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What readers think of Founding Brothers, plus links to write your own review.

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Founding Brothers

The Revolutionary Generation

by Joseph J. Ellis

Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis X
Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis
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  • First Published:
    Oct 2000, 288 pages

    Paperback:
    Feb 2002, 304 pages

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There are currently 186 reader reviews for Founding Brothers
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Rose (10/04/11)

Founding Brothers
This book is got to be the most awful book I have ever read. I would rather slit my wrists than read the rest of it and I am only on chapter two. Ellis rambles unnecessarily for several pages using bombastic language to finally get to his point in one paragraph. It would be a good book because of the content without the overly sophisticated vocabulary and the trying to "come off as intellectual" attitude.
notsmartenough (09/30/11)

I'm not 76
This book would be good if I knew big words.....but I don't. Also, I found it very repetitive and drawn out.
DougO (09/27/11)

Character Matters- Then and now!
Highly recommend Founding Brothers, this is a great read. An honest and mature presentation of the challenges our Founding Fathers faced creating America after the Revolution. You will get to know the founding fathers as individuals, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. They often made policy up as they went along; each understanding the importance of compromise if America was to be given the opportunity to stand on untested wobbly legs. The States were apprehensive about creating any centralized form of government with the authority to tell them what to do; after all hadn't they just fought and won the right to be free of England. Complex issues like slavery had to be dealt with carefully or not at all if the Union was to be preserved. The initial chapter covering the Burr- Hamilton duel could put you off as Ellis includes too much unnecessary detail. Once Ellis hits his stride with Washington, Jefferson, Adams and Madison you will find yourself sitting along side these great men as they struggle to transform the idea of an American democracy into a reality.
katiee (08/29/11)

Founding brothers
Worst book I've ever read in my entire life. The overly advanced vocabulary is simply unnecessary and makes what should be easily understood extremely hard to follow. I compare this book to a text book a student has in school.. Boring and dry.
Joey (08/26/11)

Horriblee
The worst book I have ever read. It's almost like 100 facts and a biography, but written in the 1790's way of writing, with very abstract and large words that are not necessary.
Madison (08/15/11)

Just Kill Me Now
This book has got to be the most despicable piece of literature ever written. I am a very smart and educated person but I could not understand this book at all! I continually fell asleep and could not focus. This book was pointless and terrible.
brandon (08/15/11)

oh my god..
Literally wanted to shoot myself right in the face during this entire book. I don't know if I've ever read anything so boring and confusing in my entire life, and I'm 78. This man needs to move to Scotland and live there and not write books again3.
Jared (08/15/11)

-_-
Seriously, this is the worst book ever.. I guarantee you if you took out the repetitiveness and biased "facts," then you'll get the whole plot in 30-40 pages. Straight up garbage.

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