Uncovering the Ancient Wisdom of the Greeks and Romans: How America's Founding Fathers Applied First Principles

Tom Riddell: The author breathed life back into our founders and brought them back from the grave; much needed during these teetering times in America.

The argument can be made; having been alluded to by many citizens, politicians and journalists that we're living in "Two Americas", as was also mentioned by Martin Luther King Jr. in as early as 1967. The author, Thomas Ricks, ponders this question and more importantly wonders what kind of nation we've become and digs deeper into the question of did the founders design or intend it to be the way it is now? Ricks visited several libraries and resources, immersing himself in the philosophy and literature that shaped the founders' thinking. Also included in his research were letters they wrote to each other debating these crucial works—among them the Iliad, Plutarch’s Lives, and the works of Xenophon, Epicurus, Aristotle, Cato, and Cicero. One would think the founders would have spent much more time reading the books of English political philosophers like John Locke, who were more focused on the concerns of their own era. However, what was learned is that they were much more interested in the literature of the ancient worlds of Greece...

United States on Nov 19, 2021

Don Goodridge: THE INTELLECTUAL RIGOUR IS OUTSTANDING.AMERICANS NEE DTO READ THIS AND APPLY IT TO THE WORLD TRUMP HAS CREATED.

Canada on Jan 06, 2021

Donna Yeaman: t reading

Canada on Dec 27, 2020

Ernie: This is one of those books that makes you realize that your were not as educated as you thought. Turns out your 'education' might have been more of an indoctrination into the creation myths of your country [the U.S.A.] and much less about the realities. This book gives a pretty vivid picture of the first four presidents of the U.S.A. It's a much more 'human' picture that we got in grade school, high school, and [in my case] a liberal arts education in an conservative university.

Specifically, you get deep insights into the personalities and the intellectual influences of Washington, Adams, Hamilton, and Jefferson, along with the brilliance, and faults, foibles, and contradictions in the character of these men. It's not so much that Thomas Ricks enjoys knocking them off their pedestal, as it is an honest effort to portray them as not just exceptional, but as complex, and fully human, like the rest of us.

If you've ever heard the phrase "It's not the man who makes the office, it's the office that makes the man. Recent history has shown that, in the case of the U.S. presidency, that's not always the case, but is probably more the rule than the exception.

This is...

Canada on Dec 21, 2020

RWS: Loved this book. Certainly gives mea new perspective on the current GOP and the original Democratic party. A must read for anyone who wants a better understanding of the principles of the founders of the USA and the framers of the constitution were striving for.
Highly Recommend

Canada on Dec 15, 2020

Ricardo Mio: Most of us have heard how the Founding Fathers were influenced by the Enlightenment, but the Ancient Greeks and Romans played a significant role in shaping their views. That's the premise of "First Principles, What America's Founders learned from the Greeks and Romans and How that Shaped Our Country." The author makes a convincing case in a relatively short 297 pages. The book reads incredibly well; indeed, historian Thomas E. Ricks manages to keep it simple and far from dry, writing about a vast and complex subject. If you are at all interested in the Founding Generation, you'll find this a fascinating and worthwhile read.

While creating a new nation, the Founding Fathers looked to the ancient Greeks and Romans for inspiration; in particular James Madison, who studied the Greek republics while gathering information for the Constitutional Convention; and George Washington, who modeled his leadership qualities after a number of Roman generals; in particular Fabius, and Cincinnatus, and, decidedly, not Julius Caesar.

Ricks also underscores the point that Washington, while a brilliant military strategist and leader, was the least educated of the Founders (a number of...

United States on Dec 03, 2020