Founding Fathers Book Review
Book Selection Due: September 16, 2011
Book Review Due: October 17, 2011
More than two centuries after they presided over the birth of the nation, the Founding Fathers
are hot. Americans can't seem to get enough books about George Washington, John Adams,
Thomas Jefferson, or Alexander Hamilton. Just look at all these books, every one of them a best
seller and/or Pulitzer Prize winner. Even Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg can’t get enough of
them, making a critically-acclaimed and much-watched HBO miniseries based on David
McCullough’s John Adams. Why this renewed interest in the founders and what do they have to
tell us about America today?
In order to get a better understanding, I am asking that you read one out of the thousands of
books that have written about one them (no less than 200 pages). It is up to you to decide which
founding father you may want to delve into. Possible selections include John Adams, Samuel
Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, or George
Washington, Or, you may choose a book that represents a collective biography of more than one.
In addition to the following book review requirements, we will have a roundtable discussion about
the books beginning on Monday, October 17, 2011.
Book Review Requirements
Form: Each book review will be approximately 1000 typewritten or word-processed words long.
Please print the word count at the end of your work. I am expecting standard grammar and usage
Parts two and three should be noticeably longer than part one. The main objective of this
analytical book review should be to comprehensively cover the three sections of the following
book review outline;
Part I:
This is a brief outline of the contents of the book. In the space of one or two
paragraphs you should be able to convey the parameter’s of the book’s contents. DO NOT simply
reproduce the book’s table of contents. (10 points)
Part II:
Here is the place for a careful summary of the author’s thesis, or explain the
author’s assessment of the historical importance of the subject. The thesis is the primary idea
of the author is trying to prove and convince the reader to accept as valid. You must first
identify the thesis and then show how the author either substantiates or fails to substantiate
this thesis. You should quote portions of the book in order to answer this part of the review, and
you will need to cite page numbers for these quotations. This will undoubtedly take you a page or
two in order to do a good job. (30 points)
Part III:
This is your personal evaluation of the book and is the most important part of your
analytical book review. Here is where you describe your reaction to the book. Some of the
questions you must answer include: Do you agree or disagree with the book’s conclusions? Why or
why not? Did the book support or contradict what you have read in textbooks or your previous
knowledge on the same subject? Did you detect any biases on the part of the author? What was
the author’s background and why did he or she write the book? (You may need to do additional
research to answer these questions.) How in your opinion could the book have been improved?
You must be specific and keep in mind there are NO perfect books. Did you enjoy reading this
book? Why or why not? Would you recommend it to others? How is this book relevant or
important to your study of U.S. History? (30 points)
Round Table Discussion (30 points)
Each student will be required to participate in a discussion relevant to their findings in their
book. Each student should be prepared to give an overview of their book in a 2-3 minute
presentation. Upon completion of these presentations, a series of questions will be presented in
which you will be required to provide your opinion based on your reading. Points will be given for
quality of participation in both the presentation and round table discussion. (More details will
follow as we get closer to the actual discussion day)