This book was very good, managing to squeeze the highlight of over a decade into about 250 pages. Ellis did a wonderful job with descriptions. However there were a couple of manageable drawn-out sections. If you did not have the attention span or vocabulary to understand the book, maybe AP US History was a wrongful course placement. I am currently in AP US as a junior, and read this book by choice.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While many of us should know the historical "facts" involved in the founding and shaping of the nation, few have been exposed to the "story behind the story". Ellis does a wonderful job of providing an insight as to what was going on behind the scenes during this formative period. He illuminates the human aspects of the founding of the country that are often overlooked in many history classes on the subject. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the motivation behind the decisions made during the late 18th century that have shaped our present government.

I have read this book for a class, and i do enjoy history but have always had trouble when it came to reading, anything. This book actually did a good job of keeping me into the book. For example, in the 1st chapter, Ellis goes into deatail of the Duel, he goes into so much detail from what is happening to why iy is happening. I had to read this as an assignment for class but i had several friends that rented the movie, and they lacked the details, that were happening, and their thoughts in words.

Excellent book.

Houston, TX 21 yr old

Wow good book, but complicating for all of you intellectuals.

Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis was an interesting book, to say the least. I read it for a summer reading project, and I found it very dry in some places while very intruiguing in others. The chapter about the Duel was excellent, as well as the Farewell and the Friendship, but I found the introduction the Generation long and boring, and the Collaberators repeated things over and over. I wouldnt reccomend it for someone who is not a history buff, but overall I liked it and discovered many new facts about the godlike "band of brothers" of the Revolution.

Excellent Read, once the extreme vocabulary is out of the way, it gives insight into things I've always thought to be correct. Such as the impecable records of all the Founding Fathers. It displays them as true people with building blocks of an entire nation. Almost like a reality show of the founding of our nation.

This book may seem boring, ofcoarse one would assume it is. Especially to a teenager who wants to be out and about with friends, not stuck home during the hot, inviting summer reading a "crumby book" like this. But, to tell you the truth (I'm 15 and going into AP American History) it is extremely well written. It took me literally an hour to read about 15 pages. When thoroughly dissected and vocabulary words translated, the text really came alive. I am completely embodied by the vocabulary selections Ellis has chosen, and this book is truly helping me to utilize my thinking and vocabulary skills to unravel this journey into time. He is brilliant and fully deserves the Pulitzer. I must admit my frustration at times, with big words and long, somewhat confusing sentences, but with alittle patience I was fully able to understand the text. It is a fantastic book for someone who is willing to learn and has time on their hands, but for a busy bodied teenager on the go, it is a nightmare. Oh well. "It is the people who take the time out to grow and prosper that will flourish in the future."
~Lauren

I'm 16, and like many of the other reviewers, I was assigned this book for my American history class. However, I disagree with the opinion that this book is boring and confusing. It isn't a novel, and once you get beyond the "big words" and somewhat unfamiliar concepts, you can see an interesting perspective on the people who politically formed our nation. Ellis goes into depth about key issues and characters, but his writing is clear and well structured. I found that the book gave me a good introduction to this period of history.