Our Lives, Our Fortunes and Our Sacred Honor

Richard Beeman s account of the movement to American independence is gripping, even if the reader knows the subject well and has no doubt as to how it ends.... We are fortunate to have as readable and cogent account of it as Our Lives, Our Fortunes and Our Sacred Honor. Federal Lawyer New insight to an old story.... Beeman is a strong, direct writer, adept at bringing historical personalities to life. Philadelphia Inquirer Our best history of the Continental Congress and the grand debate that led to independence.... With back-room deals and personality clashes in abundance, Beeman's tale of independence is as complex, worldly, and occasionally tedious as modern-day politics. Books & Culture You walk away from Our Lives with the undeniable impression that the Founding Fathers really were giants, however flawed, who single-handedly created American democracy. Slate The American Revolution tends to bring out the best in its chroniclers. Case in point: Richard Beeman s latest book, Our Lives, Our Fortunes, & Our Sacred Honor: The Forging of American Independence, 1774-1776. It s a charming, fast-paced retelling of a narrative that s been retold a thousand times before.... It s not really the historian s trade he s plying in these pages but rather the epic poet s: reciting the grand old stories while the wine of patriot season flows and the night sky over Boston is filled with fireworks. There s a worth to that, and Beeman has written a worthy book. Open Letters Monthly This book should be required reading in every college survey course on American History.... An outstanding book that should become an instant classic and needs to be on the bookshelf of anyone who fancies themselves knowledgeable about the Revolutionary Period. Battles & Book Reviews [Beeman] demonstrates his virtuosity.... The book abounds with colorful descriptions and personalities.vivid writing. Cleveland Plain Dealer [A] winningly delivered twice-told tale about the founding events of the United States. New York Times Book Review Beeman s prose captures those tensions and facilitates the imagination so the reader can feel a part of the debate.... Our Lives, Our Fortunes and Our Sacred Honor is an appropriate complement to David Stewart s The Summer of 1787. ... Beeman has produced an authoritative account of how this nation was imagined, and how the members from different sections of the continent were able to put aside their differences and to explore their differing philosophical, political and market needs to form an embryonic government that has grown to be a beacon for other communities seeking self-governance. Roanoke Times An engaging history of the Founders of 1776. Booklist Full of fascinating details. Publishers Weekly Lively study of the main players of the two Continental Congresses.... Beeman elegantly moves through the deeply compelling process of how these motley characters fashioned government as an agency for the people. A welcome addition to a rich, indispensable field of scholarly study. Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review The biggest accomplishment in all of American politics was the first. Richard Beeman tells the intricate, grinding, suspenseful story of how thirteen contentious colonies agreed to leave an empire and form a nation. Richard Brookhiser, author of James Madison With a dazzling combination of effortless prose and impeccable research, Richard Beeman has given us a fresh understanding of how thirteen very different and often differing colonies became a nation. Thomas Fleming, author of Liberty!: The American Revolution An eloquent scholar and insightful analyst, Richard Beeman has written a powerful and vivid account of the making of what is arguably our most cited and least understood founding document: the Declaration of Independence. This is a valuable and important book. Jon Meacham, author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power and American Lion A solid and lucid account of the momentous years leading up to the Revolution by one of early America s expert historians. Indeed, the story of those two years 1774-1776 has never been better told. Gordon Wood, Professor of History Emeritus at Brown University