Revolutionary Characters

What Made the Founders Different

By: Gordon S. Wood

Narrated by: Scott Brick

In this brilliantly illuminating group portrait of the men who came to be known as the Founding Fathers, the incomparable Gordon Wood has written a book that seriously asks, ?What made these men great???and shows us, among many other things, just how much character did in fact matter. The life of each?Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison, Paine?is presented individually as well as collectively, but the thread that binds these portraits together is the idea of character as a lived reality. They were members of the first generation in history that was self-consciously self-made?men who understood that the arc of lives, as of nations, is one of moral progress.

Critic reviews

"Of those writing about the founding fathers, [Gordon Wood] is quite simply the best." —The Philadelphia Inquirer

Not as informative as I'd hoped for

This was an interesting book, but not as many "new" things about the founding fathers as I'd hoped to hear.

And Scott Brick was not the best choice of narrator for this book. I usually enjoy his narrations, but he was a bit too low key and monotone for this type of book, and I found it hard to keep my attention on the content. A more animated read might have made this come alive a bit more.

Surprisingly Relevant

As a history buff, I expected - and discovered - many new glimpses into the characters of our Revolutionary Period. But it was as a political buff, I was surprised to read of the tension and open conflict between the political elite and political populism whose divergent worldviews continue to divide our national culture today.

wow.

Wow. This book was amazing. Gordon Wood is a phenomenal writer. If I could have any writing style it would be his! The content is super fascinating too. Wood dedicated a chapter to the founding fathers he believed were the most influential in creating America. He had the obvious ones but he also had some surprising ones like Thomas Paine and Aaron Burr! I loved how he compared and contrasted them and brought them into the greater context of American history. That is, he didnt just talk about their lives but how their influence is still relevant in today's world. His section on public opinion and argument of how the founders created a culture that ultimately was their demise was the cherry on top of an amazing book. This was an audiobook and the narration is on point! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars! Highly recommend!!!!!!

Animated narration but

One error in the first chapter, the substitution of the word public for private which renders the quote nonsensical.

wonderful summary of the founding characters

in this short book you can read about many of the most important founders from the perspective of one of the most eminent American historians. plus, I love the voice and style of Scott Brick.