The character of our founding fathers
and leaders like Abraham Lincoln is what made the United States
great. This book is a cautionary tale for today.
The founding fathers, particularly
George Washington and James Madison, recognized that it's not the
arrogant individual who can make a country. It's the man who sees greatness in himself, but uses that greatness in service
of the greater good of the country. The chapters on George Washington
and James Madison were well done. Bobb clearly know the history of
the country and has chosen his quotations from Washington and Madison
well.
I was delighted that Bobb included a
chapter on Abigail Adams. Too often women are overlooked in the
making of the country. I've read several biographies of Abigail
Adams. She was more than a helpmeet to John Adams she was a political
thinker in her own right. I thought
Bobb did a good job portraying the
contribution of a woman to the political thinking of the
revolutionary period.
My favorite chapter was the one on
Lincoln. He faced challenges worse than what we face today and rather
than treating them with personal arrogance, he put his trust in God.
Bobb has collected an excellent selection of Lincoln's writings. I
highly recommend reading this chapter.
The chapter on Frederick Douglass was
equally enlightening. He was someone who suffered extreme hardship
under slavery, but was able to turn his experience to the common good
rather than being embittered.
I highly recommend this book. It's a
good historical overview of several people who were instrumental in
the formation of the United States, but it's also a look at the
problem of arrogance versus humility. All these people were extremely
able, articulate people. They had pride and ambition, but they used
it in the service of the greater good for their fellow man. It's a
lesson for our leaders today.
I reviewed this book for the Thomas
Nelson Booksneeze Program.
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