10 books every American should read

July 3, 9:32 PMBook ExaminerMichelle Kerns

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On July 3rd, 1776, John Adams wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail, including these famously enthusiastic lines detailing how he felt about the historic Declaration he and his 55 comrades were about to officially adopt on July 4th:

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival...It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means.

Oh, how right Mr. Adams was -- the End was definitely worth the Means.

And he was also spot-on about the Festivities -- Independence Day is celebrated with enough Pomp and Shews and Bells and Illuminations to make even Mr. Adams' patriotic heart swell with pride (though he'd be disappointed by the lack of Guns; I always find they add a bit of a dramatic flair to a 4th of July proceeding, don't you?)

Some of us even go so far as to solemnize the day in a manner that John Adams' raucous cousin, that jolly old tea party-throwing rabble rouser Sam Adams, would have deeply appreciated -- tossing back a celebratory few of Samuel Adams' mighty fine ales. Huzzah.

Yet, regardless of how you commemorate this historic day in American history, an appreciation of the preciousness of our freedom, of the outstanding bravery of the Founding Fathers, of the sacrifices made by the ragtag bunch that made up the Continental Army, and of how unique the incredible experiment in liberty that America has been for two hundred plus years, should be an essential part of every American's psyche.

Is America perfect? No. But you've got to admit -- it's damn good. We're a country full of people overflowing with compassion, generosity, and a true desire for equality and fairness among all individuals. Sure, we may disagree on how best to achieve those ends, but, at the root, we are all products of the rock-solid beliefs of the Founding Fathers and want what is best for ourselves, our families, and for our fellow Americans.

Here are 10 books that all Americans should read: read them if you don't believe that there is anything good about America; read them if you've forgotten why America is such a big deal, anyway; read them if your faith in this Great Experiment in Liberty is faltering; but most of all, read them to remind yourself of the precious gift we lucky, lucky citizens of the United States have -- as Mr. Sam Fink put it so accurately and so succinctly: "Freedom...oh, sweet freedom."

 

10 books every American should read

1. Common Sense - Thomas Paine

Common Sense was America's first best-seller, and for good reason: Mr. Paine's eloquent and kicky little 48-page pamphlet galvanized the colonists' nebulous unhappiness with the British into the red-hot determination that powered them through years of war and to eventual victory.

2. 1776 - David McCollough

Mr. McCollough's book weaves the perspectives of the British and the determined Colonists -- along with the uncontrollable, pure luck environmental factors that came into play -- in and out of a narrative of the events of that incredible year in American, and world, history. I wish every young American had to read this book: I wonder how differently we would perceive the sacrifices that went into forming this country.

3. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation - Joseph J. Ellis

Too much of the time, we think about the foundational documents and principles of the United States as being decided after a polite conversation or two over glasses of wine, after which everyone held hands and sang "Kumbaya". Ha. Founding Brothers focuses on the pivotal disagreements and differences between the individuals who made this country. What I love about it is that it demonstrates how people who differ greatly can still forge and perpetuate a strong government. 

4. The Declaration of Independence: The Words that Made America - Sam Fink

I've enthused about this book before in my Memorial Day post -- it is truly outstanding. It's nothing more than the words of the Declaration of Independence, hand-lettered and illustrated by Mr. Fink, but it highlights each phrase and concept of the document in a way that a simple reading of the Declaration doesn't come close to. An excellent book, especially for kids just starting to get a handle on what America is all about.

 

5. Animal Farm - George Orwell

Short, sweet, and one of the most important things you'll ever read. The evils of too much power, too little education, and subordination through fear are portrayed better in this little parable than any hoity-toity lecture could possibly have managed.

6. 1984 - George Orwell

Animal Farm is thought-provoking; 1984 is just plain terrifying, as it should be. A sobering look at life with no freedom, even of thought, and with -- shudder -- only synthetic gin. God help us all.

7. The Star Spangled Banner - Peter Spier

A beautifully illustrated look at each line of our national anthem. Each of the pictures makes the meaning of the song's old-fashioned lyrics crystal clear. The book ends with a biography of The Star Spangled Banner's author, Francis Scott Key, along with a description of the events that led him to write the song and a reproduction of his original copy. A fascinating look at a young country and one of its devoted citizens.

8. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Not only do I think that this book portrays perfectly  the sacred quality of the written word, it highlights the importance of freedom of thought and expression, two of the concepts America was founded on.

 

9. The Constitution of the United States of America - Sam Fink

What Mr. Fink did for the Declaration of Independence, he does in this book for the Constitution, from the Preamble to the 27th Amendment. Each section, article, or amendment gets its own two-page, hand lettered and illustrated spread. Absolutely beautiful.

10. A History of the American People - Paul Johnson

What I love about this book is that it is NOT written by an American -- Mr. Johnson is British. You'd think that a history of America written by someone other than an American would be biased against the United States in the extreme, but nothing could be further from the truth in Mr. Johnson's book. I'd go so far as to say that Mr. Johnson appears to appreciate America and the Founding Fathers more than many Americans do. Nowhere is this seen in his book more profoundly than in his section on the Revolutionary War:

Unfortunately for Britain -- and fortunately for America -- the generation that emerged to lead the colonies into independence was one of the most remarkable group of men in history -- sensible, broad-minded, courageous, usually well educated, gifted in a variety of ways, mature, and long-sighted, sometimes lit by flashes of genius. It is rare indeed for a nation to have at its summit a group so variously gifted as Washington and Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Adams. And what was particularly providential was the way in which their strengths and weaknesses compensated each other, so that the group as a whole was infinitely more formidable that the sum of its parts...Moreover, behind this front rank was a second, and indeed, a third, of solid, sensible, able men capable of rising to a great occasion. In personal qualities, there was a difference as deep as the Atlantic between the men who led America and Britain during these years, and it told from first to last. Great events in history are determined by all kinds of factors, but the most important single one is always the quality of the people in charge; and never was this principle more convincingly demonstrated than in the struggle for American independence.

Light a sparkler, down a Samuel Adams (or three), and sing a round of "God Bless America" for me, folks. Happy Independence Day.

Photo credits: blog.mpl.org; barnesandnoble.com; randomhouse.com