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American Creation

Triumphs and Tragedies in the Founding of the Republic

Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic

By Joseph J. Ellis

By Joseph J. Ellis

By Joseph J. Ellis

By Joseph J. Ellis

By Joseph J. Ellis
Read by John H. Mayer

By Joseph J. Ellis
Read by John H. Mayer

Best Seller
Paperback $17.00

Oct 14, 2008 | ISBN 9780307276452

Ebook $13.99

Oct 30, 2007 | ISBN 9780307267740

Audiobook Download $20.00

Oct 30, 2007 | 657 Minutes

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    American Creation by Joseph J. Ellis
    Paperback $17.00
    Oct 14, 2008 | ISBN 9780307276452

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    About American Creation

    National Bestseller

    Acclaimed historian Joseph J. Ellis brings his unparalleled talents to this riveting account of the early years of the Republic.

    The last quarter of the eighteenth century remains the most politically creative era in American history, when a dedicated group of men undertook a bold experiment in political ideals. It was a time of both triumphs and tragedies—all of which contributed to the shaping of our burgeoning nation. Ellis casts an incisive eye on the gradual pace of the American Revolution and the contributions of such luminaries as Washington, Jefferson, and Madison, and brilliantly analyzes the failures of the founders to adequately solve the problems of slavery and the treatment of Native Americans. With accessible prose and stunning eloquence, Ellis delineates in American Creation an era of flawed greatness, at a time when understanding our origins is more important than ever.

    About American Creation

    From the first shots fired at Lexington to the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, Joseph J. Ellis guides us through the decisive issues of the nation’s founding, and illuminates the emerging philosophies, shifting alliances, and personal and political foibles of our now iconic leaders–Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and Adams. He casts an incisive eye on the founders’ achievements, arguing that the American Revolution was, paradoxically, an evolution–and that part of what made it so extraordinary was the gradual pace at which it occurred. He explains how the idea of a strong federal government was eventually embraced by the American people, and details the emergence of the two-party system, which stands as the founders’ most enduring legacy.

    Ellis is equally incisive about their failures, and he makes clear how their inability to abolish slavery and to reach a just settlement with the Native Americans has played an equally important role in shaping our national character. With eloquence and insight, Ellis strips the mythic veneer of the revolutionary generation to reveal men both human and inspired, possessed of both brilliance and blindness. American Creation is an audiobook that delineates an era of flawed greatness, at a time when understanding our origins is more important than ever.

    About American Creation

    From the first shots fired at Lexington to the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, Joseph J. Ellis guides us through the decisive issues of the nation’s founding, and illuminates the emerging philosophies, shifting alliances, and personal and political foibles of our now iconic leaders–Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and Adams. He casts an incisive eye on the founders’ achievements, arguing that the American Revolution was, paradoxically, an evolution–and that part of what made it so extraordinary was the gradual pace at which it occurred. He explains how the idea of a strong federal government was eventually embraced by the American people, and details the emergence of the two-party system, which stands as the founders’ most enduring legacy.

    Ellis is equally incisive about their failures, and he makes clear how their inability to abolish slavery and to reach a just settlement with the Native Americans has played an equally important role in shaping our national character. With eloquence and insight, Ellis strips the mythic veneer of the revolutionary generation to reveal men both human and inspired, possessed of both brilliance and blindness. American Creation is an audiobook that delineates an era of flawed greatness, at a time when understanding our origins is more important than ever.

    Read An Excerpt

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    Also by Joseph J. Ellis

    American Dialogue
    The Quartet
    Writing the Declaration of Independence
    Revolutionary Summer
    First Family
    See all books by Joseph J. Ellis

    Also by Joseph J. Ellis

    American Dialogue
    The Quartet
    Writing the Declaration of Independence
    Revolutionary Summer
    First Family
    See all books by Joseph J. Ellis

    Also by Joseph J. Ellis

    American Dialogue
    The Quartet
    Writing the Declaration of Independence
    Revolutionary Summer
    First Family
    See all books by Joseph J. Ellis

    About Joseph J. Ellis

    JOSEPH J. ELLIS is the author of many works of American history including Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, which won the National Book Award. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts with… More about Joseph J. Ellis

    About Joseph J. Ellis

    JOSEPH J. ELLIS is the author of many works of American history including Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, which won the National Book Award. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts with… More about Joseph J. Ellis

    About Joseph J. Ellis

    JOSEPH J. ELLIS is the author of many works of American history including Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, which won the National Book Award. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts with… More about Joseph J. Ellis

    Product Details

    Category: Colonial/Revolutionary War History | Military History | Political Figure Biographies & Memoirs

    Paperback | $17.00
    Published by Vintage
    Oct 14, 2008 | 304 Pages | 5-3/16 x 8 | ISBN 9780307276452

    Category: Colonial/Revolutionary War History | Military History | Political Figure Biographies & Memoirs

    Ebook | $13.99
    Published by Vintage
    Oct 30, 2007 | 304 Pages | ISBN 9780307267740

    Category: Colonial/Revolutionary War History | Military History | Political Figure Biographies & Memoirs | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $20.00
    Published by Random House Audio
    Oct 30, 2007 | 657 Minutes | ISBN 9780739331934

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    Praise

    “Illuminating. . . . Compelling. . . . Focuses on a series of key moments: most notably, Valley Forge, the standoff between the Federalists and their opponents, [and] the consequences [of] the Louisiana Purchase on slavery and the treatment of Indians.” —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

    “[Ellis] is a storyteller, and a superb one . . . no historian is better at making a complicated jumble of events clear and comprehensible.” —The New York Review of Books

    “Illuminating . . . entertaining. . . .  Ellis has done us a great service.” —The New York Times Book Review

    “Delightful. . . . Ellis is the reigning master of the episodic approach to history.” —The Boston Globe

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