (the mvie kinda remi9nds me of Mel Gibson’s “The Patriot”). Best parts: the debates during the formation of our congress.
“1776” by David McCullough was pretty good. It could have used better maps I think, but the writing was great.
One reference I find helpful is the 2 volume “The Debate on the Constitution” (Federalist and antifederalist speeches, articles, and letters during the struggle over ratification)
The Library of America (Milton Friedman was one of the editors)Lib. of Congress catalog #92-25449
I have a super well-read friend with a PhD in American History, who is also a conservative. If I can reach him in a timely manner, I’ll ask him and post recommendations here.
Thanks
Thanks everyone.
Carl Becker, ‘The Declaration of Independence’
John Richard Alden, ‘The American Revolution: 1775-1783’
Laurence Henry Gipson, ‘The Coming of the Revolution’
Wesley Frank Craven, ‘The Legend of the Founding Fathers’
Good luck!
I got my father the commemorative edition of 1776 for Christmas. It has fantastic reproduction maps that look like the originals.
I just got through watching the first two episodes of HBO production of John Adams, and it is excellent
The History channel also has a couple of excellent documentary series about the revolution.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.