I enjoyed this book so much! It’s a collection of chapters on each of the founding fathers and it offers fascinating insights on many of them. It’s interesting even if you already know quite a bit about some of the main characters.

Gordon Wood is a well reputed historian. Here, he examines some of the more important (and interesting) of the Founders and those interacting with them. Wood's main point is that character was a matter of great importance for the leaders of the new government. When those with great potential--such as Aaron Burr--raised questions about their own character, it led people to doubt them.

The opening chapter of the book places this volume in context. Wood discusses the context in which the Founders developed and exercised influence over public matters. They were concerned with character, with what people thought of them, with a sense of displaying "disinteredness." Outside of Burr (ironic indeed), the main Founders came from lesser circumstances than what they became. They saw themselves as not just common people, but as those who had excelled and demonstrated themselves, for want of a better term, of being a natural, meritocratic aristocracy.

The book examines several of the Founders--George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Adams. As counterpoint, Wood considers Thomas Paine and, as already noted, Aaron Burr.

Washington is shown to be someone who attempted to exercise absolute control over his presentation of self to the larger world, conscious of his dignity, and, later, his place in history. He took great pains to demonstrate his disinterest in pursuing success (even though, obviously, he was ambitious). Franklin is portrayed, too, as an elusive figure, trying to project a particular image and not revealing too much of himself. Wood notes that Franklin's Autobiography illustrates this very well. And so on.

To provide counterpoint to the Founders, Wood notes Paine and Burr. Aaron Burr had a better pedigree than any of the other figures in this book. He lived as a gentleman (albeit profligately). He would do whatever he had to do to succeed--whether financially or politically. And he did not distinguish the two realms very much. Her was not above using his political offices to try to generate profit (he was always on the verge of financial disaster). And this is what alienated Burr from other leaders--his self-interest was manifest, whereas others professed "disinteredness."

At any rate, this is an interesting volume, one that focuses on character of the individuals covered in this work. Sometimes, I think that the narrative is a bit oversimplistic. Nonetheless, Wood has captured, I think, something of the ethos of leadership in the latter part of the 18th and early part of the 19th centuries. Well written. People interested in the subject covered here will find this a good read.

The author took the major actors from the revolutionary war individually and discussed certain aspects of their participation in the war. These aspects shined light and these men that better helped to understand them and what motivated them to action.

Published in 2006.
Enlightening and pleasurable reading.

My knowledge was particularly expanded by:

Chapter Seven, Thomas Paine, America’s First Public Intellectual
Epilogue: The Founders and the Creation of Modern Public Opinion

Ok, I read this after reading 'Empire of Liberty', and it is not nearly as well wiriten as that book, nor does the story flow as well. The strongest chapter, for me, was the one on Benjamin Franklin, followed by the one on James Madison--the book is aobut the heavy hitters of the Revolutionary time, and I have read quite a few books set in this time period lately, including othe biography of Franklin. I think this one summarizes what happened to flip Franklin, and he turned his formidable passion onto the freedom of American that he had focussed on Britain before his rebuff. Probably the single biggest mistake of the time--Franklin was the statesman who really flipped the French in our favor, which was the turning point in the war diplomatically. Washington of course was crucial as well, and the chapter on him is very good, and has the right perspective as well, but doesn't flesh out any new ground. Recommended, but maybe his other Revoultionary War book is better?

I am a lover of history; however, I found that when studying it, I was never particularly interested in going past the Renaissance period. Because of this bias towards older histories, my knowledge of the American Revolutionary period has not been updated since AP American History class in 11th grade.

This book was an excellent choice to ignite an interest in this period in history. Professor Wood (a Brown professor, thank you very much!) is meticulous in his research; his vivid imagery is clearly backed up by the volumes of primary source material left behind by the Founding Fathers. It was also incredibly interesting to see the parallels between their experiences in the early days of the republic, and our current political climate. I'm now inspired to do a lot more reading into the lives and opinions of these men.

A good book if you are looking for what made America's founding fathers click. Explains why this generation of men were so much diferent than any other in history. This is not a biography on the founders, this book explains how the founders acted politically and why. I found some of the facts to be quite interesting and a good read if you like American history.

My first Gordon Wood book.

I really enjoyed this book and his writing. Short and sweet chapters on the typical founders but also includes Aaron Burr who serves as a foil to reflect how unique and remarkable the founding fathers truly were. And they were truly remarkable. These men, who definitely had their warts and mis-guided notions, were constantly concerned with disinterestedness (not making decisions based on what would increase their personal station or assets), honor (reputation) and virtue (character).

A good overview of our founding fathers and a few we don't consider (Paine and Burr to name a few) and their different political veiws, individually and as a group. It gives a good historical perspective of time and place for these framers...I wonder what they would all think of today's America?

I enjoyed listening to these essays during my daily commute. I learned many things about my American history and heritage. It also inspired me to read some of Thomas Paine's works. I think I have also found a way to get more non-fiction into my reading diet. It's definitely more enjoyable to listen to and focus on via an audiobook then overcoming the stigma of reading what amounts to a textbook.

While I realize it's a bit unfair to criticize a book that is essentially a survey for its superficiality, that nevertheless is a frequent frustration with Revolutionary Characters, particularly in the chapters on the best known of the revolutionary generation. The sections on George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and even Alexander Hamilton, for example, are disappointingly lacking in nuance, and Wood (again, probably necessarily restrained by his format) regularly falls back on obvious conclusions and arguments, even when he's attempting to be contrary. Where the book does shine, though, is in the two chapters on the men who were different from their contemporaries: Aaron Burr and Thomas Paine. Perhaps because he's freer here of broad cultural assumptions about his subjects, Wood writes with real enthusiasm about their contrariness, and his conclusions are interested and convincing.

A very good introduction to some of the leading characters of the American Revolution. (I found it particularly enriching to read this in conjunction with Joseph J. Ellis's Founding Brothers.)Two caveats that may deter some readers: 1) The book is a reworking of earlier individual essays (thus, no narrative flow,as such);2) It is clearly a work in academic prose rather than the language of a storyteller. The portraits drawn are interesting and much can be earned when compared with one's own understandings and those of other writers. There are two illuminating essays on the Founders and the 18th century understanding of the Enlightenment and on the Founders and the creation of modern public opinion.