Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815By Gordon Wood
Oxford University Press, 2009. 778 pgs. Non-fiction
I rather enjoyed this book. As the title indicates, it covers the first few decades of American history, following the ratification of the Constitution and the election of Washington. It explores a number of bigger subjects such as diplomacy, law, religion and political party formations. The author illustrates how each of these were shaped by the forces of expanding democratization. Those who are more interested in the kind of history that emphasizes on how people lived will be disappointed. There is no treatment of daily domestic life. However, I would recommend this to anyone who loves American history. A big book but it reads well.
CHW
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