Description
This is the first major interpretation of the framing of the Constitution to appear in more than two decades. Forrest McDonald, widely considered one of the foremost historians of the Constitution and of the early national period, reconstructs the intellectual world of the Founding Fathers-including their understanding of law, history political philosophy, and political economy, and their firsthand experience in public affairs-and then analyzes their behavior in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in light of that world. No one has attempted to do so on such a scale before. McDonald's principal conclusion is that, though the Framers brought a variety of ideological and philosophical positions to bear upon their task of building a "new order of the ages," they were guided primarily by their own experience, their wisdom, and their common sense.
About the Author
Forrest McDonald was Distinguished Research Professor of History at the University of Alabama and author of sixteen books, including Pulitzer Prize finalist Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution and The American Presidency. He was named by the NEH as the sixteenth Jefferson Lecturer, the nation's highest honor in the humanities.
Reviews
A witty and energetic study of the ideas and passions of the Framers." -New York Times Book Review
"Bristles with wit and intellectual energy." -Christian Science Monitor
"A masterpiece. McDonald's status as an interpreter of the Constitution is unequalled magisterial." -National Review
"Thoroughly impressive. A book that is consistently enlightening and one that, more than any of McDonald's previous works, stands as a monument to his remarkable talents." -William and Mary Quarterly
"As provocative as it is difficult to put down." -Georgia Historical Quarterly
"The best single volume on the origins of the Constitution." -Choice
"An important, comprehensive statement about the most fundamental period in American history. It deals authoritatively with topics no student of America can afford to ignore." -Harvey Mansfield, author of The Spirit of Liberalism
Book Information
ISBN 9780700603114
Author Forrest McDonald
Format Paperback
Page Count 346
Imprint University Press of Kansas
Publisher University Press of Kansas
Weight(grams) 465g
About the Author
Forrest McDonald was Distinguished Research Professor of History at the University of Alabama and author of sixteen books, including Pulitzer Prize finalist Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution and The American Presidency. He was named by the NEH as the sixteenth Jefferson Lecturer, the nation's highest honor in the humanities.
Reviews
A witty and energetic study of the ideas and passions of the Framers." -New York Times Book Review
"Bristles with wit and intellectual energy." -Christian Science Monitor
"A masterpiece. McDonald's status as an interpreter of the Constitution is unequalled magisterial." -National Review
"Thoroughly impressive. A book that is consistently enlightening and one that, more than any of McDonald's previous works, stands as a monument to his remarkable talents." -William and Mary Quarterly
"As provocative as it is difficult to put down." -Georgia Historical Quarterly
"The best single volume on the origins of the Constitution." -Choice
"An important, comprehensive statement about the most fundamental period in American history. It deals authoritatively with topics no student of America can afford to ignore." -Harvey Mansfield, author of The Spirit of Liberalism
Book Information
ISBN 9780700603114
Author Forrest McDonald
Format Paperback
Page Count 346
Imprint University Press of Kansas
Publisher University Press of Kansas
Weight(grams) 465g
