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First Principles Audiobook Summary

New York Times Bestseller
Editors’ Choice
New York Times Book Review

“Ricks knocks it out of the park with this jewel of a book. On every page I learned something new. Read it every night if you want to restore your faith in our country.” –James Mattis, General, U.S. Marines (ret.) & 26th Secretary of Defense

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author offers a revelatory new book about the founding fathers, examining their educations and, in particular, their devotion to the ancient Greek and Roman classics–and how that influence would shape their ideals and the new American nation.

On the morning after the 2016 presidential election, Thomas Ricks awoke with a few questions on his mind: What kind of nation did we now have? Is it what was designed or intended by the nation’s founders? Trying to get as close to the source as he could, Ricks decided to go back and read the philosophy and literature that shaped the founders’ thinking, and the letters they wrote to each other debating these crucial works–among them the Iliad, Plutarch’s Lives, and the works of Xenophon, Epicurus, Aristotle, Cato, and Cicero. For though much attention has been paid the influence of English political philosophers, like John Locke, closer to their own era, the founders were far more immersed in the literature of the ancient world.

The first four American presidents came to their classical knowledge differently. Washington absorbed it mainly from the elite culture of his day; Adams from the laws and rhetoric of Rome; Jefferson immersed himself in classical philosophy, especially Epicureanism; and Madison, both a groundbreaking researcher and a deft politician, spent years studying the ancient world like a political scientist. Each of their experiences, and distinctive learning, played an essential role in the formation of the United States. In examining how and what they studied, looking at them in the unusual light of the classical world, Ricks is able to draw arresting and fresh portraits of men we thought we knew.

First Principles follows these four members of the Revolutionary generation from their youths to their adult lives, as they grappled with questions of independence, and forming and keeping a new nation. In doing so, Ricks interprets not only the effect of the ancient world on each man, and how that shaped our constitution and government, but offers startling new insights into these legendary leaders.

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First Principles Audiobook Narrator

James Lurie is the narrator of First Principles audiobook that was written by Thomas E. Ricks

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military for the Washington Post from 2000 through 2008 and was on the staff of the Wall Street Journal for seventeen years before that. He reported on American military operations in Somalia, Haiti, Korea, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Kuwait, Turkey, Afghanistan and Iraq. A member of two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams, he is also the author of several books, including The Generals, The Gamble, Churchill & Orwell, and the number-one New York Times bestseller Fiasco, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He wrote First Principles while a visiting fellow in history at Bowdoin College.

About the Author(s) of First Principles

Thomas E. Ricks is the author of First Principles

First Principles Full Details

Narrator James Lurie
Length 11 hours 56 minutes
Author Thomas E. Ricks
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date November 10, 2020
ISBN 9780062997487

Subjects

The publisher of the First Principles is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Biography & Autobiography, Presidents & Heads of State

Additional info

The publisher of the First Principles is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062997487.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Joseph

November 19, 2020

I have read many books on the "Revolutionary period" in American history, and after reading Mr. Ricks' book, "First Principles," I am convinced that if I read a thousand more books on this period I would only know about half of what there is to know.Mr. Ricks' book is an amazing analysis of where our first four Presidents, and many of the founders like Alexander Hamilton, got their ideas about how to form a government, and how these ideas are present in the 'Declaration of Independence,' and the 'US Constitution.'It was what these individuals learned from the Greeks and Romans that would form the foundation of our country. Except for Jefferson, Presidents Washington, Adams, and Madison were greatly influenced by Roman writers such as Cicero, Cato, and stories of Cincinnatus, Ceasar, and Catiline. On the Greek side, Jefferson, especially, was influenced by Plato and Aristotle, and works like "Iliad and Plutarch's Lives." Jefferson, who designed much of the Capital in Washington, DC, literally got all his ideas from Roman structures, and that's the reason there are so many dome buildings in the Capital.In short, anyone interested in the Revolutionary period and the men behind the construction of America should read this amazing, and informative book. One final thought, I always felt that George Washington was the most important person in American history, and this book undeniably proves that he was "The Indespensible Man," in the creation of our nation.

