American Dialogue, Joseph J. Ellis
American Dialogue, Joseph J. Ellis
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American Dialogue
The Founders and Us

Author: Joseph J. Ellis

Narrator: Arthur Morey

Unabridged: 8 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/16/2018

Synopsis

The award-winning author of Founding Brothers and The Quartet now gives us a deeply insightful examination of the relevance of the views of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and John Adams to some of the most divisive issues in America today.

The story of history is a ceaseless conversation between past and present, and in American Dialogue Joseph J. Ellis focuses the conversation on the often-asked question "What would the Founding Fathers think?" He examines four of our most seminal historical figures through the prism of particular topics, using the perspective of the present to shed light on their views and, in turn, to make clear how their now centuries-old ideas illuminate the disturbing impasse of today's political conflicts. He discusses Jefferson and the issue of racism, Adams and the specter of economic inequality, Washington and American imperialism, Madison and the doctrine of original intent. Through these juxtapositions--and in his hallmark dramatic and compelling narrative voice--Ellis illuminates the obstacles and pitfalls paralyzing contemporary discussions of these fundamentally important issues.

Cover image: Three Flags, 1958 by Jasper Johns. Encaustic on canvas (three panels) © Jasper Johns/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY; Print: Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, USA/Bridgeman Images

About Joseph J. Ellis

Joseph J. Ellis is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including American Sphinx, which won the National Book Award, and Founding Brothers, which won the Pulitzer Prize

Reviews

Goodreads review by Ryan on November 04, 2018

I would summarize the book like this: The founding fathers of the US are often looked to with deep reverence but superficial understanding, as many “originalists” or “constitutionalists” have not bothered to take the time to read what the founders actually said. If we want to have a proper dialogue......more

Goodreads review by David on March 31, 2018

The Then and Now of the USA American Dialogue is the pathetically ill-chosen title for an important and well-presented book. Joseph Ellis has pulled together a career’s worth of examining (and teaching) history. Using several of the US founding fathers as examples, he shows what they really faced, h......more

Goodreads review by Josh on June 30, 2019

The premise of this book is that the Founders created a dialogue on a number of important issues, a dialogue that is still ongoing today as we continue to live in the nation they created. That is all well and good. Also worth reading are the historical portions of the book; Ellis is one of the premi......more

Goodreads review by Mike on December 14, 2018

Since retiring as a professor, I guess Joseph Ellis has decided to become a political commentator as well as a historian. It really does not work out well for him. As a historian, he really knows his stuff and having read him before, I figured that I would enjoy this book as well. And, the historica......more

Goodreads review by Brian on October 22, 2018

A common hypothetical in political discussions with friends and family is the consideration of what the Founders would think of the current state of the nation. Of course, it is impossible to truly answer, but there are clues if one has read enough of their thinking and philosophy to give a plausibl......more

Quotes

"Vivid. . . Ellis writes with insight and acuity in the present tense, just as he always has in the past tense, and in American Dialogue he draws connections between our history and our present reality with an authority that few other authors can muster."—Jeff Shesol, The New York Times Book Review

“Joe Ellis knows that history is not simply about the past, it’s about the present having a conversation with the past. In this elegant and fascinating book, he conducts a discourse between our current troubled times and the period when our founders crafted our national creed. The result is an exploration of our values that is both timely and timeless.”—Walter Isaacson, author of Leonardo Da Vinci

"Ellis has taken those recurring questions and those astonishing founders and held them up against our current agonies, seeking to make sense of the present through the prism of the past. . . thoughtful and thought-provoking. . . this book may prompt readers to consider that there may be no certainties in a world where philosophy, practicality, and personal interest collide."—The Boston Globe

"Ellis is not concerned with quiet insights or reassurance. He means to mark out where we have strayed from, and how we have betrayed, America's founding ideals."—The Washington Post

"American Dialogue tries to break the conversational deadlock by going back to the beginning and exploring the controversial choices made by the Founders themselves, asking hard questions about who they were, what they did, and what legacies they left behind. . ."—San Francisco Book Review

“A lucid and authoritative examination of America's tumultuous beginnings, when the Founding Fathers grappled with issues of race, income inequality, law, and foreign policy—all issues that still vex the nation. . . These and other salient questions inform Ellis' vivid depiction of the controversies swirling as the Constitution was drafted and ratified. . . A discerning, richly detailed inquiry into America's complex political and philosophical legacy.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred)

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