History Books I’ve Read and Highly Recommend
I am a bit of a U.S. history buff and although I read other material I have decided to give my views of some history books that I have read over the past few years. I hope you take the time to read one of these very well written and informative books.

John Adams
            by David McCullough
John Adams is one of the best books I have ever read. There is so much that is unknown about our second President. After reading this book you may change the way you view the story of our founding fathers. We were all taught in school that Thomas Jefferson single-handedly wrote The Declaration of Independence. In fact, Jefferson only put the verse in his own style.  Ben Franklin and John Adams are the ones who proposed many of the ideas and proposals set forth in that historic document.

The story, written so eloquently by McCullough, details Adam’s insecurities and how they shaped him over his lifetime for better or for worse.  He was short and stocky with a shrill voice, all of which made him very insecure, despite being one of the legal and political geniuses of his time. His love of, and eventual distaste for, Thomas Jefferson is the central focus of the entire story, along with his extremely devoted love for his wife, Abigail. He worked closely with Jefferson during the Revolution and traveled with him when they were in Europe trying to get aid from France for the American cause.  Animosity arose years later following the Presidential election of 1800, when Jefferson defeated Adams and the rift between the two men lasted for many years.

Most of the book is written directly from Adam’s own diary and from letters he wrote to many of the prominent figures of his time. Ironically, Adams died on July 4th 1824.  The very day that Thomas Jefferson died, just a few hours later.

Duel: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Future of America
            by Thomas Fleming
This is the detailed story of the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.  It begins early in the life of our new nation, when Hamilton was the unofficial leader of the Federalist Party, trying to establish a strong federal banking system. It shows early party politics in the deal Hamilton struck with Jefferson and company, where they would back Hamilton’s proposal to devalue some Revolutionary War debt and setting up the central banking system (one that we still have to this day) in exchange for setting the new National Capital in the south, in Maryland/Virginia (Washington, DC).

In those days chivalry prevailed and insults, in public or private, were handled differently than they are today.  Hamilton made some comments about early New York politics that didn’t sit well with Aaron Burr, a product of the then-New York political machine. It took several years for the verbal feud between the two to reach the point of a challenge to a pistol duel to occur.

The second half of this book highlights the story from Burr’s point of view and how he had no choice, given the thinking of the day to challenge Hamilton to the death on the cliffs of Weehawken, NJ. In the end, you almost feel sorry for Aaron Burr and how history has portrayed him.  All in all, this is a very well-written story about a chapter of American history that is not very well known.

Ulysses S. Grant
            by Ulysses S. Grant
A very well written autobiography.  It was a little difficult to read because Grant wrote in the manner that American English was spoken in his day.  I found myself re-reading certain sections in order to understand what he really meant. There were times when the narrative dragged on a bit, as Grant described nearly every event in minute detail. This was a bit boring during certain lesser Civil War battles that he described, but I found it amazing that one of the greatest American generals in history had kept such detailed notes and was able to describe his battles 20 years after they occurred. 

The main point that I gained from reading this book was that Grant was not the drunken, unsure buffoon that history has portrayed.  His successes on the battlefield did not parlay into his political life mainly because an order given in battle is usually carried out and a general must trust his officers and troops.  Ulysses S. Grant, it appears, learned too late that the same rules do not always apply in politics. 

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West
            by Stephen Ambrose
This book was recommended by my late father, who was so engrossed in the story of Lewis and Clark’s Corp of Discovery that he constantly recited portions of the book to me every time we were together.  Originally, I had no interest in reading the book, as I thought that the story of Lewis and Clark was nothing more than what they taught us in grade school; two guys, commissioned by Thomas Jefferson, traveled across the new Louisiana Purchase to find a water route to the Pacific.  They saw the Pacific and came home.

They didn’t teach us the real story in school.  Once I finally picked up the book and began reading, I could not put it down.  Ambrose writes so poetically and is so descriptive that you almost feel that you are standing there on the banks of the Missouri with Lewis and Clark as they meet new tribes of Native Americans or fight the first Grizzly Bear they have ever seen or winter with the Mandan or barter with the unreasonable Sioux.

The first third of the book is a bit slow, as Meriweather Lewis studies under his mentor, Jefferson and prepares his supplies in Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.  Once the Corp of Discovery leaves St. Louis the story really takes off. What the Corp encounters and the mental and physical stresses they are forced to endure makes you wonder how they ever accomplished the mission. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in American History.  You may want to read it twice.

To The Best of My Abilities – The American Presidents
            by James M. McPherson
This book consists of 3 – 8 page snapshots of each U.S. President.  It was adapted into a very successful History Channel special that was presented in several episodes, similar to a Ken Burns documentary.  Each President is described by a different historian, which allows for you to see each President in objective ways, not all written by the same person.

In addition to a synopsis of each individual President, there is miscellaneous information and pictures along the side of each page, providing additional detail about the subject.  This book would be helpful for any age group to learn more about the history of the U.S. Presidency and the individual President. You can even learn that close elections, Electoral College contests, court decisions and disputed elections is more common than anyone would image.