Lee

February 22, 2021

A project apparently conceived to show that what made America great has more to do with the intellectual and historical influence of Greece and Rome on the early days of the country and the formation of the Constitution than some conservative white-washed post-WWII good-old-days patriotic mirage. A gift from my mother who started reading this and thought I should have a copy so I raced to finish it before her (take that, Mom). Definitely worthwhile and well beyond a refresher, filled with interesting bits, especially early on about Washington's role in the French and Indian war, also the role of the Scottish educators in the early American colleges (ah, now I know where that preppie plaid comes from), and the founders' understanding of the texts and history of classical Greece and Rome and how that influenced the country early on. Extends the reading list to include Plutarch's Lives and Cicero, at the very least. Makes me want to re-visit the Federalist Papers and rotate more history into my regular reading program. Generally well sequenced, with short chapters regularly interrupted by subheadings as a scaffolding to make it through, although at first the structuring made it seem a little like pop history -- by the end that initial sense had fallen away. Anyway, worth it for those looking for something to refresh and extend their understanding of the country's foundation, especially after a would-be tyrant incited an attempt to overthrow its processes on January 6.

Jamie

January 24, 2023

There is an oft repeated story about Ben Franklin which might be true (historians are undecided) that as he was walking out the Constitutional Convention one day in 1787 he was asked whether the country’s new government would be a republic or a monarchy, and he replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”That story does not appear in First Principles, but the animating sensibility behind it permeates the book. Winning the war against England was hard, but creating a stable government across thirteen very diverse states, which did not think of themselves as a unified people, was going to be just as challenging. By 1787 it was clear that unless the Constitutional Convention could come up with a set of workable compromises, the new country was doomed. The authors were well versed in history, and knew what had happened to Ancient Greece: the city states, fiercely independent and often hostile to one another, could never unite into a stable entity large enough to protect them all. All of the different leagues and confederations eventually collapsed due to jealousy, incompetence, or military defeat. It was inevitable that some of cities would turn to Rome for help, and once the Romans saw the riches to be won they turned from allies to conquerors, and Greece became a province to be plundered.The same would have happened to the nominally “united” States, which were already bickering over taxes and trade, and deeply divided over slavery. Sooner or later one of them would have invited the assistance of England, France, or Spain, and all of them would become pawns in Europe’s game of thrones. Jefferson saw this clearly, and wrote that, if the Articles of Confederation were not replaced, “it could not but occur to every one that these separate independencies, like the petty states of Greece, would be eternally at war with each other, & would become at length the mere partisans & satellites of the leading powers of Europe.” (p. 203)This book’s focus is on the first four presidents: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, and how their Enlightenment educations informed their understanding of history, government, and human nature. Of the four, Jefferson was the only one to rely mainly on Ancient Greece; the others had all been deeply influenced by Roman historians and Stoic philosophy.One of the attributes of the ancients which educated men of the eighteenth century cherished was the idea of virtue. In our times the word refers to things like virginity, but its ancient meaning was a powerful guide to the behavior expected of gentleman: it meant they were to act in such a way that would place the good of the state over personal gain. George Washington was the very embodiment of virtue in this sense, and his commitment to duty was the guiding force behind his military and political career. In Washington’s farewell address his warned against parties and factions, because he believed that the nation’s leaders needed to be men who would always put principles ahead of private interest, but that idea was already passing. The emerging political sentiment was that self-interest was good, and that political parties could be forces for change while maintaining stability so long as they were opposed by other, equally strong parties whose cooperation they depended upon.This idea mostly worked for the United States’ first two centuries, but it does not work today, when partisanship has turned the parties into warring camps, and any compromise is seen as humiliation and defeat. It also does not work, and cannot work, when parties are led by unprincipled people whose only interest is power and self-aggrandizement. This is clear today but became apparent very early in the country’s history, when Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied in Electoral College votes in the election of 1800. The deadlock held through thirty-five ballots, but finally one of Burr’s delegates was convinced to switch to Jefferson, who was then elected.Burr prefigured the populist politicians of our times. “Jefferson would not act merely to benefit himself. Burr, by contrast, [Alexander] Hamilton wrote, was ‘a man of extreme & irregular ambition – that he is selfish to a degree with excludes all social affections & that he is decidedly profligate...a man who on all hands is acknowledged to be a complete Cataline in his practice & principles.’ ” (p. 259) Defeated in his quest to be President, Burr went on to kill Hamilton in a duel, then engage in plots to carve up parts of the country and set himself up as king. Six years after he came within one vote of becoming President of the United States he was on trial for treason.The book starts with biographies of each of its principle characters, then shows them in war and peace as they tried to form a new country. There is a reminder that the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776 was not a celebration, but a grim and sober affair. The signers pledged to each other “our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor,” understanding that they were about to go to war with the most powerful nation on earth, and that failure would mean being hanged for treason.The section on Washington’s evolution as a general is excellent, and reminds the reader that his battlefield record was abysmal, defeated time after time when he stood and fought. After a crushing defeat around New York City in the fall of 1776, his army was reduced to about 4,000 men. If British General Howe had simply pursued him the revolution would have ended: Washington’s army would have been annihilated if they fought, and would have melted away if pushed into the forests and deprived of supplies. Instead, Howe dallied with his mistress and lost time until it was too late in the year to campaign. Washington, meanwhile, trained his troops, crossed the Delaware, and won a victory over Britain’s Hessian mercenaries in the Battle of Trenton on December 26, which gave renewed hope to the colonies and increased recruitment. The next year victory at the Battle of Saratoga would convince France to join the war in support of the Americans.Washington was not a great general, but he was a great learner, and he learned the right lesson, which was to adopt a Fabian delaying strategy, refusing direct combat unless the situation was overwhelmingly favorable. Instead, he continually harried the British army, ambushing foraging parties and cutting their supply lines. He knew that so long as there was an American army, there was a revolution, and as it dragged on year after year with no end in sight, the cost and frustration would cause Parliament to question whether the colonies were still worth fighting for. Once the French army and navy arrived in force, and General Cornwallis was trapped at Yorktown, all that remained was to throw in the towel and negotiate an exit.The Articles of Confederation are derided today for their weakness, but they served their purpose by holding the country together long enough for the states to realize that something better was needed. But what? The lessons of history were not encouraging: most republics did not last long. James Madison had spent several years studying this question, asking “What had brought down ancient republics? What made them so fragile? Were there gaps between their theory and practice? Did they have inherent flaws that caused them to fail? Were these avoidable? Was Montesquieu correct in thinking that republics had to be small?” (p. 197)The result was the Constitution of 1787, which is still the law of the land. It was a series of compromises: of large states with small ones, or direct versus indirect election, of a presidency as single person or a committee, and, of course, of slave versus free. Carl Van Doren’s 1948 book The Great Rehearsal is still one of the best sources for information about the deal-making done as the Constitution was hammered out, and reading it gave me a new appreciation for the constraints the convention delegates were under. It has always been shameful that the declaration that all men are created equal was made by slaveholders who were determined that “all men” would not in fact be all men, or any women. The slaveholders made this declaration because to them, being fully human meant being white and male.And yet, as The Great Rehearsal makes clear, there was no way to avoid accommodating the slave states, which insisted that they would not be part of the new United States if any restrictions were placed on their right to own human beings. The final constitution forged a new nation, but took the Civil War to finally resolve the question of slavery, and the baleful effects of that war, the hatreds and resentments it engendered, are still with us today.On the dollar bill is the Great Seal of the United States, that weird pyramid-thing with the eyeball. The motto of the Great Seal is novus ordo seclorum, “A new order for the ages.” This is what the United States represented, but it did not arise spontaneously. It was the work of educated, dedicated men who had studied the lessons of history and thought deeply about how a democracy should be structured to balance freedom with justice. The nation they created has survived for 250 years, but it now faces an uncertain future. It is often said that democracy contains the seeds of its own destruction, and those seeds may be bearing fruit.

