History Bookclub JAN 2022
what's the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet?
<Topics>Book Club, American History <AuthTime>23+ <ReadTime>5:44
The Inspiration
Tonight is easy. A couple of nights ago on Tuesday, January 11th, 2022 I had my monthly get-together with my History Bookclub. I promised in a previous post titled “Are You Free” to provide a review of the books we read. This is our inaugural book for 2022. I also plan to intersperse other books of interest that join my mix for the year.
The Setup
Benjamin Frankin and George Washington are two of the people aptly named as Founding Fathers. Two men so different yet joined together in a cause that transformed the world. The men were different in disposition, behavior, and how they prioritized their lives. Their story is an inspiration BECAUSE they were different. Their willingness to sacrifice for a cause and find common ground is an inspiration. Our book to bring in the year was “Franklin and Washington: The Founding Partnership by Edward Larson. Our club has read a lot about the founding of the nation and the key players. We all have more than basic knowledge of the men and their roles so a book that melds them together (two bios in one) will be challenging. I am most interested in what connects them. I am hopeful and always eager to learn. The book is 352 pages, well footnoted and I was able to obtain a hardcover on the used market.
What’s It About?
I read Walter Isaacson’s book “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” many years ago. That book sets the bar high. I have also read a few books on George Washington including Ron Chernow’s “Washington: A LIfe” and Brian Kilmeade’s “George Washington’s Secret Six”. The first was excellent and the second was not worth the read unless it was assigned. The background on the men excited me to read a story that focuses on melding them together. The publisher describes the book as a “dual” biography. That did not excite me as two glossy 175-page bios do not equal a thorough single biography. I will withhold judgment until the end.
My Opinion
A number of years ago I read a book by Joseph Ellis. The title was “Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation”. I consider him the ultimate author of the Revolutionary period of our country. He took on a monumental task in his book and managed to interleave Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams, and Madison into a single cohesive and prize-winning book. His ability to weave and juxtapose characters in a multi-decade story was just wonderful. Fast forward almost fifteen years later and my good friend “J” invited me to join him at a presentation at the University of Minnesota and book signing by Joseph Ellis at which I subsequently bought his later book “The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution 1783-1789”. The Quartet does a similar job telling the stories of Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, John Jay, and James Madison. The purpose of these references is not to name-drop some books. Weaving a story with a cast of characters, each of which has an engaging story by itself is a difficult task. Early in our subject book, on page 5 the author reminded me of the Joseph Ellis book. I found myself considering that book as I was reading. This is unfair to Edward Larson I am afraid.
The pictures in the book were wonderful and I also appreciated the focus on the men prior to the Revolution dating to their earlier careers and Washington’s important role in the French and Indian War.
Is It Worth a Read
I am left with an assessment that so many wonderful books have been written about these men separately and they are wonderful, entertaining, and comprehensive. I think the author took on a challenging topic to weave these men together. They each had key roles in the Revolution but they were largely separate. This makes their connection a difficult story to piece together. We are left with two good, albeit abbreviated biographies of important men whose imprint on the Country is unmistakable. I think for the reader who has not read biographies of either man, this is a very good choice. I think for those who have read about Washington or Franklin previously, I feel there are better books that have been written that focus on the chronology, interspersing the key characters. I will rate this book 5 out of 10.
I am interested to hear the feedback of my fellow book club members. I often gain new insight when I listen to their reviews. I will polish this post on Tuesday evening by providing additional perspectives from a group of people I enjoy and respect.
What I Learned at the Meeting
My unusual and cryptic subtitle to today’s post refers to the letter omicron. Our in-person meeting has moved back to Zoom. I hope that our virtual turnout is good.
The turnout was good as we nimbly abandoned an in-person library meeting for Zoom. There was a lively conversation. At least five of the people who were on the call did not read or finish the book. Of those that read the book, there was a range of comments. The book was appealing for those who had not read other books about Franklin and Washington. The consensus of the group thought that Franklin was reflected in a better light in the book. Some felt the author dwelled too much on slavery and implied that the problem was solvable at that stage. Most historians reject that the abolition of slavery could have been accomplished at the founding of the nation. Based on other readers’ comments, I came to believe that the tail end of the book pivoted to slavery and made some claims that the Founders could have gotten it “right” if only for Washington. I reject that premise and this becomes a further strike against this book.
The observations of the group are always helpful to me. In light of their input, I think the author unfairly paints Washington. Most historians acknowledge that ONLY WASHINGTON could have unified the new nation and was a towering figure who walked away from being a King or a perpetual President. He launched the country and encouraged the transfer to another. His willingness to relinquish power makes him the essential figure for the country in my opinion.
Here is some music about Washington and Franklin. These might not be for everyone.