Joseph Ellis's Founding Brothers: the Revolutionary Generation provided me a chance to enrich my knowledge of founders of the American republic--John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington. Since I was not native speaker of English, I really had chaotic time to understand this three-hundred-page long book written by a Pulitzer-Prize winner.
In an extremely boring and hard-verse-using narrative, Ellis basically told me our founding brothers multiple characteristics-private and public personality. Our founding brothers sometimes fought like babies without reason, but sometimes they did help each other for nation. And I could learn about our founders more by reading this book: Adams, a politician who has autistic and combative personality, whose closest political helper was his wife, Abigail (Mr.Tub mentioned this every time saying without Abigail, Adams could not be President of America. Then, I wonder what he could do without his wife?); Burr, a duel-loving killer, was one of the most despised public figures of his time due to his moronic actions toward Hamilton; Hamilton, a political antics covered his humble Scottish origins by his position and wealth, but later killed by Burr because he did not take duel with enmity(He just wanted to die I believed.); Jefferson, a man with silence eloquence, was so reclusive and reserved that he hardly spoke more than a few sentences in public; Madison, incredibly shy man as Jefferson, was one of the most influential debaters among "brothers"; and George Washington, most important figure in this book, who is the first President of the nation. .
However, I did have some excitement while reading this book. I have really enjoyed duel scene of Hamilton and Burr. Ellis showed even single detail of the moment of the duel. I could feel tension between two men who are holding gun toward each other.
