I had been curious about Vowell's books for ages, and finally got around to picking this one up as a part of my current trend on reading about the AmeI had been curious about Vowell's books for ages, and finally got around to picking this one up as a part of my current trend on reading about the American Revolution. Vowell has become known for her associative, nearly stream-of-consciousness style that sometimes feels like an NPR radio segment or nerdy podcast. Most of the time it really worked for me -- especially as she's talking about how Lafayette's legacy has changed over the history of America -- her asides on Pennsylvania Quakers and Colonial Williamsburg re-enactors is actually pretty on topic.
I did sometimes wish for more straightforward biographical information on Lafayette -- but any good non-fiction book should leave you wanting to learn more, right? And this book made me want to learn more about Lafayette, Washington, and the general course of the war. It's becoming increasingly clear that most of my Revolutionary knowledge is about the statesmen and the causes -- very little about the war itself.
I picked this up at the library for my Hamilton-obsessed son, but after he read it, he insisted that I read it, too. It is, of course, a short graphicI picked this up at the library for my Hamilton-obsessed son, but after he read it, he insisted that I read it, too. It is, of course, a short graphic novel aimed at middle grade readers, so things are abbreviated and simplified, but it is so energetic! and fun! And certainly filled out my rather limited knowledge on someone who was certainly a major player in the American Revolution.
Enjoyable. I think a lot of kids would like it, especially those obsessed with Hamilton. As for me, it finally provided that little push to motivate me to get a copy of Lafayette in the Somewhat United States that I'd been eyeing forever. ...more
This book was such a random discovery -- ran into a copy at the Unitarian used book sale (wow. I just realized how appropriate that is), and picked itThis book was such a random discovery -- ran into a copy at the Unitarian used book sale (wow. I just realized how appropriate that is), and picked it up because it hit a trifecta of my history interests -- science, the American Revolution, and heresy. I did not expect the book to frequently take an ecological approach to biography, which of course makes sense given the nature of some of Priestley's discoveries -- and I loved it.
I took pages of notes as I was reading -- on Priestly and Franklin, the Enlightenment, the nature of progress, ecology, chemistry, the founding of Unitarianism. So much of the material in this book was right up my alley, but still somehow information I hadn't run into before -- or at least not fully synthesized. My favorite bit was definitely the section on the Carboniferous, which I don't think I'd ever heard put together fully that way before. It blew my mind.
Favorite quote: "Necessity may be the mother of invention, but most of the great inventors were blessed with something else: leisure time."...more
I've owned this book for ages, and it's been on my "priority" shelf for over a year now. But it took my oldest son's obsession with Hamilton to get meI've owned this book for ages, and it's been on my "priority" shelf for over a year now. But it took my oldest son's obsession with Hamilton to get me to finally take it down and open it. This book us framed around six events/relationships/conflicts -- three of which are explicitly major events in the musical. So there were definitely plenty of little bonus moments of "Oh, *that's* what that one little line meant!" It was enough to make me even a little happy that I put off reading this until I had a major portion of Hamilton lyrics living in my head.
While there were some moments of authorial opining that irritated me here and there, in general, I appreciated Ellis's approach -- which is generally to remind us of the stakes of the American Revolution. While those involved in the creation of America certainly felt that they were engaged in a great endeavor -- for which history would certainly be watching them -- it was never a foregone conclusion that their experiment on democracy would be successful, which is easy to lose sight of from our vantage point.
I don't think that this would serve as a great introduction to the Revolution, but it was a fascinating addition. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on The Duel, John and Abigail Adams's partnership, and the late in life letter-writing of Adams and Jefferson. (The least enjoyable was the chapter on Washington's farewell, which dragged terribly.)
Owning this book was sort of an accident. I had put a book called My Dearest Friend on my wishlist -- it was supposed to be largely just the collectedOwning this book was sort of an accident. I had put a book called My Dearest Friend on my wishlist -- it was supposed to be largely just the collected letters between Abigail and John Adams. Andrew had made a list of the books on my wishlist and headed to a local bookstore and picked this up instead, thinking he'd gotten the book on my list. Oh, well. It was still very sweet!
This is more a straight-up biography, of course largely based on those letters, among other things, and sometimes containing excerpts from those letters. It seemed promising, with a lovely quote on the front from The Boston Globe of all places, saying it was "as lively, sensible, and forthright as the woman about whom it is written..." Personally, I would drop the word "lively" from the description. At times this book was so dry that the only thing that kept me reading was how excessively interested in Abigail Adams I have been from the beginning.
I acknowledge that I may have made the author's task more difficult by an over-familiarity with the subject. The basic details of her life I already know -- from 1776 and the John Adams mini-series, among other places. Every once in a while, Dearest Friend would sputter into life, and I would sit up, feeling like I was getting a truer glimpse into the details of Abigail's life -- a feeling for what it really must have been like to live that life. Then it would fade back into what seemed like a dry recitation of "and then this happened, and then this...."
I am probably being overly harsh on this poor book. Maybe the quote on the cover jaded me. Maybe I just wanted too deeply to be swept away with love for Abigail. Certainly I read the entire book with interest. But still, I want the book that was originally on my list. ...more
It's an interesting concept: a biography for a book. If the rest of the books in this series are this strong, I should add most of them to my TBR listIt's an interesting concept: a biography for a book. If the rest of the books in this series are this strong, I should add most of them to my TBR list at once.
I've had this book on my shelves for ages (if you want an idea of how long -- my copy is actually an ARC.) I'd been meaning to read Thomas Paine fore basically my entire life (I was raised on the musical 1776), and this was an excellent introduction to his life, his influences, and his writing. In particular I appreciated the context of how he was shaped by (and attempted to shape) the French revolution, some of the context for his religious beliefs, and his writing on the same, and the different communities that he moved through.
I really need to read more about: The French Revolution, Paine's writings in full, and more Dickens. And then probably read this again, at some point. ...more
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