Summary
The man who taught me about reviewing history books said one should first state whether the volume at hand significantly advanced our knowledge of the events covered. Then a reviewer should declare whether the book was well-written and edited and, finally, whether it could be recommended. And then stop.
"Empire of Liberty" is the latest in the (Pulitzer, Bancroft and Parkman) prize-laden "Oxford History of the United States" series and could be the most interesting because it covers a critical period in our national development that usually is glossed over by other historians, who slide too quickly from the death of George Washington to the advent of Andrew Jackson.See the full content of this document
Extract
A Critical Period in Early America
The author, Gordon S. Wood of Brown University, is one of our more eminent historians of the early days of the republic, and one of my favorite books is his 2004 biography, "The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin," which I confess I studied during my own Franklin foray.
While Mr. ...See the full content of this document
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