robin

July 05, 2021

First Principles For Independence DayEvery Fourth of July, I try to review a book that celebrates the themes of the day. This year, the choice is Pulitzer Prize winning author Thomas Ricks' acclaimed book, "First Principles: What America's Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How that Shaped our Country". (2020) The book discusses the Declaration of Independence at some length and even includes the full text as an Appendix. It is difficult to imagine a work more suitable for Independence Day.Ricks states that he received the idea for his book following the presidential election of 2016 when he felt the need to reconsider what the United States was about. He began with a reading of Aristotle's "Politics" followed by the Declaration of Independence and other formative American documents. He gradually decided to focus on how the Founders were educated and the books that they read. He concluded that the works of the Ancient Greeks and Romans were more influential on the Founders that the work of John Locke, for example, who is commonly thought a crucial influence. Thus, Ricks' book traces the influence of the Greeks and Romans on the first four presidents, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison and explores what this influence teaches about the founding of our country and what may be learned today from the Revolutionary generation's encounter with the classical world.The book covers a great deal of material in a brief scope. It begins with young George Washington's experiences in the early stages of the French-Indian War, covers the following rift with Britain which led to the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War, and takes the reader through the Articles of Confederation and the subsequent Constituional Convention. Ricks discusses the administrations of each of the first four presidents and explores the decline of the classical influence and the rise of parties and interest-based politics. The book concludes with Ricks' thoughts on what Americans today may learn from this history.For Ricks, the Roman influence on the Founders predominated over the Greeks, with the exception of Thomas Jefferson and it centered on the concept of virtue. For the Founders, as for the Romans, virtue meant putting aside one's private interest in an effort to act for the common good. The concept of virtue derived from the years of the Roman Republic and from the classical figures who sought to preserve it. His book traces the influence of the Romans on Greeks on the different Founders at different stages of their lives. Washington, the only one of the first four presidents who lacked a college education, showed in his life and actions the greatest bearing of a classical Roman. In Ricks' account, as in the accounts of many historians, Washington is the indespensable and the greatest of the Founders. The second key Founder was James Madison with his devotion to learning and to constitutionalism. Madison was able to see as well, the limitations of the Roman model and to make changes for the new American republic. While recognizing their importance, Ricks tends to be less favorably disposed to John Adams, in particular, and to Jefferson. With respect to the Declaration of Independence, Ricks discusses who Jefferson tried to write a document understandable and inspiring to the many people who lacked a strong formal education. The Declaration was influenced by Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense" and, according to Ricks, by the philosophy of Epicurus more than by John Locke. Although I learned from Ricks' account, I was not fully convinced.Ricks praises the Founders for their study of classicism and of virtue. He properly finds classical republicanism had its strong limitations in that it put aside the force of personal self-interest and the power of politics. Most importantly, classical republicamism accepted the existence of slavery which, Ricks concludes, "would prove disastrous to the nation they designed". They "sustained a system that was deeply inhumane and rested on a foundation of sexual and physical abuse, including torture."I found "First Principles" an inspiring book for Independence Day. I enjoyed Ricks' writing and I especially enjoyed revisiting the Founders and their efforts. Ricks book shows how much still may be learned from a study of America's early history, through both its great achievements and its large shortcomings.In the Epilogue to his book, Ricks draws ten lessons from his history for today's Americans. The ten seem to me of varying merit but several are highly insightful. Ricks counsels Americans to remember that we are not the first to face difficult times and unenlightened leadership. He also advises Americans, wisely, to "know your history" and to study. With specific reference to the Declaration of Independence, Ricks advises his readers to "Rehabilitate 'happiness'". His discussion is worth quoting."Today many Americans tend to think of 'happiness' mainly in terms of pleasure-seeking, usually in physical form -- sex, food, alcohol, sports, and video games that excite the senses. But by focusing on feeding the flesh we risk starving the mind and spirit. We need to appreciate the Enlightenment's broader, richer notion of happiness and make it again about finding one's place in the world, enjoying what we have and what we see in it, and appreciating the beauty of the Earth during our short time on it. None of that prescription would be a surprise to Jefferson. We should remember that as he laid out his path to happiness, the fourth of the Epicurean ideals he listed was 'justice'.""First Principles" is a worthy book for Americans to read to think again about our history and its significance.Robin Friedman

Donald

July 31, 2021

A fascinating book, holding my attention and interest intensely. Every page has a lesson and analysis revealing a truth in the value of studying history. Every public official, especially those in the Federal government, should read, at least, the epilogue.The historical facts will be known to any modest student of American history. The angle of the import of the Roman and Greek classics with prominent founders (primarily our first four presidents), the formal education system during the founding time (and now) and the "people" generally, is elucidating , entertaining, and impressive as a means to use history to guide current thoughts. This book was an inspired historical effort, well written and thoughtfully presented. Reading it will improve anyone's thoughts about governance. It is obviously edited to be short enough, concise, to appeal to average citizens.I am woefully unaware of most of the classics the author discussed, though he did a good job discussing enough to provide good context and make his analysis meaningful for this modern American. I found myself doing a great deal of internet reading on many of the topics mentioned, including re-reading many of the Federalist Papers. The analysis inspires further inquiry.

