America's Prophet - by Bruce Feiler (Paperback)

About the Book

"New York Times"-bestselling author Feiler reveals how Moses has been America's true Spiritual Founding Father, tracing the influence of the biblical figure from the "Mayflower" pilgrims to the Civil Rights activists, and showing how very relevant he is today.

Book Synopsis

Bruce Feiler's New York Times bestsellers Abraham, Walking the Bible, and Where God Was Born brilliantly explored the roots of faith. With America's Prophet, Feiler looks at Moses and the essential role the prophet has played in our nation's history and development. Bruce Feiler's most fascinating and thought-provoking book to date, America's Prophet delves deeply into how the Exodus story and America's true "Spiritual Founding Father" have inspired many of the most important figures and defining events in this country's history--from the Mayflower Pilgrims to the Civil Rights movement--and how Moses can provide meaning in times of national crisis, even today.

From the Back Cover

Hailed as one of the most original works of history in years, America's Prophet reveals how generations of Americans have been inspired by the story of Moses.

The pilgrims quoted his story. Franklin and Jefferson proposed he appear on the U.S. seal. Washington and Lincoln were called his incarnations. The Statue of Liberty and Superman were molded in his image. Martin Luther King Jr. invoked him the night before he died. Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama cited him as inspiration. For four hundred years, one figure has inspired more Americans than any other. His name is Moses.

Traveling through touchstones in American history, bestselling author Bruce Feiler traces the biblical prophet's influence from the Mayflower through today. Meticulously researched and highly readable, America's Prophet is a thrilling, original work of history that will forever change how we view America, our faith, and our future.

Review Quotes

"This is one of the most original, intelligent and endlessly fascinating books I have read in years: it should become a set book for anyone wanting to know what truly makes America tick." -- Simon Winchester

"With a journalist eye and an adventurers spirit, Bruce Feiler brings his prodigious gifts of biblical analysis to a reconsideration of Moses as the essential prophet of the American Experience. This is an accessible and engaging book of indispensible insight." -- Tony Horwitz

"What a smart, original, and deeply intriguing reflection on the role Moses played - yes, Moses - in U.S. history. America's Prophet is Bruce Feiler at his innovative best: compelling, sweeping and engaging. Highly recommended!" -- Douglas Brinkley

"Fascinating and thought provoking." -- Booklist (starred review)

"Astunning collective portrait of an ingrown community with its own history, hierarchy, and traditions." -- The New Yorker on Under the Big Top

"Penetrating and insightful. . . . Bruce Feiler's Dreaming Out Loud details the ins and outs of Nashville." -- New York Times on Dreaming Out Loud