The Patriots - by Winston Groom

“All three were driven by their own passions and particular genius, and when in the course of human events they saw a new fate opening for America they chanced their fortunes and futures on creating a more just and promising world,” Winston Groom writes in the epilogue of his book, The Patriots: Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the Making of America. ~ What ~ This four-hundred-and-sixteen-page paperback is for those who enjoy reading about America’s Adams, Hamilton, and Jefferson, and how they shaped and formed our country over two hundred years ago. After a prologue, nine chapters cover the United States’ founding fathers and include sixteen pages of colored photographs. The ending has an epilogue, acknowledgments, select sources, notes, index, and illustration credits. Beginning with the three men’s upbringings to their marriages and participation in the Revolutionary War, the first three chapters cover how Hamilton promoted personal honor, Adams craved esteem, and Jefferson focused on the truth. The next three sections are in the same order, dedicated to establishing the country through the men’s governmental roles at home or across the ocean, adding their goals, accomplishments, and pitfalls. The final three are in a different order and explain the men’s later years, deaths, and contributions. The closing is a summary of each one’s accolades and impact on the United States. ~ Why ~ Since it has been a while since I have read about America’s patriots, I found this read interesting in that history undeniably keeps repeating itself to our current day. I appreciated the arduous, tireless work these men dedicated to our country in orchestrating the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Federalist Papers, and Treaty of Paris, as well as their stance regarding slavery, being involved in three wars, and perfecting the new laws of the land. Engaging topics of their personal lives involved lost loves, secret affairs, adultery, deaths of loved ones, and the often hatred toward others. The book discusses the strong partisan disagreements, underlying clandestine schemes, prompting of protests, trying to stop riots and revolts, and dealing with sedition that are no different from today’s political environment. ~ Why Not ~ Those who do not care about the history of the United States may have no interest in this compilation, but it does hone in on how important it was for those who started our county to successfully separate from England and deal properly with decisions that affected many. Others may not like the negativity and imperfections of these humans who constantly faced political, moral, and personal challenges, making mistakes that were sometimes brought to the attention of the nation. Some may find the author goes off on tangents frequently, but mainly as a backdrop to the men’s interactions and reasonings. ~ Wish ~ The layout of the book has lots of repetition and overlapping of people, places, and events, which makes it hard to read since it is not always in chronological order. I did not care for the format of jumping from one man to the next to the next and then back to the first one, only to have the order mixed up toward the end. ~ Want ~ If you have forgotten how America’s roots were firmly yet sometimes frantically planted with the help of these three important men in history, this is a good reminder of the state of man (especially in regard to politics) as it confirms that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Thanks to National Geographic, Litzky Public Relations, Inc., and Bookpleasures for this complimentary book that I am under no obligation to review.