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bookwoman1967's review against another edition
4.0
What she said: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/107332857?book_show_action=true&page=1
hannah_em's review
3.0
This book was fine. I guess I've read too much about American history to find anything new in the book, but it wasn't poorly written. However, I thought Fleming made quite a few illogical conclusions.
sorceress_j's review
2.0
Well, this would have been three stars, if not for Fleming's borderline obsession with the Jefferson paternity issue. That could be its own book entirely, among the quite problematic reasons that it is included. I'll get to those later.
Overall, this book on the Founding Fathers is fairly by-the-numbers, but at least I got a good Cliff's Notes version of their personal lives. My favorite section was easily Benjamin Franklin, only because I didn't know the finer details of his personal life, which was particularly messy in a sad way. If that makes sense. Hamilton's life is told with a bit more nuance in Ron Chernow's amazing Hamilton biography, which I encourage you to check out (not just because we got an amazing musical to sweeten the deal). Fleming is a bit more critical of him and seems to think that Eliza did not even play too much of a role in her husband's life.
Washington's story has too many defused infidelity rumors thrown in there that really add nothing to the book other than...Yeah, he was a huge historical figure, and people loved to rampantly gossip about him. So? John Adams' story dragged for me, only because I knew so much about his life and Abigail's life already. And James Madison's story is practically his wife's story, as I read that she accomplished almost as much, if not more, than her husband in some respects. Dolley was a remarkable person, but my seventh-grade research paper on her could tell you that.
This is where I get to the problematic part of the book: Jefferson. Is it surprising that he would be a part of the problematic portion? Of course not. Does this part irritate me? Absolutely, 100% yes! This is where Fleming essentially lost me, glossing over details of Jefferson's opinions on black people (spoiler alert: deplorable) and, to some extent, that he was a hypocritical slaveowner. And, very oddly, when he spends an entire section talking about Jefferson's possible but likely paternity of Sally Hemings' children, he almost throws poor Hemings under the bus. Speculating that if Jefferson was the sole father of her children, she'd be comparatively more "innocent" than if there had been multiple fathers.
Pardon my French, but it is the biggest "what the fuck?" moment in here. By referring to Sally as a "mistress" and as a woman who possibly took on "lovers", Fleming operates under the misguided assumption that a young, illiterate 18th-century black woman had enough agency to have similar privileges as some of the white women described in this very book. I firmly believe that she was a rape victim, and this frankly useless anecdote could not convince me otherwise.
So, yes, this part left a bad taste in my mouth, and it was a struggle for me to plow through the remainder of the book. But, since I have a goal to reach, I wouldn't stop. Still, this book is good for a skim at best. And the possible protection of Jefferson's legacy (otherwise the part above mentioned) can be easily skipped.
Overall, this book on the Founding Fathers is fairly by-the-numbers, but at least I got a good Cliff's Notes version of their personal lives. My favorite section was easily Benjamin Franklin, only because I didn't know the finer details of his personal life, which was particularly messy in a sad way. If that makes sense. Hamilton's life is told with a bit more nuance in Ron Chernow's amazing Hamilton biography, which I encourage you to check out (not just because we got an amazing musical to sweeten the deal). Fleming is a bit more critical of him and seems to think that Eliza did not even play too much of a role in her husband's life.
Washington's story has too many defused infidelity rumors thrown in there that really add nothing to the book other than...Yeah, he was a huge historical figure, and people loved to rampantly gossip about him. So? John Adams' story dragged for me, only because I knew so much about his life and Abigail's life already. And James Madison's story is practically his wife's story, as I read that she accomplished almost as much, if not more, than her husband in some respects. Dolley was a remarkable person, but my seventh-grade research paper on her could tell you that.
This is where I get to the problematic part of the book: Jefferson. Is it surprising that he would be a part of the problematic portion? Of course not. Does this part irritate me? Absolutely, 100% yes! This is where Fleming essentially lost me, glossing over details of Jefferson's opinions on black people (spoiler alert: deplorable) and, to some extent, that he was a hypocritical slaveowner. And, very oddly, when he spends an entire section talking about Jefferson's possible but likely paternity of Sally Hemings' children, he almost throws poor Hemings under the bus. Speculating that if Jefferson was the sole father of her children, she'd be comparatively more "innocent" than if there had been multiple fathers.
Pardon my French, but it is the biggest "what the fuck?" moment in here. By referring to Sally as a "mistress" and as a woman who possibly took on "lovers", Fleming operates under the misguided assumption that a young, illiterate 18th-century black woman had enough agency to have similar privileges as some of the white women described in this very book. I firmly believe that she was a rape victim, and this frankly useless anecdote could not convince me otherwise.
So, yes, this part left a bad taste in my mouth, and it was a struggle for me to plow through the remainder of the book. But, since I have a goal to reach, I wouldn't stop. Still, this book is good for a skim at best. And the possible protection of Jefferson's legacy (otherwise the part above mentioned) can be easily skipped.
juliarklawrence's review
2.0
I'm giving this book a few stars for its sections on George Washington and Ben Franklin. And the it gets a big thumbs down for its treatment of Thomas Jefferson. Mysogynistic, assuming, terribly researched...please. I know my Jeffersonian history and this guy is not on our team.
pelachick's review
4.0
Most of this information is available in other books. But Fleming gives the information a unique perspective. If you are interested in the revolutionary figures, this is worth reading.
hollenacht's review
5.0
Really well-written and interesting account of some of the Founding Fathers and their relationships. A lot of what we know has been romanticized by movies or musicals (I'm looking at you, '1776' and 'Hamilton') and it was fascinating to go more in-depth with these relationships.
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