Hill

November 10, 2020

First Principles by Thomas Ricks1. The book’s main theme is how the founding fathers acquired, and applied the knowledge of the 1000 year ancient Greek and Roman governments and it’s heroes.2. Unlike other biographical books this author is trying to find the books the founders read and how it impacted their thinking and actions.3. Washington: Washington is not known as a scholar and didn’t have a college degree. He is known as someone who acts rather than thinks. Adams and others criticized Washington as not well read for his station in life. A) Washington’s favorite Roman was Cato (Stoic) and even had his play in Valley Forge. B) Washinton took time to come to terms that he cannot fight an offensive war against the British if he wants to win. So, chose the Fabian Strategy. The strategy is named after Roman Fabius who fought a defensive war of attack and run against brilliant Carthagian military general. C) Washington also followed the Roman general Cincinnatus as a role model to give up power and going back to be a normal citizen. 4. Adams: Adams was a Harvard graduate and lived with books. For him books are the means to achieve power, purpose and upward mobility in life. For Adams Roman Cicero is his role model. Following his role model he become a lawyer and worked on his “virtues.” Virtues at that time is about doing what benefits “common good” compared to personal benefit. Adams brought the revolutionary spirit to the continental congress to win Independence. The only founder who didn’t own slaves. It reminds me of the quote by Samuel Johnson: "Why Do We Hear the Loudest Yelps for Liberty from the Masters Drivers of Negroes?"5. Jefferson: Jefferson went to William and Mary College but tutors were from Scotland. Scotland had great literacy rate even in 17th century it was about 75%. Ships coming from Scotland brought tutors to Chesapeake. We know the ideas of Jefferson from Locke (Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness) in Declaration of Independence. But also the idea of the government govern based on the consent of the governed is a Scottish idea. Jefferson for all his curiosity never went west. He gravitated towards Europe and had books mostly in different languages. When he gave his library to congress, 90% of congressmen couldn’t read his books in different languages. 6. Madison: Madison went to Princeton. Compared to other schools Harvard, Yale, etc. Princeton was a national school. All other were more regional. So, Madison was able to think nationally amidst the 13 different colonies. Jefferson sent him trunk load of 200 plus books and permitted him to study in his library. Madison idea of checks and balances was from “Spirit of Laws” written by French philosopher Montesquieu who was a constitutionalist and acted as a bridge between ancient world and classical American world. Madison used Montesquieu idea to create the system where ambition is checked by ambition. Not only checks and balances between the branches but also between political factions (political parties).

Jon

December 21, 2020

Having an interest in Greek philosophy, I was drawn to Ricks’ book on the influence of Roman and Greek thought on the founding fathers of the American Revolution. The book is a kind of recap of American history, but with an emphasis on what the major players were reading, and how it influenced them. The founding fathers of the United States were profoundly influenced by classical thinkers, more than we can imagine today, because college education was oriented around Latin and Greek studies, and even for those who were not college educated, such as George Washington, landed gentry took for granted the models of classical history.One strong tangential impression, not intended by the author, was of how the founding fathers as young adults faced the world in ways totally familiar to modern experience. George Washington, who as a youth had lost his father and older brother, had to face the challenge of earning a living. As a teenager, he learned surveying as a profitable skill. At the first opportunity he took on a military reconnaissance task for the colonial governor of Virginia, and soon after enlisted in the colonial army. Sounds like any teenager today: if one doesn’t go to college, one learns a skill or joins the army.John Adams was fortunate to go to college (Harvard was in the neighborhood), but when he graduated, he needed to find a job. He became a school teacher in an isolated small town, until he eventually undertook to study law. Again, sounds like the kind of choice any young person would find themselves making today.Roman history provided the models for the founding fathers. George Washington admired Cato, a model of rectitude, who exposed the conspiracy of Catiline and countered the ambition of Caesar. John Adams admired Cicero, who rose from humble beginnings to high position though his rhetorical skills. Thomas Jefferson was more influenced by the Greeks than by the Romans, and admired Epicurus, summarizing virtue as consisting of prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice. James Madison studied, in addition to Horace and Cicero, the Greek military writer Xenophon, who described an ancient constitution with equal rights and freedom of speech. All were shaped by the classics.As an admirer of Plato, I was disappointed in Jefferson’s take on Plato’s Republic, noting the “whimsies, the puerilities, and unintelligible jargon of this work.” In fairness, I would not take the Republic as a guide for designing a constitution, though it does have its political insights (such as that democracy tends to degenerate into tyranny). By the first part of the nineteenth century, the emphasis on intellectual ideals and civic virtue, favored by the Federalists, gave way to the idea that everyone’s opinion counted equally, favored by the Democratic-Republicans. The rationalist secularism of the founding fathers gave way to a flourishing of religious sects as a result of religious freedom. The last president to have a classical education was John Quincy Adams. The influence of Greek and Roman writers was useful in designing an enduring United States Constitution, but not so useful when politics became the battle of competing political parties against which George Washington had warned.

Scott

March 29, 2021

Another solid and thought provoking piece by Ricks who is fast becoming one of my favorite historical writers.

