john adams

Thanks to the generosity of our friends, Blake and I have been able to spend the last few weeks watching installments of the recent HBO miniseries, John Adams. While I was student teaching, I found a copy of the McCullough biography it was based on in my mentor teacher's library, but was only able to get through about half of it before my time in that classroom ended. I'd like to someday finish it -- especially since I have been so impressed with the movie it was based on.

I have long been in awe of our founding fathers -- inspired by their conviction, dedication, genius, and faith and can't help but be moved when I hear their stories. Though the chronicles of the American Revolution fascinate me to no end, I have found great pleasure in studying all aspects of American history. The subject thrills me so much that I deemed it as my college major, tacking on a teaching certificate as well so I could share it with others. I love my country, despite its flaws, and have immeasurable respect for those who fought to give it to me, as well as for those who continue to fight that I might keep it.

In keeping with this love for America's past, my bookshelves have, over the years, become showered with literature on the subject. I realize that not everyone finds reading non-fiction history works as enjoyable as I do, but I thought it still wouldn't hurt to list a few of my favorites here with you. After all, July 4th is, really, just around the corner, and a little brushing up on our nation's storied past isn't such a horrible idea. And so, without further delay, here is a sampling, in no particular order, of American history books that I've read and would highly recommend are worth the time it would take you to browse through them:

• George Washington: The Indispensable Man by James Thomas Flexner
• The Radicalism of the American Revolution by Gordon S. Wood
• The Great Republic: A History of America by Sir Winston Churchill
• Colonies to Nation, 1763-1789: A Documentary History of the American Revolution by Jack P. Greene
• Letters of a Nation by Andrew Carroll
• Our Sacred Honor: The Stories, Letters, Songs, Poems, Speeches, and Hymns that Gave Birth to Our Nation by William J. Bennett
• Witness to America: An Illustrated Documentary History of the United States from the Revolution to Today by Stephen Ambrose and Douglas Brinkley
• We Interrupt This Broadcast by Joe Garner
• Letters of the Century: America 1900-1999 by Lisa Grunwald and Stephen J. Adler
• A History of the American People by Paul M. Johnson
• Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts
• Jefferson's America, 1760-1815 by Norman K. Risjord
• 1776 by David McCullough (I have not yet read this, but plan to soon, as I hear nothing but fabulous things about it.)

And lest you think all history books are naturally pre-disposed to be stamped as dull, here are a couple that are light-hearted and definitely not boring:

• America the Beautiful: A Pop-Up Book by Robert Sabuda
• So You Want To Be President? by Judith St. George and David Small

Because seeing history somehow completes the reading of it, I'm going to leave you with a few photos I've snapped since realizing how rich with history New York City really is:

George Washington's pew at St. Paul's Chapel

The Bible used when Washington took the oath of office

Statue of Washington outside Federal Hall, on Wall Street, where he was sworn into office and gave his first inaugural address

(By the way, if you missed the John Adams miniseries on HBO, fear not: it will be released on DVD on June 10th)

**UPDATE, 5/29**
Last night we watched the final installment of John Adams. And wow. ...Wow. You guys really need to watch this film. The closing lines, spoken by Adams and probably adapted from his personal writings, were incredibly powerful and really resonated with me (which was, I'm sure, the intent of using them as the closing lines). He said:

"Oh, posterity, you will never know how much it cost us to preserve your freedom. I hope that you will make a good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that I ever took half the pains to preserve it."

Well said, Mr. Adams. Well said, indeed.