There’s a Book for That: Fourth of July!

Are you looking forward to a long holiday weekend? The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941.  On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed marking America’s independence from British rule. Whether you are joining in fireworks, barbecues, and other festivities, or hunkering down at home with your pets, check out this array of great books about our nation’s history, for all ages:

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION edited by Richard Beeman (Penguin Books)

What is the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court really allowed to do? This unique and handy guide includes the documents that guide our government, annotated with accessible explanations from one of America’s most esteemed constitutional scholars.

THIS FIERCE PEOPLE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICA’S REVOLUTIONARY WAR IN THE SOUTH by Alan Pell Crawford (Knopf)

A groundbreaking, important recovery of history; the overlooked story—fully explored—of the critical aspect of America’s Revolutionary War that was fought in the South. Weaving throughout the stories of the heroic men and women, largely unsung patriots—African Americans and whites, militiamen and “irregulars,” patriots and Tories, Americans, Frenchmen, Brits, and Hessians, Crawford reveals the misperceptions and contradictions of our accepted understanding of how our nation came to be, as well as the national narrative that America’s victory over the British lay solely with General George Washington and his troops.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS: A MAN FOR THE WHOLE PEOPLE by Randall Woods (Dutton)

In this masterful biography, historian Randall B. Woods peels back the many layers of John Quincy’s long life, exposing a rich and complicated family saga and a political legacy that transformed the American Republic. Woods delves into John Quincy’s intellectual pursuits and political thought; his loving, yet at times strained, marriage to Louisa Catherine Johnson, whom he met in London; his troubling relationships with his three sons; and his fiery post-presidency rebirth in Congress as he became the chamber’s most vocal opponent of slavery.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: A STORY IN PHOTOGRAPHS edited by National Geographic; Foreword by Jill Lepore (National Geographic)

This glorious book of photography, now in a giftable package, celebrates America’s unique natural and cultural treasures with more than 250 National Geographic images from all 50 states, plus  commentary from a vaunted group of luminaries who call this country home.

THE PATRIOTS: ALEXANDER HAMILTON, THOMAS JEFFERSON, JOHN ADAMS, AND THE MAKING OF AMERICA by Winston Groom (National Geographic)

Now in paperback! In this gripping narrative, Winston Groom brings his signature storytelling panache to the intricately crafted tale of three of our nation’s most fascinating founding fathers—Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams—and paints a vivid picture of the improbable events, bold ideas, and extraordinary characters who created the United States of America.

THE RADICALISM OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION by Gordon S. Wood (Vintage)

Pulitzer Prize Winner

In a grand and immemsely readable synthesis of historical, political, cultural, and economic analysis, a prize-winning historian describes the events that made the American Revolution. Gordon S. Wood depicts a revolution that was about much more than a break from England, rather it transformed an almost feudal society into a democratic one, whose emerging realities sometimes baffled and disappointed its founding fathers.

AMERICAN DIALOGUE: THE FOUNDERS AND US by Joseph J. Ellis (Vintage)

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.

RUSH: REVOLUTION, MADNESS, AND BENJAMIN RUSH, THE VISIONARY DOCTOR WHO BECAME A FOUNDING FATHER by Stephen Fried (Crown)

In the summer of 1776, fifty-six men put their quills to a dangerous document they called the Declaration of Independence. Among them was a thirty-year-old doctor named Benjamin Rush. One of the youngest signatories, he was also, among stiff competition, one of the most visionary. Like the greatest Revolutionary minds, Dr. Benjamin Rush recognized that 1776 was only the beginning of the American experiment. Rush brings new drama to his singular life and towering legacy, finally installing him in the pantheon of our wisest and boldest Founding Fathers.

FOR YOUNGER READERS

INDEPENDENCE CAKE: A REVOLUTIONARY CONFECTION INSPIRED BY AMELIA SIMMONS, WHOSE TRUE HISTORY IS UNFORTUNATELY UNKNOWN by Deborah Hopkinson; Illustrated by Giselle Potter (Schwartz & Wade)

Celebrate American independence with this delightful picture book as you travel to Revolutionary America and meet the amazing Amelia Simmons: mother’s helper, baker of delectable cakes, and soon-to-be authoress of the first American cookbook!

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL by Wendell Minor, Katharine Lee Bates (Charlesbridge)

Classic Americana and patriotism meet in this picture book version of the beloved song “America the Beautiful.”

WHAT IS THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE?; Ages 8-12 by Michael C. Harris, Jerry Hoare, Kevin McVeigh (Penguin Workshop)

Step back in time to the birth of America and meet the real-life rebels who made this country free!

For more on these and related titles visit the collection: Fourth of July

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