Cheryl

March 19, 2021

Amazing influences from a more cultured citizenry from the past leading to mastery of a new world. Thomas Ricks...Winner of the Pulitzer is masterful as he writes wisdom on every page.

Matt

April 10, 2022

First Principles is an essential US history reading. It is also one of the most interesting books I’ve read on the revolutionary era and provides compelling context for constitutional interpretation. Ricks chooses to frame his biography of the founding generation and its leaders through the lens of the Greek and Roman classics (and I’d argue classical liberalism from the Enlightenment era). The classical lens works because the well known founders largely read all of the classics, theaters focused on the Roman tragedies during the time, and the historical struggles of the Roman Republic and Greek City-State league. Most if not all of these founding aristocrats also read Hume and Montesquieu and were educated by Scottish Immigrants. So we get a focused and page turning bio of Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Washington-Hamilton too really. Ricks is pretty awful to Madison portraying him as a petty Cicero want-to-be, Washington as Cato (this has been often implied but is best explained here as far as that was a semi-conscious choice by Washington and why his stoic and virtuous behaviors were intentional), Jefferson as an Epicurian, and Madison as a tactical political genius. Ricks focuses on their early education, the juicy parts of the revolutionary war, and the constitutional conventions and beginning of party politics. This is all fascinating from details like how many times Madison revised his letters about constitutional intent or how Patrick Henry’s quote of give me liberty or give me death was from the era’s most popular play about Cicero to rethinking the how the framers thought of virtue, democracy and the merits and demerits of their choices—and more importantly the tension and worries that led to those choices. This brief, thoughtful, and compelling tale of the founders and their generation ends with a populist movement that gained critical mass during Jefferson’s presidency against aristocratic virtue and lessons earlier generations that have implications for our current political chaos. It might leave more cynical readers with hope that the petty disputes between the founders (frequently expressed in classical terms and fears) led to a government that can survive significant challenges.

Maggie

December 12, 2022

I noted a lot of comments here decrying the epilogue and WOW do I agree. The epilogue really made me consider giving this four stars, because it just didn't fit with the rest of the book. It wasn't that I don't think that Ricks wasn't smart, or not adding to the conversation, but I just didn't care about his "broad take aways," especially done in such an abbreviated form at the tail end of the work. I really, really enjoyed this book and I've bought two copies of it to give as gifts. I didn't realize that it had come out last year! I thought it provided a lot of context to what education looked like during the founding of our nation, but also why each of the Founding Fathers ended up where they did ideologically. My favorite tidbit was the part about the Epicurean addition of "pursuit of happiness" to the Lockean "life and liberty" courtesy of Jefferson. How cool!Also, because of my Virginia connection, I loved the parts about Madison and Jefferson and Washington at home in their farms, particularly. I empathize with their love of the Piedmont region!!

Steve

September 01, 2022

I’ll give this an easy 5 stars. Yet I’m still interested in the opinions of those who disagree.This is a book about the Founding Fathers of America. It reviews their influences Greek, Roman, Scottish Philosophers, then current historians and more. To learn more about Cicero, Thuycidides, Cato, Caesar and more - you’ll have to read other sources.But to review the personalities and interactions of Jefferson and Adams, Hamilton, Burr and Washington there is much to learn.The writing is clear and easy to follow but not simplistic. Those objecting to the book seem to have a political bent, which even in the time of the founding fathers existed, more than we’d like to think.

Ben

February 18, 2021

I enjoyed this book a lot! and I was surprised I liked it as much as I did. The book details the philosophy of American history leaders. I'm not a big fan of history, so I'm pretty impressed I enjoyed it. Although I enjoyed it, I would only recommend this for people who like American history, because I'm not sure many will like it with that caveat. 3.8/5

Mandi

December 12, 2022

5/5 Audio via Scribd. Absolutely beautiful. I appreciate this author’s research and efforts to connect the Founding Fathers to their classic beliefs and educations.So insightful and inspiring.

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Audiobooks, like real books can add up over time. Here’s where you can listen to audiobooks for free. Speechify let’s you read your first best seller for free. Apart from that, we have a vast selection of free audiobooks that you can enjoy. Get the same rich experience no matter if the book was free or not.

It depends. Yes, there are free audiobooks and paid audiobooks. Speechify offers a blend of both!

It varies. The easiest way depends on a few things. The app and service you use, which device, and platform. Speechify is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks. Downloading the app is quick. It is not a large app and does not eat up space on your iPhone or Android device.
Listening to audiobooks on your smart phone, with Speechify, is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks.

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